Supervision

Supervision of the student’s ongoing counseling work is the primary catalyst for professional and personal growth. Full-time students are expected to have an ongoing counseling caseload over at least three of the four semesters, a client load of about five for practicum and about ten for internship.

Whenever a student is working in a practicum or internship placement they must have one hour of weekly individual site supervision and weekly faculty small group supervision (90 minutes in practicum; 120 minutes in internship). This applies to summer work as well as to work during the normal semesters.

The goal of supervision is to assist individuals as they seek to become knowledgeable and competent practitioners of the counseling profession through the incorporation of a body of knowledge common to the field of counseling theory and practice, the development of specific counseling skills and a way of relating to clients which facilitates personal growth in the client, and the formulation of one’s personal philosophy and understanding of counseling.

The focus of the supervision varies with the level of training of the student. For some, the supervisory sessions focus on the acquisition of basic skills; for others, the “growing edge” is an integration of basic skills with theoretical formulations; for some, the task at hand is an understanding of one’s role in relationship to clients.

Individual Supervision with Site Supervisor

Based on a dyadic apprenticeship model, individual supervision allows the supervisor to give ongoing attention to the work of the counselor. Supervision sessions are scheduled weekly. While the site supervisor is responsible for providing weekly supervision, students are expected to take initiative for communication if supervision is canceled repeatedly or difficulties arise in having weekly appointments. Students should stay in consistent communication with their site supervisor regarding cases and supervision needs. We strongly encourage all students to share both self-evaluation of supervision with their supervisors when appropriate and throughout the tenure of the supervisory relationship.

Site Supervisors must have:

1. A minimum of a masters degree in counseling or a related profession with equivalent qualifications, including appropriate certifications and/or licenses;
2. A minimum of two (2) years of pertinent professional experience in the program area in which the student is enrolled;
3. Knowledge of the program’s expectations, requirements, and evaluation procedures for students; and
4. Relevant training in counseling supervision preferred.

Group Supervision with Faculty Group Supervisor and Peers

Group supervision is held on a weekly basis within the classroom setting at EMU and is based on the premise that participants can learn a great deal from one another as well as from the faculty group supervisor. The group strengthens one’s ability to conceptualize the client’s problems in clear and concise terms and allows for broader based feedback. Presentations of cases to the group facilitate this experience. The major focus in the group is on the counselor’s recorded sessions. A case study summary addressing referral information, presenting problem, initial assessment, summary of counseling process to date, prognosis, and spiritual themes if appropriate, is also required.

The faculty group supervisor oversees the Professional Practice Folder (PPF) and assists in the student’s self-evaluation. The faculty group supervisor maintains contact with sites, monitors clinical training of the student, supports and nurtures skill development and personal and professional development.

Faculty Supervision of Site Supervisors

The faculty group supervisor and the site supervisor develop a collaborative relationship for the purpose of partnering in the education of the student counselor. Regular connections are established for one semester with practicum supervisors and two semesters for intern supervisors.

The faculty supervisor is a resource to the site supervisor. However, the site supervisor is expected to maintain all other forms of supervision, staffing and case review available to them within or beyond their agency. For clarification and the benefit of the student’s experience within the agency, the faculty supervisor will review with the site supervisor their respective roles, goals of supervision, and objectives of the experience as outlined in the Student Handbook – Professional Practice Section.

Faculty supervisors make a site visit to the site supervisor once during practicum and twice during a student’s internship, in addition to ongoing phone consultation. These visits include both student and site evaluation. In addition, on a weekly basis, site supervisors are required to sign and complete a written evaluation of student progress, which is turned into the faculty supervisor. Site supervisors may also indicate whether or not they would like to have a follow-up phone consultation with the faculty supervisors. Faculty supervisors check in weekly with students regarding well-being and feeling supported by site supervisors.

Should challenges arise, the faculty supervisor would contact the site supervisor to arrange a meeting time. In some cases, faculty supervisors would continue to check-in weekly with a site supervisor until the requirements of the contract for supervision or training have been met. In the event of irreparable issues, following phone and in-person contact, the contract between student and supervisor would be terminated and a letter describing this consequence would be distributed and signed by the faculty supervisor, the site supervisor, and the student. In some cases, a site supervisor whose services have been terminated would no longer be utilized by the training program, unless evidence of remediation was documented.

In recognition of their time and dedication to our students and to create an opportunity to enhance their skills, site supervisors are offered the opportunity to attend our Continuing Education Series workshops and trainings free of charge.

Faculty Review

The full time faculty regularly review the growth of each student in the program. The faculty conducts a summary review of each student and a more in-depth review of particular students as needed. This approach relies on the student’s Faculty Advisor to implement the decisions of the faculty directly with the student. The review includes, but is not limited to, developing counselor identity and professionalism, student awareness of growth areas, evaluation of the student’s clinical site, and consultation for supervision of the student’s progress.