Supervisor Specialties: When Multiple Supervisors are Warranted

Supervision is a rewarding, dynamic process in helping supervisees grow professionally to meet their full potential. What if the areas they need support in are not your areas of expertise? What if they are pursuing new certification or training to enhance their clinical practice and these trainings aren’t something you are trained in or familiar with yourself as their supervisor?

Exploring limits of the supervision you provide starts in the interview process with a potential supervisee. In the interview, you can explore questions that address their goals and interests in mental health, including future trainings and specialties they plan to pursue.

With their feedback and goals in mind, you can engage in transparency about your professional limits, including the possible need for additional supervisors to staff specific cases based on your supervisee goals.

Below are some examples of when multiple supervisors could be warranted:

·      Your supervisee is engaging in Synergetic Play Therapy (specialty) training, which would require an approved supervisor well versed in that training.

·      Your supervisee is pursuing both LPC and LMFT (multiple) licensures, requiring supervisors from each designation.

·      Your supervisee plans to work predominately with high conflict divorce couples (specialty or niche) which would warrant supervision by a professional equally versed in couples work, divorce laws, and co-parenting guidelines in your state.

·      Your supervisee is seeking additional supervision from you to staff cases involved in DHS (multiple roles) while they work with a nonprofit with an administrative supervisor on staff.

Once you’ve identified your supervisee needs, document the plans and agreed to next steps for you both. Will your supervisee identify and work with a trained supervisor that can address the gaps? Will there be any collaboration needed between supervisors with releases in place? By helping your supervisee identify their needs, clinical supervision can remain a supportive environment for professional growth that is both measurable and progressive.

Written by Khara Croswaite Brindle, MA, LPC, ACS