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Developing a Working Model of Cross-Cultural Supervision: A Competence- and Alliance-Based Framework

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Abstract

Despite numerous suggestions to integrate culture, diversity and social justice issues in clinical supervision, empirical studies on cross-cultural supervision indicate limited uptake of such recommendations. We suggest that a comprehensive model of cross-cultural supervision could benefit the field by guiding supervisors in this task. A working model is proposed based on a foundation of the supervisory alliance and a focus on social work practice competence, integrating strategies to promote self- and relational-reflexivity within the supervisory relationship. The model is comprised of four components: component 1: goal setting to contract on cross-cultural integration in supervision; component 2: active listening for cross-cultural markers; component 3: bonding through the supervisor’s self-reflexivity to foster the supervisee’s self-reflexivity; and component 4: working through tasks for cultural integration in supervision by modelling the supervisor’s relational reflexivity in case formulation and treatment to foster the supervisee’s relational-reflexivity.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto, 246 Bloor Street West, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A1, Canada

    Eunjung Lee

  2. Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Detwiller Pavilion, 2255 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 2A1, Canada

    David Kealy

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  1. Eunjung Lee
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  2. David Kealy
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Correspondence to Eunjung Lee.

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Lee, E., Kealy, D. Developing a Working Model of Cross-Cultural Supervision: A Competence- and Alliance-Based Framework. Clin Soc Work J 46, 310–320 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10615-018-0683-4

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