F05 – Clinical Supervision within Primary Care Behavioral Health: A Community of Practice Example

Summary

Introduction: Primary Care Behavioral Health (PCBH) workforce development is of great need due to the growth of behavioral health (BH) integration into primary care, specifically at a time when behavioral health needs are increasing because of the COVID-19 pandemic. BH supervisors are often asked to supervise pre-licensure level masters and doctoral behavioral health trainees with little to no support from their organization or the host institution of the trainees as clinical supervision is provided in addition to their full-time clinical and administrative duties. Additionally, it is imperative to provide current and future behavioral health clinical supervisors in primary care settings support and guidance when engaging in clinical supervision in primary care, given there is no formal training to become a BH clinical supervisor in primary care. Methods: Fourteen clinical supervisors participated in 13 communities of practice (CoP)-focused workshops focused on clinical supervision within the Primary Care Behavioral Health (PCBH) model over a 4-year prior. These workshops occurred twice a semester (in person and virtually) for supervisors hosting students participating in a Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Behavioral Health Workforce Education Training (BHWET) grant focused on preparing masters-level clinical mental health counseling students to function as Behavioral Health Consultants (BHCs) in primary care settings in rural and urban areas. Clinical supervisors completed a post-workshop survey after each workshop, providing their feedback not only on their satisfaction with the content but the impact of the workshop content on building their skills providing clinical supervision within the PCBH model. Results and Discussion: Clinical supervisors were satisfied with the content presented during the CoP workshops as well as indicated improvements in their confidence with providing clinical supervision within the PCBH model. From 58 feedback surveys over 13 supervisor workshops, supervisors reported anywhere from “Proficient – Complete and up-to-date information” to “Expert – Complete and up-to-the minute information (presenter is clearly a subject matter expert)” on material presented and on their understanding of the material. Areas of improved confidence and competence included supervision in integrated health care settings, topics discussed in primary care, and telehealth visits. Overall, this demonstrates an approach to building clinical supervisor confidence in working with pre-licensure trainees within the PCBH model. CoP workshops show promise as an approach that institutions of higher education and health care organization can adopt to improve clinical teaching and clinical supervision in primary care as well as support clinical supervisors in the community who work with trainees in primary care.