Community Counseling of Central Connecticut Inc.

Clinical Supervision

The Director of CCC, Doc Warren  (Dr. Warren Corson III), is an Approved Clinical Supervisor who has worked in the human services in many capacities since 1990. He offers clinical supervision to clinical professionals, interns and students enrolled in programs of study in the human services (counseling, psychology, human services, drug rehabilitation etc).

The purpose of counseling supervision is to safeguard the client by promoting the development and well-being of the counselor, monitoring the counselor's work, and training the counselor.

Our goal is to provide the supervisee with the best learning environment possible in order to ensure the proper melding of theory and practice. In order to ensure this goal is met the supervisor will:

• Guide supervisees in increasing their professional skills, knowledgebase and experience.
• Provide "face to face" and off-site supervision (as contracted).

•  Participate in initial discussions with supervisee to establish clear expectations for all involved parties.
• Encourage supervisees’ reflections and self-evaluation.
• Consult and communicates with employment based supervisor as appropriate.
• Monitor supervisee’s progress and the appropriateness of their clinical practices

• Fully participate in supervision and assumes greater levels of responsibilities.
• Analyze and evaluate practices observed and own efforts and effectiveness.
• Seek out and use feedback from Supervisor and employment based supervisor (as applicable).

Limitations of Supervision             

Supervision is designed to help prepare the supervisee for competent, ethical counseling practices. It is not designed to provide therapeutic services and should not be viewed as a therapeutic resource. Though we pride ourselves on being available to the supervisee to provide insight and guidance, we are not available on an emergency or on call basis. Learners are encouraged to engage in therapy of their own as appropriate.

Confidentiality is an important component of the Counseling profession. Supervisees are required to adhere to confidentiality requirements at all times. When taking part in supervision groups in order to respect the privacy of clients, it is recommended that the use of actual client names be avoided. Supervisees are encouraged to instead refer to clients in generic terms such as "I have a client that is experiencing…" instead of  "my client Mr. Jones…"

Preparing for credentialing exams can be overwhelming but if you follow a few simple rules you may find that it is much easier than you thought. Keep these in mind when you set out on your journey:

·    There are tape sets available- I recommend the set by Howard Rosenthal (there used to be a link through WWW.NBCC.org to buy these- I am not sure if it is still listed however). The set is not cheap but they cover all the information for the exam. One set prepares you for the multiple choice format through providing information in a multiple choice question format. It asks the question and then explains the correct answer. Listen to these tapes when you are driving, resting and when you are studying. They are helpful as research shows we are all audio learners to an extent (even those who are very visual learners can learn from them).

·    There are study guides. I found the NBCC study guide less than helpful but the Encyclopedia of Counseling by Howard Rosenthal has become an all time favorite. It too presents the information in multiple choice format to help you think in that manner (this is crucial for folks who have gone years without a multiple choice exam as it has a language all its own). I made studying a game and family affair. I had family members randomly select questions and present it to me. I also got together with others who were in the field to have games where we would take turn answering questions. We were not competitive with each other, only with ourselves.  

·    Start preparing for the exam now- I had so many peers who said they would not start until a few months before the exam- this is not the best way. You want to encode this information and have it not only prepare you for the exam but also for the profession. There is no such thing as starting too early.

·    Premack Principle- If you find yourself putting off studying for other things, remember this principle. Simply stated- put off something you really like until after you study for an hour. Once you study give it to yourself. Try not to use food as your treat or you may find yourself buying a new wardrobe before you get licensed.

·    Pace yourself- don’t cram. Have a regular schedule. I used a 4 day a week method- basically studying for a short time every other day. That way I had energy for studying and just as important, I had down time to recharge. Whenever you feel that “eyes glazed over” feeling coming on, take a break! You will do yourself no good to continue like that. I found power breaks to be helpful (short breaks ranging from 30 seconds to a few minutes where I walked around or even just closed my eyes). 

·  Have some fluff- all study and no fluff makes for stress and burnout. Find a release. I liked woodworking but also took time to watch totally useless TV (bad sitcoms, stupid reality shows- wrestling anything that bring out the “Homer Simpson” in you).

·   Know the area- I have seen folks who had anxiety attacks just going into the building for the exam. Desensitize yourself as much as possible. When you find out where the exam will take place, if it is a foreign location to you, drive to it a few times, walk around the halls, and get the lay of the land so to speak. This can really take the anxiety to a minimum level (think systematic desensitization).

·     Find a mentor/ supervisor- Often times we get limited interaction in daily life that prepares us for the field and for the exam. Find a mentor/ supervisor that has a background in education and supervision. The easy way to do this is by finding someone who has a degree in Counselor Education and Supervision and or who is an Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS). Last I knew there were about 20 of us in the state of Connecticut. Many of us will provide supervision services through phone, individual or group settings. Rates vary. You could also find a supervisor without the ACS or a degree in Counselor Education and Supervision but it is more hit or miss (much like going to a counselor who is not credentialed, many are very talented but there are many hacks as well. Being credentialed does not guarantee quality but it does mean you have proven yourself to the credentialing boards as being qualified). 

