Help for today, Hope for tomorrow

BOARD APPROVED LCMHCA SUPERVISION

(Previously LPCA Supervision)

SUPERVISION FOR LICENSED CLINICAL MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELOR ASSOCIATES

FOR THE NCBLCMHC PROVIDED BY ERIN B. PATTERSON ($110/HOUR)


Erin B. Patterson is an approved supervisor through the North Carolina Board of Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors (previously the North Carolina Board of Licensed Professional Counselors) and has provided over 500 hours of supervision since 2015. Supervision can be done in person, at the Gastonia office, an agreed upon location in the Charlotte area, or via video sessions. The rate is at $110 per hour, which is all tax deductible as one of your educational expenses. Erin strives to provide a very structured environment in which you can develop your skills as a clinician.


If you are interested in supervision with Erin, please contact her directly at erinbagwelltherapy@gmail.com.

BELOW YOU WILL FIND THE PARAMETERS FOR THE SUPERVISION CONTRACT

Below is a sample of some of the items found in the Supervision contract & agreement that is signed before supervision begins. For a full copy, contact our office today!

This document is to inform you about my background and credentials, my approach to supervision, and other important information.

Qualifications: I have a Master's of Arts, Education Specialist degree in Mental Health Counseling/Counselor Education from Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Springs, NC (2007). I am currently pursuing my Doctor of Psychology degree at California Southern University. I am a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Supervisor (license #S7176) in North Carolina. I also am a National Certified Counselor through the National Board for Certified Counselors (#295578). I have been actively providing counseling services since 2007.

Counseling Background:  I have been providing counseling services since 2007 to adults, adolescents and children. I primarily utilize a combination of CBT and client-centered approaches. I have experience working with mood disorders, anxiety disorders, trauma, ADHD, and behavioral problems in children & teens. I have been trained in child-centered play therapy for children

12 & under. I have some experience using EMDR & Trauma-Focused CBT as treatments for

trauma. I attempt to utilize natural means when possible to help with symptom reduction

in ADHD, depression, bipolar disorder & anxiety. I have experience working with a variety

of socio-economic statuses, ethnicities, & sexual orientations.

Supervision Training and Experience:  My supervision training includes a 30 hour certification

training program for the Approved Clinical Supervisor credential through the University of

North Carolina Greensboro (UNCG), focused on the developmental models and the

Discrimination Model of supervision. Per my LCMHCS requirements, I participate yearly in

continuing education units in counseling supervision. One such supervision training, also

through UNCG, focused specifically on Multicultural and Identity Issues in Clinical Supervision,

which is discussed more in depth below. I have been providing clinical supervision in some

capacity since 2008. My supervision experience includes peer supervision within a large

collaborative private practice setting, administrative supervision for paraprofessionals in a

clinical agency setting, and supervising students in master's level counseling programs. I have

been providing clinical supervision for the North Carolina Board of Licensed Clinical Mental

Health Counselors since 2015.

Models of Supervision: As, previously stated, I provide supervision based on the

developmental & discrimination models. The developmental approach to supervision suggests

that each counselor goes through different stages of development in their professional career.

I recognize that movement through these stages is not always linear and can be affected by

changes in assignment, setting, and population served. The discrimination model is based on supervisors’, often changing roles, and four focus areas for counselors: (1) Counseling Performance Skills, (2) Cognitive Counseling Skills, (3) Self-awareness, & (4) Professional Behaviors.

Role of the Supervisor:  As a counselor, I use a collaborative, client-centered and strengths-based approach to promote supervision. Together we will explore & develop your own individual therapeutic style. Although therapeutic techniques may be important to learn, one of the most important skills to learn is the way you build & maintain relationships with your clients.


My responsibilities in the supervision work include monitoring client and counselor welfare, teaching counseling skills, and ensuring compliance with legal, ethical, and professional standards, as well as evaluating counselor performance through both formative & summative means. I am responsible to you (the supervisee), your clients & the counseling profession as a whole.

