Intensive single subject investigation of clinical supervision: In-person and distance formats

Abstract

Scope and Method of Study: The purpose of this study was to measure the interpersonal behaviors of a supervisor and trainees participating in clinical supervision meeting in person and at a distance with videoconferencing technology. Under investigation was a semester-long supervisory relationship between two supervision dyads. All sessions of each supervision dyad were audiotaped and an independent rater coded 20 minutes (10-30) of sessions 3, 5, 9, and 11 utilizing the Structural Analysis of Social Behavior (SASB) coding system. Frequencies of coded behaviors were used to demonstrate evidence of the Integrative Developmental Model (IDM) of supervision in both conditions. The frequencies were also used to investigate differences in behaviors of the participants between conditions of clinical supervision. Additionally, evidence of dominance in the supervisory relationship was measured through sequential analysis of the coded behaviors. Finally, structured interviews were conducted with each participant to gather information about the process of clinical supervision provided in-person and at a distance.

Findings and Conclusions: Chi Square analyses of frequency in behaviors evidenced partial support for the IDM of clinical supervision. The trainees began with a significant level of autonomy in early meetings and increase their level of autonomy in later supervision sessions. The supervisor adjusted the balance of directive and collegial behaviors to meet the needs of trainees. Save for one significant difference, the trainees and supervisor demonstrated similar behaviors between in-person and distance conditions. Supervisor dominance reached statistical significance in the distance dyad only. The structured interview analysis revealed individual differences in the process of clinical supervision between in-person and distance sessions.