Clinical Supervisor and Counselor Perceptions of Clinical Supervision in Addiction Treatment

Abstract

Little is empirically known about clinical supervision in addiction treatment. This study describes multiple domains of clinical supervision in addiction treatment from the perspectives of clinical supervisors and their counselors. Survey data were obtained from 484 matched clinical supervisor–counselor dyads working in diverse addiction treatment programs across the United States. Supervisors report wide-ranging experiences and training in supervision. Counselors generally perceive their supervisors’ job performance as effective. Supervisors and their counselors largely differ in their perceptions of supervision practices, with supervisors reporting greater supervision given and their counselors reporting less supervision received. The implications are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Clinical supervision
• addiction counselors
• job performance
• supervisor–counselor dyad

Acknowledgments

This study was supported by Award Number R01DA019460 from the National Institutes on Drug Abuse awarded to Lillian T. de Tormes Eby. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institute on Drug Abuse or the National Institutes of Health.