Assignment 1: Supervision

Many novice human services providers or those who are new to the field are required to practice under supervision to gain the skills necessary to work autonomously with their clients. These professionals who require supervision do not possess the licensure or certification needed to practice independently. The supervision provides the novice professionals with an opportunity to develop the skills necessary to practice independently by working with experienced clinicians while meeting the standards required by their state or province to obtain licensure at the highest level, which would allow them to practice independently.

However, some human services professionals may never seek the highest level of licensure and practice indefinitely under the required supervision of their profession.

In this assignment, you will review your state's requirements for supervision of counselors and social workers to understand and apply the rules in your future career as a human services administrator.

Tasks:

Read your state's requirements identified in the relevant licensing board's website for supervision of counselors and social workers. After you have read the requirements, address the following in about 300 words:

What are the differences between training supervision and general work supervision for counselors and social workers? Specifically, what is the purpose of each type of supervision and how is supervision conducted in each category?

What are the education and experience requirements for the supervisors of counselors and social workers?

What is your opinion on the importance of supervision?

What ethical dilemmas do supervisors face in their role?