Chapter 10: Getting the Most From Your Fieldwork and Supervision
CHAPTER 10
Getting the Most From Your Fieldwork and Supervision
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
After studying this chapter, students should be able to:
•
List ways to secure a quality fieldwork placement.
•
Discuss the knowledge and skills required for successful job performance.
CHAPTER OUTLINE
Aim of the Chapter
Self-Inventory on Being a Supervisee
Making the Most of Your Fieldwork
Securing a Quality Fieldwork Placement
Knowledge and Skills Required for Successful Job Performance
How to Profit From Your Fieldwork Experiences
The Challenge of Working With Differences
Benefiting From Your Supervision
Be Open to Multiple Sources of Learning
CHAPTER OVERVIEW
Chapter 10: Getting the Most From Your Fieldwork and Supervision
• Your fieldwork courses are likely to be among the most important experiences you will have in your
program. Select these experiences wisely and arrange for a variety of field placements. Realize that
• Treat your field placement like a job, even if you don’t get paid for your internship. Arrive on time,
dress appropriately, and behave professionally in your interactions with your supervisor, the other
interns, agency staff, and clients.
• Although it is good to do your best, do not try to be a perfect intern. Fieldwork experiences are
designed to teach you about the skills of helping, and you can learn much from your mistakes.
• The ideal supervisor may be hard to find. Supervisors are sometimes assigned to this role with little
preparation or training. If your supervision is inadequate, be assertive in doing something about it by
taking an active stance in asking for what you need from your supervisor.
SUGGESTIONS FOR ACTIVITIES
Chapter 10: Getting the Most From Your Fieldwork and Supervision
1. Learning Styles and Working in Systems. As a small-group discussion activity, have students
explore the topic of how they see themselves in relation to the educational system of which they
are a part.
Instructions for students: Discuss the implications your style as a learner may have for the style
2. Small Group Ideas. The questions below can catalyze small group discussions. Before asking
these questions of the entire class, we suggest using small groups to encourage students to get
involved and to talk with a few students as a way to build trust in the class. Each time you
organize small group activities, you can ask students to select classmates that they have not
been with before. This will help them get to know one another. A few questions that we often
use early in a course follow:
◼ What are your expectations as you approach this course? What would you most like to
learn?
It is a good idea to vary discussion formats sometimes using dyads or triads, and sometimes
3. Guest Speakers: What to Expect in Supervision. If this text is used in an introductory course, it is
likely that some (or perhaps many) of your students don’t have a clear grasp at this point of what
Chapter 10: Getting the Most From Your Fieldwork and Supervision
4. Dealing with Conflict in Supervision. Since so many factors can influence the quality of a
supervision experience, some students can expect to be dissatisfied with their supervision at
some point in time. Whether the problem stems from poor communication on the part of the
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. What factors would you consider in selecting a meaningful placement site?
KEY CONCEPTS AND TERMS
Group supervision is a format that allows supervisors to work with several supervisees to discuss cases
and to develop skills in conceptualizing cases and implementing treatment interventions.
LO/STANDARDS CORRELATION CHART
A-head
LO
Standard 1
Standard 2
Standard 3
Securing a Quality
Fieldwork
Placement
List ways to
secure a quality
fieldwork
placement.
CACREP 1.m, 4.b,
5.k
EPAS 1.e
CSHSE 1.d, 3.a,
8.b
Skills Required for
Successful Job
Performance
knowledge and
skills required for
successful job
performance.
4.h
Chapter 10: Getting the Most From Your Fieldwork and Supervision
How to Profit
From Your
Fieldwork
Experiences
List five ways to
profit from a
fieldwork
experience.
CACREP 1.k, 2.d,
4.f
EPAS 1.b, 2.b, 6.a
CSHSE 2.f, 9.d,
10.b
Differences
involved in
working with
differences.
Benefiting From
Your Supervision
Explore ways of
getting the most
from supervision.
CACREP 1.m, 5.n
EPAS 1.e
CSHSE 6.b, 8.g,
10.c
an effective
supervisor.
Dealing With
Supervision That
Is Less Than Ideal
Explore ways to
deal with
supervision that is
less than ideal.
CACREP 1.m, 4.e,
5.h
EPAS 1.e, 3.a
CSHSE 6.b, 9.f
Participating in
Group Supervision
Explain the value
of group
supervision.
CACREP 4.b, 5.g,
6.g
EPAS 1.b, 6.a
CSHSE 2.b, 6.b,
9.g
Therapy
blending personal
therapy with
supervision.