Supervisors - Starting the Supervised Practice Period
Create a welcoming environment
Offer a comprehensive orientation
No detail is too small!
Provide information to the supervisee on worksite specifics
It may be helpful to provide information to the supervisee on worksite specific procedures/expectations, such as:
- Expectations around punctuality.
- How to organize and prepare for meetings.
- Preferred communication methods.
- Norms for shared spaces.
Be clear about your expectations and the responsibilities of the supervisee
Your supervisee may not be aware of what you consider the ‘norm’.
For example:
- Canadian workplace culture places value on independence and taking initiative, which may be considered offensive or rude in other countries.
Be as specific as possible about your supervision expectations
For example:
- “you won’t have to wait for me to give you the go-ahead to start writing reports”,
- “Please complete the documentation for client sessions on the same day as the session, so that I can review them at the end of the day”.
Find out what kind of supervisory behaviours your supervisee finds helpful
For example:
- availability to answer questions ‘on the fly’; or
- opportunities to observe, etc.
Develop a plan for ongoing feedback and discussion
For example:
- how often will you check in about the supervisee’s caseload; or
- how often will you have informal discussions, etc.
Develop a plan for alternate supervision
Have a plan in place for times when you may be unavailable to supervise.
For example:
- planned or unplanned absences.