ArgosyUniversity

IllinoisSchool of Professional Psychology

Clinical Supervision

(PP7352 C1)

Fall 2009

Professor:John Tirado, Ph.D.Office Hrs: Tue 9:00 – 10:00

Telephone:312-777-7698 Thu 3:30 – 4:30

E-Mail: Fri 10:00 – 12:00

COURSE CATALOG DESCRIPTION

1.5 credit hours

The aim of this course is to provide students with an overview of theory, research and practice models for clinical supervision. Numerous conceptual models for clinical supervision are described and discussed with an emphasis on the following approaches: developmental, person-centered, psychodynamic, cognitive behavioral, skill training, systemic, and integrated. Students use role plays to begin exploring the nature of the supervisory relationship and their own emerging approach to supervising others. They also discuss common strategiew, modalities, training issues, and dilemmas.

COURSE PRESEQUISITES

PP8212 Intervention Practicum and Seminar II

PROGRAM OUTCOMES

The Doctoral program in Clinical Psychology at Argosy University Chicago Campus is an APA accredited program (APA, 750 First St. NE, Washington, DC20002, 202-336-5500). This program is designed to educate and train students so that they may eventually be able to function effectively as clinical psychologists. To ensure that students are prepared adequately, the curriculum provides for the meaningful integration of theory, training and practice. The Clinical Psychology program at Argosy University Chicago Campus emphasizes the development of attitudes, knowledge, and skills essential in the formation of professional psychologists who are committed to the ethical provision of quality services. Specific objectives of the program include the following:

  • Goal 1: Prepare professional psychologists to accurately, effectively, and ethically select, administer, score, interpret, and communicate findings of appropriate assessment methods informed by accepted psychometric standards and sensitive to the diverse characteristics and needs of clients.
  • Objective 1a: Accurately and ethically administer and score various psychodiagnostic instruments.
  • Objective 1b: Accurately interpret and synthesize assessment data in the context of diversity factors, referral questions, and specific objectives of the assessment, and organize and communicate results in writing and orally.
  • Objective 1c: Examine psychometric properties of psychological assessment instruments, and use that knowledge to evaluate, select, administer, and interpret psychological tests and measures appropriate for the client, the referral question, and the objectives of the assessment.
  • Goal 2: Prepare professional psychologists to select, implement, and evaluate psychological interventions consistent with current ethical, evidence-based, and professional standards, within a theoretical framework, and with sensitivity to the interpersonal processes of the therapeutic relationship and the diverse characteristics and needs of clients.
  • Objective 2a: Synthesize the foundations of clinical psychology, including psychopathology, human development, diagnosis, diversity, ethics, and various therapeutic models in clinical applications.
  • Objective 2b: Select, plan, and implement ethical and evidence-based interventions with sensitivity to the diverse characteristics and needs of clients.
  • Objective 2c: Demonstrate knowledge, skills, and attitudes to effectively implement and participate in psychological consultation and supervision.
    Objective 2d: Demonstrate personal development and self-reflective capacity, including growth of interpersonal skills, and therapeutic relationships.
  • Goal 3: Prepare professional psychologists to analyze the complexity and multidimensionality of human diversity, and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to understand diverse worldviews and the potential meaning of social, cultural, and individual differences for professional psychological services.
  • Goal 4: Prepare professional psychologists to examine the historical context and the current body of knowledge of biological, cognitive, affective, developmental, and social bases of human functioning.
  • Goal 5: Prepare professional psychologists to critically evaluate the current and evolving body of scholarly literature in psychology to inform professional practice.

COURSE GOAL

To prepare the student with the necessary skills and knowledge to assume the role of clinical supervisor

Course Objective / Program Goal / Method of Assessment
Develop a conceptualization of the major roles and responsibilities of clinical supervision / Goal 2 – Intervention
Goal 3 – Diversity / Weekly homework, class participation and discussion & final project
Develop knowledge of current theories, models and practices in clinical supervision / Goal 5 – Scholarship / Midterm journal article review and critique; Final project
Display knowledge of professional ethical principles and obligations / Goal 2 – Intervention / Final project; class participation & class discussion
Explore, examine and review the contemporary literature on clinical supervision and diversity issues / Goal 5 – Scholarship / Midterm journal article review and critique

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Students are expected to attend all classes, read all designated chapters, and complete all assignments. Meaningful participation in classroom discussions is encouraged and expected. Students are invited to ask questions, express their thoughts regarding the material presented, and demonstrate respect and sensitivity to individual differences and opinions.

Individual meetings with the instructor are available during designated office hours and by appointment. A student who must miss a class or an assignment (regardless of the reason) hasto inform the instructor as early as possible.

Students’ class performance will be assessed in the following way:

Class Participation - students will be evaluated by their attendance and their contributions to class discussions.

Midterm Examination - student will be given a class presentation assignment that is due during the 7th week of class. Specific instructions for this examination will be provided by the 5thweek of the semester.

