Support for Practitioners

Working with people impacted by domestic and family violence can be challenging for practitioners. Some practitioners may find they experience vicarious trauma, burn out, compassion fatigue, or are re-traumatised due to their own experiences of DFV.

It is important for all practitioners to engage in self-care and ensure they have appropriate support to reduce the risk that this work will impact their own mental and physical health.

Clinical Group Supervision

Clinical supervision is regular protected time for facilitated, in-depth reflection on professional practice including the provision of empathetic support to improve therapeutic skills, the transmission of knowledge, and the facilitation of reflective practice. This process seeks to create an environment in which the participants have an opportunity to evaluate, reflect and develop their own clinical practice and provide support for one another.

The overall purpose of clinical supervision is to provide the best available standard of care. In a relationship based on trust and openness, clinical supervision provides the opportunity for supervisees to review and reflect on their work to be able to improve in future.

Benefits of regular clinical supervision include:

• Increased feelings of support, job satisfaction and morale
• Promotion of work-based learning and the development of new skills
• Increased professional discipline, growth and identity
• Improved recruitment and retention of staff
• Beneficial risk management strategy for organisations
• Promotion of quality assurance and competent best practice
• Reductions in professional isolation, levels of stress, emotional exhaustion, and burnout

References

1. Department of Health and Human Services. (2019). Clinical supervision guidelines: Enhanced maternal and child health program. Victorian Government.