Master Class Information

Systemic Supervision: Methods, Approaches and Tools 
 

This workshop is a PsyBA approved one day Master Class providing participants who are already approved supervisors with ongoing AHPRA accreditation for 5 years. 

The workshop is designed to facilitate experienced supervisors in the practice of systemic supervision. Participants will gain knowledge of theory and practice of systems models in assessment, formulation and treatment and learn how to integrate systemic thinking within a competency-based clinical supervision context. The workshop will explore ways to stimulate supervisee’s personal and professional development through reflective tasks, exploring emotions and patterns in relationships and considering the organisational context, relevant community links and relevant stakeholders. Participants will learn how to use genograms and ecograms and apply culturally and contextually informed systemic principles in supervision. The workshop will look at placing relational factors at the heart of the supervisory context when reviewing therapeutic encounters. This workshop is particularly relevant to those working in the child and adolescent mental health space where families often present the young person as the problem. This workshop highlights a systemic perspective is required in both assessment and intervention. Pre-reading resources are provided, including revision documents of competency-based supervision to ensure participants are familiar with the Board requirements.
 

By the end of the workshop participants will:

• Have a greater understanding of systemic theory and how to apply in a supervisory context
• Improve awareness of and be able to better manage self-issues that can interfere and detract from professional practice 
• Develop confidence and competence working with parallel process in supervision
• Have a strong theoretical framework to apply systemic supervision in your workplace.

Workshop Structure and Activities

• Systemic theory and application to supervision

• How to use genograms/ecograms & sociograms and work systemically in clinical practice and supervision

• Applying a systemic lens to case presentations in supervision using evidence-based and appropriate cultural interventions

• Demonstration of systems practice in supervision

• Small group practice of systemic approaches to supervision, incorporating reflective practice within a competency-based framework

• Recognising and managing parallel process in supervision and applying reflective practice within a systemic framework

• Small group activities and case discussions.

Flyer: Systemic Supervision Master Class Flyer 2024 (PDF)

Recognising and Responding to Ethical Issues in Supervision and How to have difficult conversations

This workshop is a PsyBA approved one day Master Class providing participants who are already approved supervisors with ongoing AHPRA accreditation for 5 years. 

This workshop will provide participants with an understanding of the number of ethical and legal issues relevant to supervisors and supervisees, including confidentiality, dual relationships, direct and vicarious liability, duty to warn and informed consent and the related challenges of ethical decision-making. In addition, the workshop will discuss ways to identify and manage issues that may arise in the supervisory relationship and deal with difficulties that can occur in supervision, including feedback, evaluation and managing underperforming supervisees. Participants will have the opportunity to review challenging professional practice scenarios and practise providing feedback and having difficult conversations with supervisees in regards to feedback and evaluation. Pre-reading resources are provided, including revision documents of competency-based supervision to ensure participants are familiar with the Board requirements and references related to the specific topic.

Presenter: Dr Roy Laube
 

By the end of the workshop participants will:

• Understand core competencies of ethical practice in supervision

• Understand the multiple roles of the supervisor

• Have a solid understanding of professional boundaries and issues of confidentiality as related to professional practice issues in competency-based supervision

• Have a solid understanding and be able to apply professional standards of practice in all aspects of supervision provision

• Understand ethical decision-making in clinical and supervisory contexts

• Be aware of legal responsibility and related decision-making regarding ethical issues and clinical competence, and personal functioning

• Be competent to apply ethical decision-making regarding gatekeeping, monitoring and evaluation across all pathways

• Be aware of and competent to manage challenging issues that may arise in the different contexts of supervision

• Be able to identify and manage challenging supervisory relationships and difficulties

• Giving difficult feedback and evaluation to supervisees

• Be able to manage other challenging situational contexts of supervision (e.g. incompetent supervisee; role conflict, gender and religious issues)

• Develop awareness and skills in culturally and diversity-responsive supervision and develop insight and knowledge in how to respond appropriately to professional and ethical issues that recognise a human rights approach when working with people from diverse groups.

Component / workshop structure and activities

• Integrating ethical awareness in clinical supervision

• Ethical guidelines in clinical practice and supervision

• Developing ethical maturity; sustaining lifetime practices

• The supervisory relationship – building an alliance on solid ground

• The limits of confidentiality

• Utilising the Code of Ethics to inform professional practice and the development of ethical maturity

• Specific issues of ethics related to supervisor–supervisee relationships (eg: modelling; values; reporting responsibilities)

• Managing conflicts in supervision

• Managing the underperforming supervisee

• Using feedback and evaluation in competency-based supervision

• Small group and class discussions of managing ethical dilemmas in clinical practice and supervision.
   

Flyer: Ethical Issues in Supervision Master Class Flyer 2024 (PDF)

Supervision for Trauma Informed Practice

This workshop is a PsyBA approved one day Master Class providing participants who are already approved supervisors with ongoing AHPRA accreditation for 5 years. 

