So You've Been Asked to Supervise an Alcohol and Drug Counseling Intern... Now What?!

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Description
Supervising an alcohol and drug counseling intern is a meaningful yet complex responsibility, especially when supervisors are balancing clinical demands, ethical obligations, and intern development. This training is designed for new and seasoned supervisors who have been asked (or volunteered!) to step into the supervisory role, but may feel underprepared or uncertain about best practices specific to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment. This session provides a practical roadmap for effective clinical supervision within addiction counseling settings. Through case examples, discussion prompts, and a review of supervision models, we’ll explore how to set clear expectations, address ethical concerns unique to SUD treatment, and foster intern growth while maintaining client care standards. Participants will leave with tangible tools and increased confidence to engage in ethical, culturally responsive, and developmentally appropriate supervision.

Learning Objectives

• Participants will be able to describe the core components of effective supervision within the context of evidence-based clinical supervision models.
• Participants will be able to identify and apply ethical decision-making strategies for common supervisory dilemmas experienced in SUD treatment settings.
• Participants will be able to implement supervision strategies that support intern development, cultural humility, and professional identity formation in SUD treatment settings.

Core Functions
Assessment, Case Management, Client Education, Consulting with Other Professionals, Counseling, Crisis Intervention, Intake, Orientation, Referral, Reports & Recording, Screening, Treatment Planning

Topic Category
Supervision/Coaching