The Benefits of Group Supervision and a Recommended Structure for Implementation

Abstract

Effective supervision practices can facilitate the professional development of the supervisee, the continued growth of the supervisor, and the overall development of our field and its practice. In addition to individual supervision, many aspiring certificants also participate in group supervision experiences either as part of their academic practicum or as part of a supervised independent fieldwork experience. Group supervision can provide unique opportunities to establish critical professional repertoires such as peer feedback skills and public speaking skills. However, the quality of the group supervision experience is impacted by the supervisor’s arrangement of the components of the experience in order to maximize the effectiveness of these learning opportunities. This paper focuses on those critical supervision characteristics and suggests ways behavior analysts can optimize the group learning experience.

Appendix A: Sample Group Supervision Structure

Technical Term of the Day (“TTOD”)

Note to supervisor: Use the BACB Tasklist to choose terminology that may be more difficult for supervisees and/or that they will need to use frequently during future discussions with peers, consumers, or other stakeholders. The supervisor may wish to outline the terms for a certain period of time (e.g., 6 months), to ensure ample opportunity for practice. The supervisor can provide the schedule of terms to supervisees in advance so they can prepare. Begin each session with a review of the term, and make rules that each supervisee must use the term at least once, correctly, and differently than his peers.

Discussion of Task List Item(s) Assigned from Designated Competencies

Note to supervisor: Have a structured system that includes objective and measurable target skills (i.e., competencies). The supervisor may wish to outline the competencies for a certain period of time (e.g., 6 months), to ensure supervisees have time to prepare to take (and ultimately pass) the competency.

Team Presentation

Note to supervisor: Match supervisees and assign topics for presentation. Outline a plan for a certain period of time and review the schedule at each supervision meeting. Establish rules for providing feedback to teams when they present and for presentation style. Establish consistency in the format of presentations so that supervisees are equipped to deliver professional presentations in the future.

Case Review

Note to supervisor: Establish the expectation that cases are actively reviewed during group supervision. We recommend assigning a person to present a case, else supervisees may not volunteer and if they do, they may not be prepared to get the most out of the experience. Set parameters for how cases are presented (e.g., background information), how to keep focused on key questions, and articulate the needs of the case in a way that is productive and allows novel listeners to understand well enough to provide suggestions and support.

New Assignments/Plan for Next Meeting

Note to supervisor: Spend the last 10 min of the meeting discussing the plans for the upcoming group supervision session including the following: technical terms, team presentation assignments, upcoming competencies, and supervisee responsible for case review. We recommend reviewing the month’s schedule in advance at the end of each session to provide closure to the group and teach participants to prepare for their assigned activities well ahead of schedule.