When I look at the competencies for the substance abuse supervisor (CSI and CCS) posted on the North Carolina Substance Abuse Professional Practice Board (NCSAPPB) website, I read a high standard of knowledge and practice which is daunting even after 20+ years in the field.   [Go to the url below, see pp. 50-53.]

Since most clinical supervisors are conducting “other business” as their main focus at any one time – they are either in their own private practice, they are conducting clients’ individual and group treatment in an agency setting, or they are administrators – their own development as clinical supervisors is uneven.   The administrative components – “Program Development” & “Administration – could take several years of concentrated effort before one achieved competence in that area alone.

Keep in mind: the NCSAPPB only requires 15 hours of clinical supervision specific training to obtain the Certified Supervisor Intern (CSI) credential and an additional 15 hours of clinical supervision specific training (plus the two years experience and passing the examination) to obtain the Certified Clinical Supervisor credential.   And those two years of experience could be limited to the CSI supervising one CSAS – Intern or one LCAS-Associate.

Supervisees may not detect the range of supervisor competence (or lack of) until they’ve met their second (or third of fourth…) supervisor.

Unless the supervisor takes the time to explain their limits and lacks as well as their competencies and proficiencies.  Which behavior on part of the supervisor itself would indicate some supervisory competence (!), and should be a relief to the supervisee, even if there are gaps in the supervisor’s “resume.”

I have found myself studying hard to stay a few steps ahead of some supervisees. Either their beginning personal interest in some therapy or practice or their employing agency’s embracing a new service definition or evidence-based practice has me researching on-line or driving to Chapel Hill to the graduate or health sciences libraries.   And there is, at least on my part, not just for the clients I see, but for the supervisee’s benefit, ‘going back to the well,’ revisiting topics.  The other week I picked up an anthology of Motivational Interviewing, applied to various problems I hadn’t tackled, but that might come up in supervision, and what to do you know, one week later I had a patient who may have benefited. Who knows: maybe a supervisee next?

http://www.ncsappb.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/NCSAPPB_Cred_Manual_5_18_2016PDF.pdf