Standardizing the Pre-Licensure Supervision Process: A Commentary on Advocating for Direct Observation of Skills

Abstract

The present paper advocates for standardized regulations and laws for supervision of pre-licensed counselors in the United States, particularly for direct observation of clinical skills. A review of regulations by the American Counseling Association's (ACA) Professional Affairs Division (2012) reveals that only two states (Arizona and North Carolina) specify requiring supervision interventions that include the use of reviewing audio or videotapes, or live supervision modalities, to help evaluate pre-licensed counselors competence. Literature on the current state of regulations as well as extant research in supervision practices, and effects on satisfaction with supervision and self-efficacy is presented and framed in terms of standardized policy.Keywords: pre-licensed counselors, regulations, laws, satisfaction with supervision, self-efficacy, direct observationA review of regulations by the American Counseling Association (ACA) Office of Professional Affairs (2012) reveals that all fifty states require the practice of counseling under supervision for two or more years after the completion of the master's degree prior to licensure. However, there are no unified national standards that govern post-master's degree supervision (e.g., ACA, 2012 Borders & Cashwell, 1992). Supervised counseling experience ranges from 1000 to 4500 hours (ACA Office of Professional Affairs), with the amount of face-to-face clinical supervision occurring either in an individual or group setting varying greatly (ACA, 2007). Furthermore, only two states (Arizona and North Carolina) specify requiring supervision interventions that include the use of reviewing audio or videotapes, or live supervision modalities to help evaluate pre-licensed counselor competence (ACA Professional Affairs Division). Some studies have investigated supervision in this counselor pre-licensure stage, including factors related to counselor effectiveness such as self-efficacy and satisfaction (e.g., Bernard & Goodyear, 2004; Fall & Sutton, 2004; Magnuson, Norem, & Wilcoxon, 2002). The use of direct observation of skills in supervision is noted to lead to more positive effects in terms of counseling performance and outcomes. Standardization of required direct observation of clinical skills is especially necessary. The literature indicates that observation of skills is crucial to counselor professional development and practice (Herbert & Trusty, 2006). Moreover, standardization of required direct observation of clinical skills is a key factor in licensure policy The following review calls for such standardization, with a summary of current regulations, extant research in counseling outcomes and supervision practice, and recommendations and advocacy for regulation.Supervision Background and StandardsACA, the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES), and the American Association of State Counseling Licensure Boards (AASCB) have all attempted to define best practices in counselor supervision. The ACA Code of Ethics standard F. 1 .a, discusses a primary obligation of supervisors in the role of monitoring services of counselors-Neal in-training. This monitoring consists of case notes, samples of clinical work or live observation of the trainee (Herlihy & Corey, 2006). In 1990, model legislation for licensed professional counselors was developed by the American Counseling Association to promote acceptable professional standards within the realm of counseling. This proposed licensure bill recommended state licensure boards consider what is the nature of the supervision co-therapy, direct observation, audio and/or videotaping (Bloom et al., p. 520). ACES also addressed this issue in two different documents. First, the Ethical Guidelines for Counseling Supervisors states that supervisors are responsible for actual work samples via audio or videotape or live observation... which should be reviewed by the supervisor as a regular part of the ongoing supervisory process (ACES, 1995, p. …