What is supervision?
It is a way to reflect on our work, sometimes called case conferencing. It is an intentional professional practice between trained supervisors and practitioner. It provides a way to think about our work to promote ethical and competent services to the consumers we serve.
Who participates in supervision?
Practice professions such as medical practitioners, mental health providers, and interpreters have a long history of participating in professional supervision. Supervision has become more popular recently in the ASL interpreting profession.
What does supervision look like?
Supervision in interpreting uses the Demand Control – Schema (DC-S) which was developed by Dean and Pollard. Each session one or two interpreters will share a situation they experienced from work. This is done in a confidential matter, sharing only enough details for the group to understand the scenario. Once the interpreter has shared their case, supervision leaders and peers will ask clarifying questions to help identify the demands of the scenario. Participants help each other identify demands, controls, consequences, and resulting demands. These become tools for the interpreter sharing the case, as well as everyone in the supervision group, so they can apply them to their work.
Does supervision help interpreters?
Yes! Benefits of supervision include:¹
- Increased critical thinking skills
- Enhanced ethical decision making
- A more thorough understanding of confidentiality
- Ensuring quality services for consumers
- Reduced interpreter burnout
- Supporting autonomy, agency, and self-determination for interpreters.