Did you know social workers are the #1 mental health providers in the US? And surprisingly, though supervision is a crucial part of our training process, there are few resources to support or inform that process. When I was receiving supervision, I was often unsure of the difference between supportive counseling and true supervision, and was often following advice from colleagues or just winging it as far as supervision went. That’s not acceptable for such a meaningful part of our professional development. In addition to those of us in the social work field, this gap in resources is true for all clinicians who are marriage and family therapists, mental health counselors and professional counselor interns. So when I hear about a resource that helps fill this gap, I pay attention.

Deseray Hamilton, a Registered Mental Health Intern in the state of Florida, had a bad supervision experience (her supervisor disappeared before signing off on her hours), and through that has made the Supervision Support community. She’s still in the process of receiving clinical supervision, so has a perspective helpful to those of you in the same position. Her website and social media communities have a variety of resources, including directories of available supervisors, built-in clinician support forums, and a great blog. Oh! And she has a podcast too. She’s working hard and has a great vision.

I like a blog post in which she shares 5 Things You Should Know Before You Start Supervision. My two favorite pieces of advice from the post are: choose your supervisor wisely, and get to know your licensing board well.Check her out and let me know what you find helpful in her work. You can connect with her on Instagram, Facebook, and more. Also: let me know if you are aware of any other great resources for clinical supervision.