Competency-based models of supervision : principles and applications, promises and challenges

Major changes initiated by the Psychology Board of Australia (the Board) and by professional bodies both nationally and internationally have placed professional supervision in the spotlight for the practising psychologist and supervisor. Further, within the context of a growing impetus towards competency-based pedagogies for professional training across disciplines, a recent Board document has indicated that supervisor training must adhere to a competency-based model within a best-practice supervision framework (Psychology Board of Australia). For the practising psychologist, the recent recommendation closely follows other initiatives including the introduction of mandatory peer consultation and supervisor accreditation. The current article seeks to clarify for the Australian psychologist the characteristics of competency-based supervision models for training and supervision, and to unpack the many implications for professional practice. The article outlines the features that distinguish competency models from other supervision models, explains the rationale for and the merits that competency-driven pedagogies promise, and discusses the challenges these changes will bring to supervision theory and practice.