Final Examination – Student will be given a take home assignment that is due December 4, 2009,the penultimate class meeting. Specific instructions for this exam will reviewed before the 11thweek of the semester.

COURSE FORMAT

The format of the course is based on substantive, interactive class discussions of assigned text readings and individual supervisory experiences of the students. In addition, student presentation of selected articles from the clinical supervision literature will be used to stimulate discussion of course concepts.

GRADING

The final grade for this course will be determinedby the total points (100) earned from all assignments as follows:

Midterm Examination30 points (30%)

Final Examination 60 points (60%)

Class Participation 10 points (10%)

FINAL GRADE

A final letter grade will be based on the following point values:

A (93 to 100 points)

A-(90 to 92points)

B+(87 to 89 points)

B(83 to 86 points)

B-(80 to 82 points)

C(79 and below)

LIBRARY

All resources in ArgosyUniversity’s online collection are available through the Internet. The campus librarian will provide students with links, user IDs, and passwords.

Library Resources: ArgosyUniversity’s core online collection features nearly 21,000 full-text journals and 23,000 electronic books and other content covering all academic subject areas including Business & Economics, Career & General Education, Computers, Engineering & Applied Science, Humanities, Science, Medicine & Allied Health, and Social & Behavior Sciences. Many titles are directly accessible through the Online Public Access Catalog at Detailed descriptions of online resources are located at

In addition to online resources, ArgosyUniversity’s onsite collections contain a wealth of subject-specific research materials searchable in the Online Public Access Catalog. Catalog searching is easily limited to individual campus collections. Alternatively, students can search combined collections of all Argosy University Libraries. Students are encouraged to seek research and reference assistance from campus librarians.

Information Literacy: ArgosyUniversity’s Information Literacy Tutorial was developed to teach students fundamental and transferable research skills. The tutorial consists of five modules where students learn to select sources appropriate for academic-level research, search periodical indexes and search engines, and evaluate and cite information. In the tutorial, students study concepts and practice them through interactions. At the conclusion of each module, they can test their comprehension and receive immediate feedback. Each module takes less than 20 minutes to complete. Please view the tutorial at

ACADEMIC POLICIES

Academic Dishonesty/Plagiarism: In an effort to foster a spirit of honesty and integrity during the learning process, ArgosyUniversity requires that the submission of all course assignments represent the original work produced by that student. All sources must be documented through normal scholarly references/citations and all work must be submitted using the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 5th Edition (2001). WashingtonDC: American Psychological Association (APA) format. Please refer to Appendix A in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 5th Edition for thesis and paper format. Students are encouraged to purchase this manual (required in some courses) and become familiar with its content as well as consult the ArgosyUniversity catalog for further information regarding academic dishonesty and plagiarism.

Scholarly writing: The faculty at ArgosyUniversity is dedicated to providing a learning environment that supports scholarly and ethical writing, free from academic dishonesty and plagiarism. This includes the proper and appropriate referencing of all sources. You may be asked to submit your course assignments through “Turnitin,” ( an online resource established to help educators develop writing/research skills and detect potential cases of academic dishonesty. Turnitin compares submitted papers to billions of pages of content and provides a comparison report to your instructor. This comparison detects papers that share common information and duplicative language.

AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT POLICY

It is the policy of ArgosyUniversity to make reasonable accommodations for qualified students with disabilities, in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). If a student with disabilities needs accommodations, the student must notify the Director of Student Services. Procedures for documenting student disability and the development of reasonable accommodations will be provided to the student upon request.

Students will be notified by the Director of Student Services when each request for accommodation is approved or denied in writing via a designated form. To receive accommodation in class, it is the student’s responsibility to present the form (at his or her discretion) to the instructor. In an effort to protect student privacy, the Department of Student Services will not discuss the accommodation needs of any student with instructors. Faculty may not make accommodations for individuals who have not been approved in this manner.

DIVERSITY

ArgosyUniversity prepares students to serve populations with diverse social, ethnic, economic, and educational experiences. Boththe academic and training curricula are designed to provide an environment in which students can develop the skills and attitudes essential to working with people from a wide range of backgrounds.

TECHNOLOGY IN THE CLASSROOM

Students may use computers, recording devices, internet access and any other technological device they may require provided that the use of these devices does not interrupt the class.

READINGS

REQUIRED TEXTS

Bernard, J.M. & Goodyear, R.K. (2004) Fundamentals of Clinical Supervision. Boston: Allyn & Bacon. ISBN: 0-205-38873-6

RECOMMENDED READINGS

Falendar, C.A. Shafranske, E.P. (2004) Clinical Supervision: A Competency-Based Approach. Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association. ISBN:1-59147-119-2

Ladany, N., Firedlander, M.L., & Nelson, M.L. (2005) Critical Events in Psychotherapy Supervision – An Interpersonal Approach. American Psychological Association. ISBN: 1-59147-206-7

READINGS BY CLASS

Class 1Chapter 1Introduction to Clinical Supervision: Context and importance of supervision. Defining supervision in the preparation of mental health professionals

Class 2 Chapter 4Supervision Models: Theory in clinical supervision. Supervision models grounded in psychotherapy theory; developmental approaches to supervision; social role models

Class 3Chapter 5The Supervisory Relationship: the influence of individual and developmental differences. Developmental constructs; cultural differences; multicultural constructs

Class 4Chapter 6The Supervisory Relationship: Processes and Issues of the Supervisory Triad and Dyad; Parallel processes and isomorphism are discussed.

