Postdegree/Prelicensure Supervision

Supervision Defined

The Council on the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) specifies the hours and functions of supervision in counselor preparation. However, in non-CACREP accredited programs, the approach to supervision may or may not be made explicit. Either way, a brief overview of the purpose and definitions of supervision is presented as a starting point.

Supervision is an intervention provided by a more senior member of a profession to a more junior member or members of that same profession. This relationship is evaluative, extends over time, and has the simultaneous purposes of enhancing the professional functioning of the more junior persons, monitoring the quality of the professional services offered to the clients they see, and serving as a gatekeeper for entry to the particular profession.

Supervision is a type of intervention that although distinct from the provision of counseling or psychotherapy, is a change agent in the development of a new professional. While supervision does include an educational component in the form of a predetermined curriculum for all students, supervision is tailored to [Page 335]meet the unique developmental needs of the individual or group of supervisees. Although there may be points in the supervisory process where a supervisee's personal issues are addressed in relation to the clinical work, the supervisor does not engage in a therapeutic relationship with the supervisee to resolve these issues. Rather, the issues are addressed in a manner that heightens the supervisee's awareness of how these factors may affect his or her work with clients. It is the supervisor's responsibility to hold the supervisee accountable for effectively managing client issues and providing appropriate referrals. There is a distinction between consultation and supervision, where supervision is generally imposed by licensing requirements of the postgraduate/prelicensed counselor, while consultation is sought freely by the clinician, perhaps on a single occasion, and not necessarily from a member of his or her own discipline. Additionally, there is no evaluative component involved in a consultative relationship.

Postgraduate Supervision

Supervision, required by counselor licensing and regulatory bodies, is provided by a senior member of a profession (who, at a minimum, is licensed) for a junior member of the same profession working toward licensing. Although various disciplines can aptly address theoretical orientations, skill set development, and case management skills, socialization into the profession and fostering a sense of professional identity come from within a discipline. Supervision involves assisting the new professional in attending to matters of professional importance, e.g., changes in licensing laws, third-party reimbursement, modification or issuance of practice guidelines. Moreover, it includes not only bringing such matters to the supervisee's attention but also developing the knowledge of how and what to attend to, finding sources of information pertinent to the profession, and participating in organizations relevant to the profession, i.e., the American Counseling Association and state branches. Currently, supervision standards vary and may or may not require someone licensed from the same discipline, a licensee, or an approved supervisor credential such as the Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS) credential from the Center for Credentialing Education (CCE) of the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC). Requirements about the length of time and hours of supervision required for licensing vary across states and territories. However, one common practice is that the postgraduate counselor must be under supervision until licensed in order to practice independently. The supervisor is required to provide ongoing evaluation of the postgraduate counselor and to submit or withhold a recommendation to license the supervisee.

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