A case example of community-based supervision to overcome barriers and support the implementation of exposure therapy

Supervision in community mental health (CMH) settings is critically important for supporting clinical competency and optimizing clinical outcomes. However, CMH supervision is hindered by numerous administrative and fiscal challenges, which makes aligning supervision practices with gold-standard recommendations notoriously difficult. This article describes a case example of one multicomponent supervision approach within a CMH clinic used to support the delivery of exposure therapy ("exposure") to youth with publicly funded insurance. We first review current recommendations for supervision and highlight the primary barriers to the use of these supervisory practices in CMH settings. We then present three low-burden supervisory approaches used to supplement traditional individual supervision. Each strategy presented aims to mitigate known barriers and maximize alignment with gold-standard supervision practices for exposure while being sustainable within a community setting. Finally, we review the strengths and limitations of each supervision strategy. The multicomponent strategies presented represent a creative approach to CMH supervision that maximizes the limited resources and infrastructure in CMH settings to support the delivery of gold-standard supervision. We conclude by offering insights into how these strategies could support supervision for a broader range of evidence-based practices (EBPs) and make recommendations for future research. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).