Class 5Chapter 7The Supervisory Relationship: The supervisee in the relationship; the supervisor in the relationship; Issues of resistance, attachment, shame, anxiety and power are discussed

Class 6Chapter 2Evaluation: Criteria for evaluation; favorable conditions for evaluation; the process of evaluation; impairment and incompetence; additional evaluation issues

Class 7Midterm Paper Presentations – No Readings

Class 8Midterm Paper Presentations – No Readings

Class 9Chapter 3Ethical and Legal Considerations: Major ethical issues for clinical supervisors; legal ramifications; ethical decision making; informed consent, dual relationships, competence and malpractice are examined

Class 10Chapter 8Organizing the Supervision Experience: The importance of competence in organizing supervision, the role of institutional culture; supervision plan; context; evaluation and debriefing are presented

Class 11Chapter 10Supervision Interventions: Group Supervision – A definition and conceptualization, types of supervision groups; utility, supervisor roles, tasks, and strategies are examined

Class 12Chapter 11Supervision Interventions: Live Supervision – Methods of live supervision, interventions, pre and post session planning, and team supervision are reviewed

Class 13No Reading

Class 14No Reading

COURSE SCHEDULE

Sep 11 Introduction and Overview to clinical supervision

An examination of supervisory experiences & expectations

Sep 18Models and Theories of Supervision

Sep 25Supervisory Relationship: factors affecting quality supervision

Oct 2Supervisory Relationship: process dynamics

Oct 9Supervisory Relationship: Supervisor-Supervisee Dynamics

Oct 16Evaluation Issues in Supervision

Oct 23Midterm Paper Presentations

Oct 30Midterm Paper Presentations

Nov 6Ethical and legal Issues in Supervision; Client Welfare and Gate-keeping

Nov 13Organizing and structuring the supervision experience; Confidentiality

Nov 20Individual & Group Supervision

Nov 27HOLIDAY

Dec 4Diversity Issues in Supervision

Dec 11Students will articulate a personal model of supervision developed from his or her own preferred style of psychotherapy and self (assumptive view)

Midterm Examination (DueOctober 23, 2009)

The Midterm Examination consists of a critique of a journal article. The student will select a topic of clinical supervision, approved by the instructor and write, an8 page critique of an article in the literature that addresses this topic. The student should briefly summarize the article, elaborate the topic of the article, relate this topic to readings (assigned in class and outside of class) and class discussion, assume a position related to the topic and provide a rationale for this position. The student will then present this paper in class on the 7thor8thclass meeting.

Final Examination (Due December 4, 2009)

The Final Examination consists of a mock supervision and a final paper based on this mock supervision. Each student in the class will pair up with another student (either in or out of class) and conduct a mock supervision. The mock supervision session should be approximately 30 minutes in duration and recorded. It is ideal if the supervisee in the mock supervision session selects an ongoing case in practicum and addresses specific challenges or issues that the supervisee is addressing in treatment. All identifying information regarding the supervisee’s client used in the mock supervision must be altered and disguised so as to assure anonymity.

Note that the course instructor and the student supervisor are not responsible or liable for the welfare of clients of the mock supervisee. In addition, the comments, suggestions, or recommendations provided by the student supervisor should in no way be interpreted as replacing the mock supervisee’s on-site supervisor.

As the student supervisor you will be required to submit a recording (preferably digital) of the supervision and write a narrative consisting of two sections.

The Final Examination Paper will consist of two sections

Section 1(6 – 8 pages)

Based on this mock supervision session, write a critique of six to eight pages that

addresses the following issues and themes:

  1. A description of the supervisee’s learning style, issues, and/or needs
  2. An analysis of the relationship between the supervisor and supervisee
  3. Summary of the themes in the session
  4. Self Critique regarding skills and relational style as a supervisor
  5. Recommendations for subsequent sessions

Section 2(4 – 5 pages)

Select one of the following supervision topics below and use this topic to elaborate upon the mock supervision described in section 1 of your paper above. From theory and class readings, elaborate upon the topic as demonstrated within the mock supervision and provide supportive data from this recording where appropriate, using quoted statements. Finally, take a position or stance and provide your opinion or perspective on the theme.

Topics

1. Parallel Processes in Supervision4. Disclosure with Supervisors

2. Diversity in Supervision5. Selected Model of Supervision

3. Evaluation in Supervision 6. Countertransference in Supervision