[This is the second of a three-part post on clinical supervision
in Hawaii. The first post can be found by clicking here.]
While contemplating Shari’s dilemma about finding affordable and competent supervision, one of my colleagues in Hawaii shared her thoughts in support of Shari’s dilemma (and a close up and different perspective from mine):
Licensure at the masters level is relatively new to Hawaii (less than 8 years). The major program for graduating individuals with a masters degree is theUniversity of Hawaii Counselor Education program. However, since these people were expected to work primarily in the school system– K-12, they did not have the same kind of supervision required for therapy/private practice. In fact, one of the professors in this program had a doctorate but no experience counseling (more researcher than practitioner). Chaminade University is a small, private college that grants a counseling degree. Therefore, there hasn’t been enough time and people to build the kind of recognition and professional respect that masters level counselors on the mainland have.
Personally, I think it’s unethical to charge a young professional for supervision (if I understand it correctly). I know the beginning mental health professionals hired in a government positions often do not have a more experienced colleague mentor them. I am embarrassed to admit that many professionals seem to be more focused on individual gain/survival than mentoring a less experienced member of the group, especially if they see no personal gain in the relationship. So I guess if they are being compensated they would meet the contract [for supervision], but not provide much more. I presume the supervisors are overworked (if they work for the state) so even if they wanted to spend more time with their supervisee, they would not have the time/energy to do so. I like to believe that there are some professionals who understand the value of the reciprocal relationship that exists in mentoring and make time to create a productive/satisfying relationship. However, those folks are probably few in number.
As for being supervised by a person with limited background/experience, I suspect the market is flooded with individuals who have earned their doctorates, obtained their license, have limited experience, and apply for a job. The assumption is that they are qualified because they have a doctorate and passed the licensing exam. You and I know that this is not true if they have only the minimal hours of clinical supervision, and minimal contact with their colleagues. Licensed psychologists here do not have to participate in continuing education/training to maintain their license. Therefore, it is not unusual for these individuals to be relatively isolated in carrying out their practice. “
Thanks so much for taking the time to share your thoughts on Shari’s experience with us here at Private Practice from the Inside Out! You will find the third piece of this series here.
To hear that the psychologists in Hawaii do not have to participate in continuing education and are isolated in their practices is kind of scary to me, I find that there is a continual need to be in contact with other professionals and also learning new approaches and being refreshed in my skills. I think accountability, even for those that are licensed and have years of experience is very important if we want to maintain ethics, boundaries and also good self care in the business of mental health no matter what discipline. I very much value my co-workers and can’t imagine not being able to consult with others.
Hi, Jill! Thanks for dropping in here to chat today! It is scary – for the general public, for our profession, and for those practitioners who feel isolated. And, Hawaii isn’t the only place that does not require continuing education or have mental health professionals practicing in relative isolation. I often hear from therapists practicing with geographic challenges that prevent them from easily accessing professional resources including professional development and colleaguial support. I know that when I relocated from Texas to Colorado, I felt very isolated and it was really difficult for me to find colleagues of any discipline to network and collaborate with.
As the standards in our profession continue to change, we are all expected to forge those professional relationships but often no one tells us how to do that. New professionals . . . and more introverted professionals often have even greater challenges in connecting with or creating vibrant communities of mental health professionals. For those of you who recognize yourselves as good “connectors,” this is a reminder to reach out to some of your colleagues today who might need a little support in getting connected to the mental health professionals that you know and respect.
All Mental Health Professionals in Hawaii must take CEU’s just like in every other State. I’m not sure where that piece of misinformation originated. As far as being isolated in their own practices;I believe that to be more of an individual choice. It is easy to become isolated when working for yourself however, there are groups available.
Hi, Stacey! Thank you for weighing in here!
Are you actually working in Hawaii?
I know that at the time I moved to Colorado – and for many years afterwards – the state of Colorado did not require CEU’s.
I know that seems unfathomable in our field – and thankfully Colorado did eventually require professional development.
And, I do love that you also reference your belief that isolation in private practice is an individual choice; that is the case all-too-often.
AND, it is also true that in many cases there are not groups available and / or easily accessible to therapists.
This is especially true for therapist that are new to the field and not yet knowledgable about the resources available to them in their communities.
Geographic challenges, therapists’ own self-doubts, and even deficits in their own graduate programs can further complicate accessing the support that they need.
If you are indeed practicing in Hawaii now, feel free to share resources to supervision / consultation groups in this thread.
I am sure they would be appreciated!
Thank you for dropping in to share your experiences here.