Addressing recovery from severe mental illness in clinical supervision of advanced students

Although it is widely recognized that curricula should incorporate emerging knowledge about recovery as an attainable outcome for individuals with severe mental illness, little has been written about the clinical supervision of advanced students within a recovery model. For example, are there systematic issues a supervisor should anticipate and be prepared to address? How should a clinical supervisor assist students as they begin to try and apply their knowledge in a clinical context? To begin a dialogue about these issues, this article will propose that clinical supervision from a recovery model is faced with at least four semi-distinct challenges: the detection and avoidance of stigma, the setting of consensually valid and personally relevant goals, the development of a therapeutic relationship, and the assessment of barriers to recovery and outcomes.