With the recognition that clinical supervision is a distinct professional practice comes the necessity for formal training to competency for supervisors.  Competencies are available for all mental health professions. Competency-based clinical supervision is evolving quickly. A reflective, mindful approach, competency-based clinical supervision is strength-based, focused on upholding values and ethics of the profession, and devoted to enhancing supervisee competence, professionalism, and development while  monitoring and gatekeeping for the protection of the client and the profession. This approach is metatheoretical which means it applicable with every supervision model (e.g., developmental, psychotherapy model-based). Competency-based supervision provides an intentional, systematic approach to supervision practice.

Carol Falender, Ph.D. is co-author of Supervision Essentials for the Practice of Competency-Based

Supervision (2017); Clinical Supervision: A Competency-based Approach (APA, 2004); Clinical

Supervision: A Competency-based Approach (2 nd ed., APA, 2021), and Getting the Most Out of

Clinical Supervision:  A Guide for Interns and Trainees (APA, 2012) with Edward Shafranske; co-editor

of Casebook for Supervision:  A Competency-based Approach (APA, 2008) with Edward Shafranske,

and Multiculturalism and Diversity in Clinical Supervision: A Competency-based Approach (2014) with

Edward Shafranske and Celia Falicov. She was a member of the Supervision Guidelines Group of

the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB) and Chair of the Supervision

Guidelines Task Force of the Board of Educational Affairs (BEA) of APA. Dr. Falender has authored

numerous articles on supervision and has conducted workshops across the United States, Canada,

and internationally on the topics of clinical supervision, strength-based clinical supervision, ethics

of supervision and competency-based supervision. She directed American Psychological

Association (APA) approved internship programs at child and family guidance clinics for over

twenty years. Dr. Falender is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association (APA), a past-

President of Division 37, Society for Child and Family Policy and Practice (APA). Past-Chair of

California Psychological Association (CPA) Division II, Education and Training, Co-Chair of the Los

Angeles County Psychological Association Ethics Committee, Chair of the CPA Continuing

Education Committee, and past Co-Chair of the Supervision and Training Section of Division 17 of

APA.  She is an Adjunct Professor at Pepperdine University, and Clinical Professor in the UCLA

Department of Psychology.