Clinical supervision of mental health services: a systematic review of supervision characteristics and practices associated with formative and restorative outcomes

ABSTRACT

In this review, the authors examined supervision characteristics and practices associated with formative (e.g., skill development) and restorative (e.g., well-being) provider outcomes. We used qualitative review to summarize supervision characteristics associated with desired outcomes. Then, we applied a distillation approach to identify practices associated with formative and restorative outcomes. The most common practices for promoting formative outcomes were corrective feedback, discussing intervention, and role play. Findings indicate several supervision strategies have demonstrated empirical support for improving formative outcomes. However, more rigorous research is needed in community settings, particularly for understanding which strategies improve restorative outcomes.

KEYWORDS:

• Clinical supervision
• mental health services
• formative outcomes
• restorative outcomes

Acknowledgments

During preparation of this manuscript, W.J. Bradley was supported by NIH-NIGMS (T32-GM081740). Publication contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the NIGMS or NIH.

Disclosure statement

The authors have no known conflicts of interest to disclose.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences [T32-GM081740].

Notes on contributors

W. Joshua Bradley

W. Joshua Bradley, B.A. is a graduate student in the Clinical-Community Psychology Ph.D. program at the University of South Carolina. Mr. Bradley focuses his research on (1) the role of clinical supervision and organizational supports in enhancing the quality of mental health services; (2) racial and ethnic disparities in mental health services, including disparities in treatment engagement; and (3) measurement of treatment engagement. Mr. Bradley is a trainee in the Behavioral Biomedical Interface Program at the University of South Carolina, which is a T32 predoctoral training program funded by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS).

Kimberly D. Becker

Kimberly D. Becker, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist and an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of South Carolina. Dr. Becker focuses her research on improving the effectiveness of children’s mental health services, with specific interests in clinical decision-making and treatment engagement. Dr. Becker has published more than 60 articles on these topics and has received research funding from the National Institute of Drug Abuse, the Health Resources and Services Administration, and the William T. Grant Foundation to support her work.