Exploring the role of context on racially responsive supervision: The racial identity social interaction model.

Abstract

Over 30 years ago, counseling psychology researchers began to identify the harmful effects of racially and culturally unresponsive supervision from the perspectives of supervisees. Missing from the literature, however, is empirical evidence from the perspectives of supervisors. Moreover, research has failed to explore the influence of context (e.g., mental health sites) on supervision that addresses race and culture. The present study explores supervisors' perspectives and experiences as they pertain to the racial climates of mental health work environments and the influences of their institutional racial climates on their supervision practices. Interviews with 8 psychologists, who identified as Black (n ϭ 4) or White (n ϭ 4), were analyzed using directed content analysis guided by the racial identity social interaction model. Core domains and themes from the analysis revealed connections between the supervisors' perceptions of the racial climate of their institutions and the challenges of supervising on race and culture. Findings from the study highlight the ways that supervisors in mental health settings attempt to protect their supervisees in environments in which they themselves feel unprotected. Limitations and implications of the study for supervision theory, research, and practice are discussed. Public Significance StatementThe findings of the study help to explain how supervisors and institutions can better train future psychologists to be racially responsive mental health care providers. The use of the racial identity social interaction model might better prepare supervisors and training institutions to recognize and intervene in the complex racial dynamics associated with providing supervision on race in the context of work and training environments.

Ethical decision‐making of supervisors of color

“…Although supervisors’ experiences are consistent with the literature regarding ethical decision‐making challenges for counselors (Oramas, 2017) and race and ethnicity in both counseling and supervision (Jernigan et al., 2010, Thrower et al., 2020), the participants highlighted the independence with which they often approach the intersection of ethics and race or culture. Absent of clear guidance in their preparation as supervisors and relevant literature, these supervisors seem to try to figure out the intersection on their own.…”

The Future of Counselling Psychology Education and Training in Canada: A Post-Conference Reflection

“…On the other hand, when it comes to education and training, the practice models become limited in their applicability as little is written on how to train students to practise in this manner. As extensions to these practice models, a few frameworks have been proposed for teaching or supervision (e.g., Buckley & Foldy, 2010;Enns & Sinacore, 2005;Thrower et al, 2020). However, these remain the exception and do not appear to be widely applied across counselling psychology education and training in Canada or elsewhere.…”

Increasing the representation of Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour as students in psychology doctoral programmes.

“…For example, in a recent large-scale audit experiment, Milkman et al (2015) demonstrated that American faculty members were significantly more likely to respond to prospective graduate students who are White men than White women, or BIPOC women and men. Corroborating these findings, racialized students report experiences with racially harmful environments (e.g., discrimination and differential treatment from prospective and current advisors) and culturally unresponsive supervision from their White colleagues (Suarez-Balcazar et al, 2003; Thrower et al, 2020). We can extrapolate from these findings that similar selection and treatment biases will occur for volunteer research applicants and potentially knowledge dissemination opportunities.…”