Supervisors - Starting the Supervised Practice Period
Create a welcoming environment
Example: having protected time for supervision and discussion.
Offer a comprehensive orientation
No detail is too small (e.g., worksite specific procedures/culture).
Be clear about your expectations and responsibilities of the supervisee
Your supervisee may not be aware of what you consider the ‘norm’.
Example: Canadian workplace culture places value on independence and taking initiative, which may be considered offensive or rude in other countries.
Be as specific as possible about your expectations
Examples:
- “you won’t have to wait for me to give you the go-ahead to start writing reports”,
- “Please complete the documentation for client sessions on the same day as the session, so that I can review them at the end of the day”.
Find out what kind of supervisory behaviours your supervisee finds helpful
Examples:
- availability to answer questions ‘on the fly’
- opportunities to observe, etc.
Develop a plan for ongoing feedback and discussion
Examples:
- how often will you check in about the supervisee’s caseload,
- how often will you have informal discussions, etc.