Clinical Supervision
Online Supervision | For all Helping Professionals
Australia wide available based in Perth, Western Australia
Talking with somebody with whom you feel comfortable and safe so that you can reflect on your professional practice is crucial to prevent chronic stress, burn out and vicarious trauma, review work role performance, reflection to embed learning & support patient care in the helping professions.
Meet your supervisor-Daphne Middleton AMHSW
Clinical Supervisors need to be appropriately trained, receiving clinical supervision themselves, and be able to help you explore your issues in a non-judgmental manner. They do not need to be an expert in your field but should be available and able to provide regular supervision. The core skills of a good supervisor is to be an excellent listener and creator of good questions to open up curiosity and exploration. External Supervision integrates key models of supervision based on Restoration: supporting the wellbeing of the supervisee and Formative: focussing on the educative that develops knowledge and clinical skills (Proctor, B. Kadushin, A, Hawkins & Shohet). Standards and professional accountability being provided by agency line supervision roles.
Clinical Supervision is available as various contract forms that provide the details for how we will achieve effective, ongoing supervision. It is available for seniors, managers/leaders, graduates, mental health specialty professionals and rural and remote workers. An initial supervision consultation is advised and is an opportunity to understand your situation, aims and goals and to discuss how to set up a schedule of sessions that fit with your work/life demands. Frequency of supervision sessions is flexible and is adapted based on your professional growth and development.
What you can expect to explore
Clinical Supervision explores and supports your autonomous decision-making, your successes and challenges in your professional practice, positive working relationships and empowerment practices. Specific topics are focussed on at varying points found in areas such as Health & Wellbeing, Self Empowerment, Communication Skills, Leadership Skills, Career Planning, Middle management roles, Team dynamics, Conflict management, Mentoring and Coaching, New Graduates and early career planning, Role Clarity, Return to work mentoring, Burn Out & Vicarious Trauma-Identification and management.
Clinical Supervision Contracts currently available:
One Year minimum Seniors/Managers Clinical Supervision contract. For those with 8/10+ years experience interested in setting up ongoing yearly clinical supervision.
Two Year minimum Graduates supervision contract. A graduate helping professional program for those with professional qualifications. Suits new graduates to those with less than 5 years experience. Minimum two year contract.
Two Year minimum Clinical Supervision/Mentoring/Coaching contract for Accredited Mental Health Social Worker AASW applications.
Six Month minimum Rural and Remote Clinical Supervision contract. For workers who are isolated, in a new role or assigned a new project.
Focus areas to address-Risks & Stressors
Together we can prioritise working through your responses to the current issues present in the helping sector. These include such things as increasingly complex ethical dilemmas that may compete with your own values and morals, working alongside workers who may be burnt out, traumatised or in the process of sorting out competing demands, increasingly complex power dynamics that shape your work performance and personal expectations, standardised client/patient care at the expense of being able to provide individualised, atuned and empathic care and, the limited space and time within work hours for vital reflection on case practice, leadership development and working on developing your professional identity. You can expect us to focus on: emotional intelligence, empowerment theory and its applications, interpersonal communication, personal leadership skills, inclusive leadership skills, personal transformation, lifelong & adult learning principles, compassion and self acceptance, resilience, planning and study skills in your professional development, patient watchfulness, care and commitment.
What we’re recommending to read
See the Library of Recommended Books and Articles here | BUY the books
FAQ’S
What fees are charged? Fees are set by the ASSW Schedule of Recommended Fees for Accredited Social Workers in Private Practice. This service offers significantly reduced rates. [PDF]: See the AASW Recommended fees
What do I need to bring to supervision? Before commencing supervision you will be sent an introductory pack which includes some preparatory questions about your work and specific concerns you would like to discuss. You may email your responses to daphnemiddleton1@gmail.com or discuss them in your initial supervision sessions.
Is there any online supervision available? Yes! Online supervision comprises options for telephone only calls, video conferencing calls, email supervision, specific learning modules completed online that you can access via the website and can be delivered as a mix of all modalities.
Engage in Clinical Reflective Supervision
Clinical Supervision is at the heart of continuing professional development (CPD) for all helping professionals. It is the ‘go to place’ for safely sharing reflections about your work and professional identity, organisational impacts and your work with your clients. It is a place to turn to for engaging in honest exploration regarding ethical dilemmas, role complexity, internalised conflicts, skills acquisition and self care practices guided by a trusting, safe and genuinely interested supervisor. I provide a trauma informed approach to supervision so that you are able to work with me from your resilience skills. I help you to articulate various accounts of your work, challenges and successes for us to explore and expand on together. Where supervision is not provided within your workplace you may consider obtaining it externally. Workplaces may also value the opportunity for external supervision and may contribute to your investment in your own CPD by allowing time off in lieu.
You may wish to request creative approaches to be incorporated into your clinical supervision sessions or prefer to only use talking and conversation. Together, we can create a clinical supervision relationship and process that works for you, is easy to understand and is proactive for you to be able to achieve desired skills development.
There is no set amount of supervision hours to participate in but every reason to ‘turn up’ to an opportunity to obtain external support and skills development.
Download the following PDF support documents-For organisations and helping professionals:F–
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Individual Reflective Supervision
Individual supervision is available to you or to your organisation to provide you with support, skills development and accountability. 10 x supervision sessions per year are available to help you to meet the CPD required supervision and review of performance hours. Mental Health supervision is also available to help you to meet the AASW criteria when applying to become accredited as a Mental Health Social Worker. Make a supervision enquiry below or via the AASW Find a Supervisor contact form here.
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Benefits of Reflective Supervision
With regular supervision you can hope to experience:
A dedicated space and time to regularly reflect on your work/life balance, work impacts, develop self awareness and develop skills and knowledge.
Guidance and coaching provided by an experienced and accredited mental health social worker with over 30 years experience in the helping industry.
Quality supervision using ethical guidelines and best practice supervision based on the Australian Association of Social Workers Supervision Standards 2014.
Flexible supervision model provided by Accredited Mental Health Social Worker with extensive experience in providing supervision for various professions, roles and programs such as:
Social Workers, Youth Workers, Psychologists, Occupational Therapists, Counsellors, Support Workers, Medical Specialists, Pastoral Care workers, Heads of Departments, Financial Counsellors, Teachers.
- Hospital Speciality Units
- Mental Health
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health
- Counselling children
- Family Therapy
- Domestic Violence
- Post release offender programs
- Youth engagement, youth outreach
- Corrective services
- Out of home care
- Disability
Supervision Topics:
Testimonials:
“I have developed strong professional self-care routines and boundaries which have prevented compassion fatigue, improved my relationships with my stakeholders and clients, and allowed me to work safely”
“Daphne started out with a restorative supervision process which really centred around building my confidence and competence within my role”
“By the time I started supervision, I had already started to feel like maybe I wasn’t really making a difference in my role and even a bit cynical. I was still passionate about the work I was doing but due to an overwhelming case load, I always felt like I was on the back foot. We didn’t have a case manager so there wasn’t anyone to talk through cases with and I really felt like I was just winging it.
Since starting supervision with Daphne, I feel reinvigorated in my role”
“I know when I first started supervision (despite strongly advocating for it), I was really nervous about what it would entail. I was concerned it would be punitive instead of encouraging and that I would be judged. My tip would be to be really honest with yourself about what you want from supervision and what you think your strengths and weaknesses are. Decide on what areas you want to shore up and what areas you want to celebrate. My supervision is over the phone and I also found this to be a safe place for me – I can pop my headset on, walk around the office and drink water while I’m talking or I can sit down and busily scribble notes. Either way – it’s in the comfort of my own home or office”