Addressing Social Justice Issues in Supervision: A Call for Client and Professional Advocacy

Identifying perceived personal barriers to public policy advocacy within psychology.

“…According to Chang, Hays, and Milliken (2009) there are numerous perceived personal costs. For example, they cite bumout, job loss, and harassment from other professionals who may have the belief that client difficulties are not systemically related.…”

Using Supervision to Prepare Social Justice Counseling Advocates

“…For example, we routinely acknowledge cultural similarities and differences within the supervisory dyad and ask supervisees how it feels to be supervised by us (from the perspective that we are White women); we then move into other cultural factors such as being supervised by "a woman who grew up in the North." Supervisors can also initiate activities in which supervisees list their membership in groups that afford them privileges and their membership in groups that are oppressed or marginalized (Chang et al, 2009). Having supervisees become accustomed to doing this with supervisors assists them in becoming more aware of these issues and feeling better prepared to address such topics with clients.…”

“…However, in recent years, many researchers have examined the role of various cultural and contextual issues such as gender (e.g., Gatmon et al, 2001;Granello, 2003;Wester & Vogel, 2002); race, ethnicity, and racial identity development (Borders & Brown, 2005;Chang, Hays, & Shoffner, 2003;; and sexual orientation (e.g., Gatmon et al, 2001;Pfohl, 2004) in counseling supervision. Being able to attend to cultural issues and issues of power, oppression, and privilege within the supervisory relationship is an important step in helping students to be able to do the same with their clients (Chang et al, 2009). In addition, failure to address such issues can contribute to unproductive and/or harmful counseling interventions (Estrada et al, 2004).…”

Promoting Professional Counselor Advocacy Through Professional Identity Development Efforts in Counselor Education

“…For example, if professional counselors in clinical practice are not recognized by legislators, insurance companies, and the general public as the competent practitioners that we are, we are less likely to be allowed to practice or be widely reimbursed for our work (Chang, Hays & Milliken, 2009;Myers et al, 2002). This relates closely to the difficulties with licensure portability among states, Medicare and Tricare reimbursement, and even severe limitations in our capacities to diagnose and practice in many states.…”