·         Look for resource sites- Many learners have opened sites that provide general information and also have many reports and articles in the files section. Here is one that I host http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wc3counselingresources/

·         There is a downside- After studying hard since I started my graduate program I entered the exam room ready for what I thought would be the biggest challenge I faced in some time. Due to all my preparation I found that the biggest challenge I faced was leaving the exam room quietly while the others were still working diligently. Unfortunately I did not feel that giant challenge that day and to a certain extent I felt let down- much like a prize fighter that knocked out this opponent in the first few rounds. You can judge for yourself if this is how you would like to feel.

Professional Disclosure Statement   

Doc Warren (Dr. Warren Corson III) LPC, NCC, ACS     

Doc Warren holds a Certificate in Human Services from Tunxis College; an Associates in Drug & Alcohol Rehabilitation Counseling from Tunxis College; a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Vermont College of Norwich University; a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from Vermont College of Norwich University; a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies in School Counseling from Vermont College of Norwich University; a Certificate in Advanced Graduate Studies in Counselor Education and Supervision from Vermont College of the Union Institute & University And a a Ph D. in Counselor Education and Supervision from Vermont College of the Union Institute & University.      

He has worked in the Human and Social Service fields since 1990. Treatment settings included: Inpatient, Substance Abuse, Partial Hospitalization, Out-patient, Department Of Corrections, Outreach and Public Schools.      He is a Licensed Professional Counselor (001465), Nationally Certified Counselor (92141) and a certified school counselor. He is an Approved Clinical Supervisor (00493). He is a former Diplomate of of the American College of Forensic Examiners, the American Psychotherapy Association and the American Academy or Certified Consultatnts and Experts.            

Doc Warren has training and experience in individual, group, school counseling, forensic counseling, substance abuse and assessing sexual issues in general therapy settings. He has worked in all major treatment settings ranging from community based, partial hospitalization, intensive inpatient, inpatient, secured wards, outpatient and in prison mental health services. This training and experience includes clients in age ranges from kindergarten to late adulthood. Training in components of treatment such as intake and assessment, interventions, case management, treatment and discharge planning as well as other treatment related experiences will be provided in supervision. Warren can provide supervision in these areas as well as to provide training in counselor education and supervision.      

Doc Warren’s training in supervision includes Doctoral and post Masters Programs in Counselor education and supervision, supervised supervision in her doctoral program as well as supervision presentations at the national, regional, and local levels. Warren has experience providing individual and group supervision with counselors. In addition, he has experience in individual and group supervision of counselors-in-training working with clients in many differing treatment settings.     

Doc Warren approaches supervision from a collaborative framework. The general areas that receive attention in supervision include the supervisee’s professional behaviors, counseling skills, personal awareness, and client/case conceptualization. Supervisory roles assumed by Doc Warren include teacher, evaluator, consultant, and counselor. Doc Warren follows a developmental approach to supervision primarily using the teacher role with novice supervisees and consultation with more experienced supervisees. Live observation and case reporting are utilized in the supervision process. Doc Warren considers intentionality to be paramount in work as a counselor. As such, he works with supervisees to become aware of the thoughts and feelings that occur with respect to the counseling relationship and process. Facilitating this awareness, including attention to the motivation behind interventions, is an important aspect of his work.     

Doc Warren addresses the issue of evaluation as a fundamental component of supervision. He believes that evaluation is an ongoing process that is linked to care for the client, as well as the goals of the supervisee. All evaluation criteria are introduced at the beginning of the supervisory relationship, serve as training objectives, and are used throughout the process as a basis for ongoing feedback. While evaluation and feedback is embedded in the process, periodic attention, including written feedback, addressing the supervisee’s progress is important. In the academic setting, this occurs at the mid-point and end of the semester. Supervisees are asked to provide their own self-evaluation as well. Supervisees are also asked to evaluate Doc Warren as well as the supervision process.     

Doc Warren is aware of the responsibility he has to the supervisee and the clients in the supervisee’s care. The general limits of confidentiality and privileged communication are when harm to self or others is clear and imminent, when child abuse, elderly abuse or abuse of persons with disabilities is suspected, or if court proceedings compel the supervisor to testify. Within the academic setting, confidentiality is not withheld if there is compelling evidence that the supervisee is impaired or unable to provide competent counseling services. In such instances, other faculty members are informed and the procedures established by the program are initiated. Doc Warren carries liability insurance and encourages his supervisees to carry insurance as well.     

Doc Warren understands the value and importance of maintaining and enhancing professional skills. Therefore, he periodically participates in supervision of his supervision. Doc Warren will inform supervisees through informed consent as to the purpose of his own supervision and that their actions may be discussed with the supervisor.     

No fees are charged to any supervisee if supervision occurs as part of work related to Community Counseling of Central Connecticut Inc. For other supervisees, fees charged reflect the community standard and the supervisee’s ability to pay.     Supervisees are provided with Doc Warren’s office address, email address, and office and home phone numbers. Supervisees are asked to call Doc Warren at home if an emergency occurs after hours. Doc Warren also provides each supervisee with the names and phone numbers of agencies that respond to crisis situations.     

Doc Warren follows the NBCC Code of Ethics and the Standards for the Ethical Practice of Clinical Supervision and provides a copy to all supervisees.

                                                      Doc Warren  (Dr. Warren Corson III)- LPC, NCC, ACS.