Broaching of Multicultural and Identity Issues in Supervision: Understanding that all relationships, including the supervisory relationship, are intercultural, I strive to provide a safe space for us to work together to explore multicultural and identity issues that may be impacting your work with clients, both in your personal life and your professional development. It is my hope that we can have open and ongoing dialogue about how supervisee and supervisor identities impact the work in our supervision, as well as the work with your clients. These discussions are not necessarily of world events or lessons about certain cultural groups, per se, although both may be included at times; the focus of our discussions will be more narrowly on the work between the people in the relationship and the intersections of their identities that are most salient (Jones et. al., 2019). I invite you to bring any of your experiences, fears, hesitancies, ideas, questions, etc. related to culture and/or identity to the safe space of our supervision relationship. The skills I will model for you regarding broaching can be used with your own clients in your sessions, which will help you address and examine the cultural factors impacting a client’s life and/or presenting problem. “Research has shown that broaching in the counseling relationship has been linked with many positive outcomes, such as enhancing counselor credibility, increasing client satisfaction in the counseling relationship, deepening client disclosure in sessions, and increasing clients’ willingness to return for future sessions” (Jones et. al., 2019, p. 5). My theoretical approach is based on the Racial and Cultural Identity Development Theory, which includes the stages of (1) conformity, (2) dissonance, (3) resistance and immersion, (4) introspection, and (5) integrative awareness.

Objectives and Goals of Supervision:

  1. To create a learning environment that matches the needs of the supervisee;
  2. Facilitate professional development of supervisee;
  3. Monitor and ensure client care and welfare;
  4. Serve as a gate-keeper for the profession of counseling;
  5. Evaluate performance and skills throughout supervision, culminating in one summative evaluation for advancement in educational program or career.


Methods and Modalities of Supervisee Training: Each supervisee is responsible to obtain written informed consent from each client for supervision of their case. In adherence to NC Administrative Code, each supervision session will include a review raw data from clinical work through a variety of methods, including but not limited to, audio tape review, video tape review, live observation, co-counseling, & review of case notes/process notes (21 NCAC 53 .0208).

Evaluation Procedures used in the Supervisory Relationship: We will work together to develop supervision goals that will give you direction in your professional work and in our supervision sessions. I will provide verbal and written feedback for each supervision session (formative evaluation) based on those mutually agreed upon goals. Supervision session notes will be provided to the supervisee at a minimum of once per quarter, but most often once per month. Other summative evaluation of overall counseling performance (to be completed at least once per year) will include strengths, personal and/or professional limitations, areas for future improvement, and my analysis of your work. Clients are often the best assessors of the skills of the counselor; therefore, I will routinely seek input from the clients as to the outcome of treatment. We may also use:

  • Written competency tools;
  • Direct observation;
  • Counselor self-assessments;
  • Work samples, such as audio/video recordings; and/or
  • Peer assessments.


Confidentiality:  The issues you discuss in supervision will be confidential with the following exceptions:

  1. Your performance and conduct in this clinical experience will be described in general terms when I submit quarterly reports and verification of supervision forms to the NC Board of Clinical Mental Health Counselors and other credentialing boards or when consultation with another professional is necessary.
  2. If I am asked to provide information about your clinical experience in the form of a recommendation for a job, licensure, or certification.
  3. Disclosures made in dyadic or group supervision cannot be absolutely guaranteed as confidential. I will take every measure to encourage confidentiality and act appropriately if confidentiality is not upheld.


Session Fees and Length of Session:
A minimum of one (1) hour of supervision will be provided for every 40 hours of clinical work you provide. Each supervision session will be at least one (1) hour.

  • Individual supervision is provided at a rate of $110 per hour.
  • Dyad (2 supervises) supervision is offered at a discount -- $85 for a 1 hour session

Cash, debit cards or credit cards will be accepted at each supervision session. If you are doing distance supervision, an invoice will be e-mailed to you and should be paid online prior to your supervision appointment.

