Supervisory Tools

The supervisory tools provided below were developed by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse ( NIAAA ). They are contained in a public domain monograph titled Improving Compliance with Alcoholism Treatment (1997) and can be obtained free of charge by clicking on the Project Match link here.

A simple checklist for supervisors is provided to guide practice. A 32 item questionnaire for supervisees to assess the performance of their supervisor is also provided below for supervisors who highly regard feedback and their own ongoing learning.

Both these tools were designed in the context of a research project in which therapy manuals were used. They are appropriate for a supervisory process which utilises the DrugNet web as a therapy manual or any other manual-guided therapy.

Contents

Checklist for effective supervision and enhancing therapist compliance in manual-guided therapies

Psychotherapy Supervision Questionnaire

Checklist for effective supervision and enhancing therapist compliance in manual-guided therapies

1)	Define participants’ roles and parameters of supervision.
2)	Clarify goals of supervision.
3)	Discuss limits of confidentiality.
4)	Clarify the role of measures of therapist performance.
5)	Keep supervision concrete and structured.
6)	Use examples from session videotapes and audiotapes.
7)	Refer frequently to the manual (DrugNet web).
8)	Provide supervision as soon as possible after sessions are conducted, at a consistent time and date.
9)	Update therapists with newsletters and memos describing interesting examples, clarification of materials in manuals (DrugNet), and creative strategies for handling clinical problems.
10)	Provide effective alternate interventions for proscribed techniques. Top of Page

Psychotherapy Supervision Questionnaire

The questionnaire below was designed specifically to assess the process of supervision in manual-guided therapy. The words DrugNet web have been added as an alternative to treatment manual.

The questionnaire follows four areas frequently discussed in the literature as important in the supervision process:

		Level of Comfort with a supervisor
		Level of Congruence between the therapist and supervisor on interventions, goals, and strategies that could be utilized in psychotherapy with particular clients
		Rapport (i.e., openness, honesty, and respect
		Supervision that is Consistent with a particular theoretical model.

A scoring system has not been included as its existance and availability is being investigated.

Below are a series of statements on the quality of supervision in psychotherapy. Please rate each statement about your psychotherapy supervision by circling a number after each statement indicating the degree to which your supervision reflected that statement. Please base your ratings only on the past 90 days of supervision.

1)	My supervisor taught me specific therapy skills or techniques as related to the treatment manual. Never Sometimes Always 1 2 3 4 5
2)	My supervisor helped me understand my client’s personality and how this affects the treatment process. Never Sometimes Always 1 2 3 4 5
3)	My supervisor helped me understand better my feelings, thoughts, and behaviours toward my clients. Never Sometimes Always 1 2 3 4 5
4)	My supervisor helped me understand better my clients’ style of relating to me as their therapist. Never Sometimes Always 1 2 3 4 5
5)	My supervisor helped me understand how my own personal characteristics or behavior helped or hindered my effectiveness as a psychotherapist with a particular client. Never Sometimes Always 1 2 3 4 5
6)	My supervisor was overly critical of me. Never Sometimes Always 1 2 3 4 5
7)	My supervisor was direct and clear in informing me of my strengths as a therapist. Never Sometimes Always 1 2 3 4 5
8)	My supervisor expected me to do most of the problem solving in supervision rather than give me the answers. Never Sometimes Always 1 2 3 4 5
9)	During supervision, my supervisor helps me focus on the goals of the treatment sessions as described in the treatment manual (DrugNet Web). Never Sometimes Always 1 2 3 4 5
10)	My supervisor explored my personal background to help me overcome problems I was having. Never Sometimes Always 1 2 3 4 5
11)	My supervisor reviewed with me specific selections of the videotapes of my therapy. Never Sometimes Always 1 2 3 4 5
12)	My supervisor and I agree on the appropriate treatment plans for my clients. Never Sometimes Always 1 2 3 4 5
13)	My supervisor gave me immediate feedback on my cases. Never Sometimes Always 1 2 3 4 5
14)	My supervisor expressed reservations about the style in which I interacted with my clients. Never Sometimes Always 1 2 3 4 5
15)	My supervisor was open to critical feedback regarding my satisfaction with supervision. Never Sometimes Always 1 2 3 4 5
16)	My supervisor was supportive of me when I made mistakes. Never Sometimes Always 1 2 3 4 5
17)	My supervisor was direct and clear in informing me of my weaknesses as a therapist. Never Sometimes Always 1 2 3 4 5
18)	My supervisor gave me a clear idea of how he or she really regards my work. Never Sometimes Always 1 2 3 4 5
19)	My supervisor provided supervision that challenged me to rethink my psychotherapeutic approach. Never Sometimes Always 1 2 3 4 5
20)	My supervisor’s basic approach to therapy is different from mine. Never Sometimes Always 1 2 3 4 5
21)	My supervisor encouraged me to express my thoughts and feelings regarding his/her supervision of me. Never Sometimes Always 1 2 3 4 5
22)	My supervisor made me feel anxious when talking with him or her. Never Sometimes Always 1 2 3 4 5
23)	My supervisor was honest with me. Never Sometimes Always 1 2 3 4 5
24)	My supervisor kept to the plan about content of supervision. Never Sometimes Always 1 2 3 4 5
25)	My supervisor and I thought similar about the ways of intervening with clients. Never Sometimes Always 1 2 3 4 5
26)	During the process of supervision, my supervisor adhered to the model of therapy presented in the treatment manual (DrugNet web). Never Sometimes Always 1 2 3 4 5
27)	During the course of the supervision, my supervisor frequently referred back to the treatment manual (DrugNet web) when explaining a point. Never Sometimes Always 1 2 3 4 5
28)	During supervision time, my supervisor and I were able to resolve any differences that arose between the two of us about the client’s treatment plan. Never Sometimes Always 1 2 3 4 5
29)	My supervisor related to me more as a colleague during our supervision time rather than as someone who had authority over me. Never Sometimes Always 1 2 3 4 5
30)	My supervisor gave me suggestions about my cases that were confusing. Never Sometimes Always 1 2 3 4 5
31)	Because of my supervisor, I have a better understanding of how my therapy style can become more consistent with the treatment manual (DrugNet web). Never Sometimes Always 1 2 3 4 5
32)	My supervisor helps me adapt my therapeutic interventions into interventions that fit the treatment manual (DrugNet web). Never Sometimes Always 1 2 3 4 5 Any other comments about your supervisory experience? ........................................................................................................................ ........................................................................................................................ ........................................................................................................................ ........................................................................................................................ Thank you for your feedback.