Fundamentals of Ethical Supervision

Live Interactive Webinar 
Instructor: Cathleen Morey, M.S.W., Ph.D., LICSW
Level: Intermediate 
CEs: 2.5
Target Audience: Social workers and other social service providers who are thinking of becoming supervisors or recently have started providing supervision.
Course Delivery Method, Format and Instructor Interaction: Live interactive webinar with discussion and small group activities. Instructor will use chat and verbal discussions for Q and A as well as break out rooms. Attendees are visible to one another in Zoom meeting and are encouraged to be active participants with their camera and/or microphone in order take part in discussion. Login information will be emailed to all program participants in January at the start of the program.
System Requirements: Attendees will need access to a computer with working camera and microphone. All courses are offered using Zoom conferencing software.

It is important to establish and monitor fundamental ethical practices in the supervisory relationship. This course will foster an anti-oppressive approach to ethical issues in clinical supervision by promoting critical inquiry and reflexivity. We will explore the ethical implications of  power, authority, and difference, understood in the context of cultural humility, as these influence the supervisory dyad. We will also consider professional boundaries, as well as relevant legal and ethical issues supervisors need to be aware of regarding the use of technology in practice.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Define professional boundaries
  2. Apply a cultural humility lens to examine the influence of difference, culture, and ethnicity in relationship to power and authority in the supervisory relationship
  3. List relevant professional codes of ethics in relation to supervision
  4. Explain the supervisor’s direct and vicarious liability
  5. Describe legal and ethical issues related to digital practice and supervision
     

Outline:

Part I: 1 - 2:15 p.m. ET

  • Exploration of what constitutes a boundary crossing vs. violation.
  • Understanding countertransference influence on boundaries.
  • The ethics of the use of the cultural humility lens in supervision.
  • Using anti-oppressive ethics to guide ethical deliberation.
     

Break: 2:15 - 2:25 p.m. ET

Part II: 2:25 - 3:45 p.m. ET

  • State regulations and professional codes of ethics regarding supervision
  • Legal issues relevant to supervisor’s liability
  • Supervisory safeguards to manage liability
  • Legal and ethical standards for digital practice and supervision
     
Delores Hendrix-Giles smiles at the camera wearing a pink collared shirt and black blazer.

Delores Hendrix-Giles, LCSW-S, CGP

Professional Education Instructor
Delores Hendrix-Giles is a licensed clinical social worker and University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work alumna with more than 20 years of…
Portrait of Cathleen Morey wearing a blue blazer and black top.

Cathleen Morey, M.S.W., Ph.D., LICSW

Adjunct Assistant Professor and Professional Education Instructor
Cathleen Morey is the director of clinical social work at the Austen Riggs Center, an open setting psychiatric hospital and residential treatment center for…
Completion Requirements

In order to be awarded the Foundations of Clinical Supervision Certificate, it is the expectation that students attend all scheduled sessions of the program.

However, Smith understands that emergencies or unexpected events may interfere with a student attending a particular session or a part of a session. Aside from CE credits, the policy of the SSW Certificate programs is that students who miss significant portions of a seminar or a full session will be required to complete a make-up assignment. Assignments will be devised by the course instructor/certificate director to cover both missed content and learning time. Students who miss more than two sessions of the program will not be awarded the Foundations of Clinical Supervision Certificate.

Earning CE Credits

Smith certificate programs are comprised of a number of different courses often over a number of days. Many courses are standalone sessions but some courses may have two or three sessions. The total number of CE contact hours that a student may earn will be calculated based on the number of hours of fully attended courses. Partial credit may not be awarded to those who attend only a portion of a course. It is the attendees’ responsibility to contact their licensing board to determine eligibility to meet continuing education requirements. Please see individual course pages for the CE completion requirements and how the certificate is awarded.

How will a certificate be awarded?

Upon completing the evaluation for the in-person seminar, participants will be emailed their online certificate​ within 30 days of seminar completion​. ​Participants should save and/or print ​the certificate upon receipt for ​their records. Receiving the CE certificate is contingent on completion of the evaluation and signing in and out of the seminar.