Topic Two - who are the most effective practitioners?
The Motion: To be effective, supervision needs to be undertaken by practitioners with addiction expertise
For…
It is not only expertise in the treatment method which is important, but knowledge of the condition to which it is applied, as well as knowledge of the target population. Effective supervisors are accepted as having particular expertise and experience in the treatment of addiction problems.
Against...
Expertise in a particular treatment method enables the supervisor to address any behaviour problem in any context. There is an advantage in supervisors being remote and independent of agency and locality concerns, so as to remain unbiased in giving guidance.
It is generally agreed that supervision of practitioners at all levels is an important part of professional development and ensuring safe practice. How best to do it is not so clear. In your own practice think about i) Who gives you supervision? ii) Do you find supervision helpful in your daily practice? iii) Would a different kind of supervision be better for you?
The conference poster paper cited below looks at two different ways of doing supervision. The research compared two models of supervision, a centralised model whereby an expert trains and directly supervises therapists by providing coaching and feedback, and a localised model whereby the supervisor is trained in the specific intervention, is committed to its implementation and champions its use within the agency…
All therapists were rated above adequate on adherence to treatment protocol and competence (all were Masters degree level).
Ratings of adherence and competence were similar in both supervision model groups.
Most importantly where the therapists received localised supervision there was a greater reduction in days using drugs at three months follow-up
Overall, the researchers found that the evidence leans towards localised supervision from a competent practitioner.
Write down your thoughts on what you see as the ideal supervision arrangement. Is there anything you want to change in your own practice?
The poster can be found here…
Meier A, McGovern MP, Lambert-Harris C, McLeman B, Saunders EC (2016) A pilot trial of two models of clinical supervision of Integrated Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for co-occurring PTSD and substance use disorders. Poster presented at College on Problems of Drug Dependence conference, Palm Springs, California…
What do you think about your own supervision? What would be the ideal in your view?
