Day in the life of
Clinical Supervisor – Sonia Martin, LCSW
I work out of a catch all clinic (we provide medical, psychiatric, and behavioral health services) as an Article 28 therapist. Most of my day is spent seeing patients for psychotherapy. I also supervise 4 LMSW therapists as well, so throughout the week, I provide an hour of one on one supervision for each individual.
Key Responsibilities
- Supervise 4 MSW psychotherapists (there are 4 separate clinics, two of us work at one and then one per the remaining clinics), one hour of clinical supervision per week — all of these staff are working towards their LCSW and this supervision is part of that process. We troubleshoot difficult cases and come up with appropriate interventions. The team also meets weekly with my supervisor (Clinical Director of Behavioral Health Service) to discuss agency updates and also challenges coming up with clients or at the respective clinics.
- Meet daily for a 1/2 hour with clinic staff for check-in, this includes the doctors, nurses, medical assistants, administrative staff, case managers, health homes staff, and the teams focusing on harm reduction services.
- Meet with patients 4 days a week. One day is allotted for “admin time” which includes documenting encounters in the EMR, reviewing notes written by my supervisees, and any additional coordination of care (referrals, scanning HIPAA forms, etc).
- Ensuring that staff are in compliance with their record-keeping.
- If needed, intervention with clients in crisis at the clinic (this can be for a wide range of reasons, some clients are receiving a new medical diagnosis, some are struggling with suicidal ideation connected with their current situation).
Pros
I like the balance of supervising and providing direct service. This allows me to hone my clinical skills and also provide support and teach. It is also nice to be a part of an interdisciplinary team. Because the patients are connected to other providers at one location, it makes it easier to gain a fuller picture of each person.
Cons
The clinic is fast-paced and scheduling can be tough at times. Sessions are only 30 minutes, so if you’re running behind, it can be difficult to keep up with your schedule.
The clients that attend the clinic present with a wide range of presenting issues, switching from client to client can be challenging, especially if you do an intake for someone with an extensive trauma history. Additionally, some clients have very concrete social services needs which are not directly addressed in therapy, however, being a social worker it is important to balance addressing the concrete needs (connecting them with appropriate services and referrals) and concentrating on their mental health challenges specifically.
