Peer Group Clinical Supervision: A Viable Approach for Improved Practice in Recreational Therapy

Abstract

Clinical supervision is the systematic interaction between professionals to promote reflection on action in practice to improve competence in the helping relationship (Anderson & Heyne, 2021). Clinical supervision between practitioners is accepted as a norm in other health and human services professions and has been shown to provide benefits for improved clinical competence. However, in therapeutic recreation, clinical supervision does not occur on a routine basis for most recreational therapists (Anderson et al., 2022). The primary reasons for the lack of clinical supervision in the field are lack of support and availability of clinical supervision at their agencies and being the sole recreational therapists on site. Group-based peer supervision is one approach that may address barriers and provide support and structure for clinical supervision. This paper provides a conceptual overview of peer supervision and presents a data-driven case study that documented the process and outcomes of a peer clinical supervision group.