Issue link: http://ncumarketing.uberflip.com/i/1356163
N O RT H C E N T R A L U N I V E R S I T Y: N C U M F T S U P E RV I S O R C O R N E R 1 2 BEST PRACTICES: SUGGESTIONS ON CULTURALLY-COMPETENT SUPERVISION By COURTNEY DANDY-FRALICK, MSC, LMFT, LCADC, CAMS-I One of our local supervisors that was featured in this issue has been doing great work around culturally competent supervision. She was asked to provide a brief reflection on her experience and process. Lack of cultural competence of supervisors can leave supervisees of color feeling disappointed when attempting to address cultural factors. However, the focus on the broader term of culture is often used to dilute the discussion of race. Discussing culture, although important, often leaves out the element that creates the most emotional reactivity: race. When supervisees of color then feel the effects of racial oppression (i.e. microaggressions) from clients, colleagues, or supervisors, they are stuck without a proper outlet to discuss the issue. Lack of competence of supervisors in addressing race in supervision can leave supervisees of color feeling fearful of repercussions for attempting to address the issues. I am working on a doctoral project focused on the relationship between white supervisors and their Black supervisees. The project will attempt to gain clarity on what white supervisors are not taught through current multicultural and cultural competency trainings that would assist them with addressing racial dynamics between them and their supervisees. The project will also include a proposed supervisor training to address the lack of competency in this specific area. This project has been created out of my own experience of working with a white supervisor who dismissed my attempts to talk about the racial dynamics between myself and my clients. In doing so, she exposed the greater problem, which was that she did not know how to talk about race with me, a Black supervisee, from her identity as a white supervisor. We appreciate Ms. Dandy-Fralick sharing her doctoral project with us! The literature within the field of mental health provides considerations and guidelines to facilitate a more culturally-aware supervision experience for supervisees, the onus of which falls on the supervisor. Specifically, an emphasis is placed on supervisors having an awareness of their power (Borders, 2014; Fernandes & Lane, 2020; Porter, 2014) and working to foster collaboration with supervisees (Porter, 2014). Supervisors are encouraged to validate supervisees' intrapersonal experiences (Fernandes & Lane, 2020), locate one's self via self-assessment (Borders, 2014; Estrada et al., 2004; Varghese et al., 2018), and take charge of making supervision safe (Estrada et al., 2004). Safety can be established by allowing supervisees to make mistakes, encouraging statements of fears and failures, and expressing one's own vulnerabilities (Estrada et al., 2004). Finally, supervisors are reminded that the context of the dialogue within the supervisory relationship matters. It is recommended to engage in conversation that acknowledges cultural differences (Fernandes & Lane, 2020) and to specifically discuss the impact of race and ethnicity on the supervisor's and supervisees' lives. In-depth conversations on how these experiences influence views, expectations, and anxieties about the supervisory relationship are warranted (Estrada et al., 2004). These should be