A national survey of substance abuse counselors (N = 134) was conducted to learn their current and preferred supervision practices. Results are presented for the entire sample, as well as within-group comparisons based on counselor recovery status and education level.
Clinical supervision has become an accepted and important part of the counseling profession (Leddick & Dye, 1987), resulting in the development of an extensive body of research exploring various aspects of clinical supervision (see Ellis, Ladany, Krengel, & Schult, 1996 for a review). Supervision has an extensive positive impact, from increasing counselor self-confidence in working with a wider variety of client-types (McNeill, Stoltenberg, & Pierce, 1985) and using different counseling techniques (Kennard, Stewart, & Gluck, 1987) to maintaining skill levels once counselors have completed their degree programs (Spooner & Stone, 1977).
Various subgroups of counselors have been shown to have different perceptions, expectations, and needs related to clinical supervision. Borders and Usher (1992) found differences in both existing and preferred supervision practices between community mental health counselors, private practitioners, and school counselors. Coll's (1995) survey of community college counselors found that (a) far less clinical supervision was received by community college counselors than school, mental health, and private practice counselors; (b) there were similar preferences for supervision frequency between community college counselors and school counselors; and (c) all groups of counselors indicated they disliked supervision from administrators with little or no training in counseling and supervision.
Because of the unique characteristics associated with the chemical dependency treatment field, specifically counselor recovery status and education level, this group of counselors may warrant a separate investigation of clinical supervision experiences and preferences. The within-group differences among substance abuse counselors suggest a uniqueness in the counseling profession. Yet, there has been a significant gap in empirical studies related to supervision of substance abuse counselors. Researchers have hypothesized that counselor variation in personal experience with the recovery process and level of education may affect both methods and delivery of treatment services (Aiken, LoSciuto, Ausetts, & Brown, 1984a,