The study of neurobiology has made a significant impact in recent years on deepening knowledge about the effects of abuse and trauma and the impact working in this space has on the health professional. This workshop provides participants with an opportunity to critically examine the practice of competencybased supervision using a trauma informed practice lens. Supervision approaches to help prevent vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue and burn out will be discussed with the view to help supervisors strengthen their ability to support practitioners integrate reflective practice and self-care strategies in their practice.

Supervisors will learn how to structure supervision to ensure supervisees integrate the principles of trauma informed practice and care in their clinical practice, applying appropriate culturally-safe assessment and trauma informed treatments. Examples will be discussed and modelled to develop supervisee awareness and responsiveness to the possible adverse impact of trauma work.

The discussion on trauma informed supervision principles will include how to apply these key concepts in both clinical work and workplace settings that deal with critical issues/presentations such as emergency services, inpatient services and other services where there are complex at-risk presentations.

Presenter: Christine Senediak
 

By the end of the workshop participants will have:

• An increased understanding of the complexity of working with clients who have experienced relationally based complex trauma and the challenges for supervisees

• Insight into the personal, professional and organisational impact of trauma

• Developed supervision strategies and processes to ensure that trauma-informed practice remains at the forefront of practice when working with clients who have experienced trauma

• Developed a framework/model of reflective and reflexive practice for trauma-informed supervision practice within a competency-based framework

• Developing supervisee competencies for boundary setting and self-care.

Workshop structure/content 

• Goals, nature and function of supervision within a trauma-informed practice framework

• Setting up and implementing a reflective practice supervision framework within trauma-informed services

• Sensitivity to trauma in the supervisory context

• Application of a competency-based and reflective practice in psychological practice

• Setting up and maintaining safe supervision

• Maintaining boundaries and sound ethical practice in supervision

• Self-care of the professional

• Managing complex presentations, ethical issues and agency-related challenges

• Balancing educational, support and administrative roles in supervision

• Evaluation of the supervisory process and diversity (managing expectations and responsibilities; providing feedback in trauma-informed supervision)

• Ensuring supervisors develop solid skills and knowledge to manage the supervisory relationship (e.g. managing developmental stages of supervision; vicarious trauma; self-care; boundary setting)

• Knowledge of supervision as it relates specifically to trauma-informed supervision theory and practice, including ethical and professional practice in trauma-informed supervision

• Assessment of supervisee competency (application of therapeutic interventions in trauma-informed practice).

Flyer: Trauma Informed Supervision Master Class Flyer 2024 (PDF)

Clinical Supervision in Adult Mental Health: Managing risk, professional and ethical issues

This workshop is a PsyBA approved one day Master Class providing participants who are already approved supervisors with ongoing AHPRA accreditation for 5 years.

The workshop provides a competency-based supervision framework for supervisees working with clients who present with complex mental health and comorbid presentations. There is a focus on identifying risk and managing the often-complex clinical issues that arise from working with clients who present with acute or chronic complex mental health presentations. Coverage of systemic issues and working within a multidisciplinary context and medical model is also addressed with regards to clinical management issues, reporting and confidentiality issues. This workshop will provide participants with knowledge and skills to support supervisees learn how to effectively assess and manage risk of harm to self and others, work therapeutically with the client and their family and relevant stakeholders. This workshop will provide supervisors with the skills and knowledge of how to ensure supervisees engage in reflective and reflexive practice to ensure self-care when working with complex and critical risk contexts. Awareness of intersecting forms of cultural and social contexts are explored to ensure supervisors help the supervisee provide appropriate and psychological assessments and interventions. Pre-reading resources are provided, including revision documents of competency-based supervision to ensure participants are familiar with the Board requirements.

Presenter: Sam Vasta

By the end of the workshop participants will:

• Have sound knowledge of the application of competency-based supervision in adult mental health clinical contexts, that considers the interplay of systemic, cultural and social diversity influencing factors

• Understand the principles of how reflectivity promotes independent thinking, improved clinician self-awareness, self-care when working with clients who present with risk

• Be able to provide effective supervision evaluation and feedback ensuring supervisees develop sound skills in psychological assessment and interventions for adult mental health acute and chronic presentations

• Be aware of the importance of reflective supervision for therapeutic intervention and the development of meta competencies in practice

• Identify and manage the challenges of working in the field of adult mental health and complex comorbid clinical mental health presentations

• Be able to identify and manage complex risk, legal and ethical issues

• Develop skills to be appropriately culturally and diversity responsive

• Review of clinical/workplace issues brought to the session by participants.
   

Workshop structure/content
 

• Understanding the ethical, legal and risk factors facing the supervisee working in an adult mental health context

• Confidentiality – managing competing demands of system, client and family (Case review scenarios and critical decision-making in practice) – small group discussion and role plays

• Assessment, evaluation and feedback using a competency-based framework: developing meta competencies in adult mental health practice - both acute and chronic presentations

• Dialogical reflexivity – enhancing supervisee self-reflection and inaction interventions

• Ethics in action by reviewing case examples

• Working with challenging clients – models of practice and self-care

• Developing supervisee skills to be culturally and diversity-safe and responsive

• This workshop involves participants bringing case examples and/or systems issues that reflect managing risk; self-care and ethics (involving supervisor–supervisee role play/ live demonstrations/ and small class activities).

