Structure of Clinical Practicum
Each scheduled meeting addresses supervisor- and student-identified priorities related to specific clinical cases currently on the student’s caseload. The supervisor and student review marked tape, student questions, relevant profession-wide competencies, and individualized training goals as they apply to current cases.
Group Supervision
Students meet as a practicum team with the faculty supervisor weekly between 9-11am Wednesdays. In the unusual circumstance that group supervision must be canceled or rescheduled due to a scheduling conflict on the supervisor’s part, the supervisor will make every effort to arrange alternative supervision from another licensed faculty member or assign other activities that support student development toward PWC competencies. The structure of group supervision will generally include:
- Didactic instruction, case presentations, review of literature reviews, and questions posed to the group
- Follow-up on any supervision assignments
- Identification, review, and discussion of any ethical dilemmas or clinical questions related to multicultural competence — with fourth-year students leading designated portions of these discussions (see Appendix A)
- Review of technique, role-play, and case conceptualization
Individual Supervision
Students with active caseloads meet with the faculty supervisor once a week for individual supervision. Meeting times are established the first week of the semester. If the supervisor must cancel or reschedule individual meetings, alternative times or supervision modalities will be offered that week unless absolutely infeasible, in which case times will be offered as soon as reasonably possible. Students are expected to come to individual meetings with tape marked, assessments scored, and otherwise prepared to review specific questions and training goals. Individual supervision for fourth-year students includes review of the vertical supervision they provided that week (see Appendix A).
Roles & Responsibilities of the Supervisor
- Operates within practicum expectations outlined in the graduate and SPC (formerly CCAC) handbooks.
- Oversees and monitors client cases (assessment, conceptualization, treatment planning, and intervention) within ethical/regulatory standards.
- Reviews and signs off on all reports, case notes, and communications in a timely manner.
- Develops and maintains a respectful and collaborative supervisory relationship that includes describing the supervisor’s theoretical orientations for supervision and therapy, and maintaining a distinction between supervision and psychotherapy.
- Assists the supervisee in setting and attaining goals and provides feedback anchored to these goals, objectives, and competencies.
- Provides formative and summative evaluation using benchmark rating forms.
- Informs the supervisee when competence criteria are not met and implements a remediation plan.
- Reschedules missed supervision session(s).
- Maintains documentation of the clinical supervision and services provided.
Roles & Responsibilities of the Student
- Operates within practicum expectations outlined in the graduate and practicum handbooks.
- Implements supervisor directives and discloses clinical issues, concerns, and errors as they arise. Seeks out and receives immediate supervision on emergent situations. (Supervisor and backup supervision contact information: see Supervisor Addendum.)
- Identifies to clients their training status as a supervisee, the name of the clinical supervisor, and the supervisory structure, and obtains the client’s informed consent for this structure.
- Attends supervision sessions on time and prepared to discuss client cases.
- Utilizes individual and group supervision effectively; no use of laptops or phones except for explicit supervision-related purposes.
- Takes advantage of training opportunities and supervision, records all sessions, follows through on supervision assignments, and keeps documentation up to date.
- Adheres to ethical/regulatory and professionalism standards including those established by APA and the training program, including (but not limited to) timeliness in all aspects of clinical work, professional dress, and respectful interactions with clients, supervisors, and colleagues.
Confidentiality Within Supervision
Supervisor and student understand that limits of confidentiality exist for supervisee disclosures in supervision. While the supervisor is there to help promote development of broad professional identity, they also serve in an evaluative role. In our program, faculty supervisors regularly meet and review students’ progress in clinical practicum. In addition to these normative disclosures, supervisors may share information regarding student functioning or performance (including student disclosures to the supervisor) if it is determined to be significantly impacting their functioning within clinical practicum and/or the program more broadly.
For sensitive disclosures related to sexual harassment or violence, we understand that it is important to have a place to discuss well-being and clinical implications. In the student-supervisor context, where we are operating within our role as faculty, we are also mandated reporters for concerns related to Title IX. We will do our best to help support you through the process and a report does not mean you have to pursue any action, but we do not want our obligation to report to take you by surprise.