Supervisee’s Responsibilities in Supervision: It is important for you to take supervision seriously as this is an investment in your professional development. Therefore, supervisees will be required to:

  1. Prepare for and attend sessions. This includes submitting a work sample (video/audio recording) and process notes at least 3 days before the scheduled supervision session. Forms for process notes will be provided to you during your first supervision session.
  2. Complete homework & assignments from previous supervision sessions prior to the following supervision session. This includes tape critiques, additional reading of alternative techniques/interventions, etc.
  3. Complete all documentation of counseling sessions within 48 hours of the conclusion of the session. I have forms that you can use to record session notes if your agency/site does not provide these for you.
  4. Keep supervisor informed regarding all client issues & progress. Occasionally, you may need to contact me prior to our scheduled supervision. Feel free to call or text if you need immediate feedback or recommendations. These consultations will not have an additional fee.
  5. Maintain liability insurance at all times. A minimum of $1M single incident/$3M aggregate is required. Proof of insurance must be supplied no later than the first supervision session with me.
  6. Schedule a minimum of 1 (one) hour of supervision per month after you complete your first direct hour of service provision, whether or not you have accumulated the minimum 40 hours of counseling work during that month time period. This requirement is because, as your supervisor, I assume vicarious liability of your services/clients. Much can happen in your clients’ lives in the span of 1 month and I need to be kept informed on a regular basis.
  7. Scheduling your own supervisions with me as you are approaching the 40 hours. I have several supervisees at any given time, so I count on you to be responsible for contacting me to ensure that your supervision is on the calendar each month. I also tend to have a very full schedule and you will benefit if you contact me well before reaching the 40 hour minimum to get a session set up. According to the board, once you reach the 40 hours, you shall not provide one more minute of service until supervision happens.
  8. Complete your supervision record at the time of supervision. I will maintain a form in your supervision chart on site. You are also to maintain your own forms to monitor your direct, indirect and supervision hours as they accumulate. Occasionally, there are issues that arise in calculating hours and it helps to have more than one set of records to review.
  9. Submit reports from staff/supervisors, if you are providing counseling off-site.
  10. Adhere to all legal, & ethical guidelines of the counseling profession. You are responsible for obtaining and maintaining an updated copy of all legal & ethical guidelines, including NBCC, ACA & NCBLCMHC Codes.


As your supervisor, I will communicate any issues that arise related to expectations that are not met and all communication will be documented and filed in your supervision file on site. The supervision contract will not be terminated without an attempt to resolve any issues that could potentially lead to termination. If your contract is terminated with me, I will inform you and submit required paperwork to the board, at which time, you will need to seek supervision elsewhere.

I understand that failure to adhere to any of the aforementioned expectations can be grounds for the supervision contract to be terminated.
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Supervisee signature

Supervisor’s Responsibilities in Supervision: It is my commitment to you to assist you in developing professionally and achieving your professional goals. Understanding that supervision can cause a great deal of anxiety for supervisees, I believe that being transparent about what my responsibilities are to you will make our supervision experience more positive. Therefore, I will commit to:

  1. Preparing for and attending all scheduled supervision sessions, including reviewing your audio/video recordings, or participating in live observations of your counseling work.
  2. Providing feedback at each session and a formal evaluation quarterly (NCBLCMHC Quarterly Supervision Report, which is sent to you for your records and the board), as well as at the end of the supervision contract.
  3. Reviewing client case notes and other materials for quality control purposes.
  4. Completing supervision record at each supervision session.
  5. Maintaining licensure as a clinical supervisor and status as a NBCC approved clinical supervisor.


Emergency Contact Information: ...

Complaint Procedures:  ...

Supervision Arrangements:  Arrangements will be mutually agreed upon dates and times. While dates & times are subject to change, we are agreeing on the following schedule:
 A minimum of 1 hour of supervision for every 40 hours of work completed, including direct and indirect hours. I suggest 1 hour of individual or 2 hours of group supervision every 30 hours to avoid having to receive extra supervision when nearing the end of your licensure process.     
          

*Once the supervisee begins to provide services to clients, the supervisee will be required to attend a minimum of 1 hour of individual supervision per month, regardless of whether the minimum 40 hours have been reached within that month.

Acceptance of Terms: Our signature indicates that we agree to the aforementioned terms and will abide by these guidelines for the duration of the supervision contract.

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Supervisee Signature                                                               Date

Patterson Psych Group, PLLC