Flyer: Clinical Supervision in Adult Mental Health Master Class 2024 (PDF)

Supervision of Supervision Consultation: Supervision of Supervisory Practice

This workshop is a PsyBA approved one day Master Class providing participants who are already approved supervisors with ongoing AHPRA accreditation for 5 years.

Facilitating Group Supervision and Reflective Practice

This workshop is a PsyBA approved one day Master Class providing participants who are already approved supervisors with ongoing AHPRA accreditation for 5 years.

Understanding and Responding to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples: A Clinical Supervision Framework

This workshop is a PsyBA approved one day Master Class providing participants who are already approved supervisors with ongoing AHPRA accreditation for 5 years.

This is a new Master Class with delivery by Gayle Roe, Aboriginal woman, clinician and supervisor. This workshop will cover core principles in understanding and responding to the health and human rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, families and communities. Topics include an understanding of appropriate culturally responsive healthcare, culturally safe psychological practice that is trauma-aware with consideration of the history and impact of colonisation and ongoing racism. Appropriate culturally informed case formulation aligned to trauma healing will be reviewed covering application across the lifespan, the health needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

Presenter: Gayle Roe

Learning objectives / outcomes

By the end of the workshop participants will be able to:

• Define and understand cultural capability, cultural competence (respect), cultural safety, cultural awareness, social and emotional wellbeing for Aboriginal people
• Identify behaviours, attitudes and values that weaken and strengthen social and emotional wellbeing for Aboriginal people
• Understand the impact of trauma, loss, racism and various other cultural concepts
• Better understand Aboriginal communities and the impact of substance use, FASD and their impact on child development in Aboriginal communities
• Identify the ethical guidelines, key intervention strategies and the history of working with First Nations people
• Be better placed to work from a health equity and human rights approach when working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, families and communities.
   

Workshop content/topics covered

This workshop will define and provide examples of cultural capability, cultural competence (respect), cultural safety, and cultural awareness for both clinical and supervisory practice.

Participants will learn how to support supervisees to improve social and emotional health outcomes through cultural safety activities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Ethical guidelines for working with the Aboriginal population, key intervention strategies and the history of working with First Nations people in Australia are discussed to develop improved culturally responsive and culturally safe psychological care across the lifespan. Included in this section is information on the importance of using non-verbal assessments and specific cultural and counselling/interviewing skills. There will be discussion on how to support psychologists develop and demonstrate culturally responsive healthcare considering the diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, families and communities.

Topics included are the impact of colonisation, unfinished business, trauma and loss, racism, alcohol use, FASD in Indigenous Australia, child development in Aboriginal communities, the national apology and its meaning for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. These issues will be discussed in its relevance to supervision of clinical practice using reflective discussion and tasks.

The workshop provides an opportunity for participants to review the range of supervisor tasks covering core psychological competencies and how the supervisor embeds cultural safety in psychological supervision supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander psychologists and the community.

Flyer: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples Master Class Flyer 2024 (PDF)

Clinical Supervision for Professional Competencies

This workshop is a PsyBA approved one day Master Class providing participants who are already approved supervisors with ongoing AHPRA accreditation for 5 years.

This workshop will provide a structure for supervisors to prepare higher education students, provisional psychologists and registrars to review, practise and evaluate the eight core psychological professional competencies in supervision. This workshop will ensure supervisors have both knowledge and skills to assist supervisees in developing competency-based supervision plans and to be able to assess these competencies.

Presenter: Christine Senediak
 

Learning objectives / outcomes

By the end of the workshop participants will be able to:

• Determine ways to improve the delivery of competency-based supervision for psychologists across the various developmental learning pathways
• Engage in reflective and reflexive practice to refine supervisory micro skills and foster supervisee skills development
• Consider ways to ensure core competencies are applied and reviewed within the supervision contract and aligned to supervisee developmental level, learning needs and education pathway
• Develop knowledge and skills of deliberate practice in assessment and feedback of supervisee micro skills, and related to area of practice endorsement where relevant in higher education and registrar supervision
• Ensure that self-care and professional and ethical practice is at the forefront of supervision with supervisees encouraged to engage in ongoing reflective and reflexive practice
• Ensure a health equity approach is adopted in supervision and professional practice with respect, awareness and responsiveness to cultural and diversity presentations of both supervisee and client.
   

Workshop content/topics covered

• How to determine learning goals to develop core competencies including knowledge, skills, behaviours, attitudes and values of the psychologist
• How to review supervisory competencies linked to the psychological professional competencies applying reflective, reflexive practice
• Establishing your Supervision Frame to guide practice
• How to develop a learning contract and Competency Developmental Plan using deliberate practice interventions in supervision.
• Opportunities for case discussion will be reviewed along with examples of CDP, contracting, feedback and evaluation tools discussed.
• Small group practice and reflective exercises are utilised throughout the day for consolidation of learning.

Flyer: Clinical Supervision for Professional Competencies Flyer 2024 (PDF)