Comprehensive Supervision Training
Bernard's Discrimination Model in School-Based Mental Health
About this training
Schools have become the largest de facto mental health system for youth in America — the majority of children who receive any mental health care get it through their school. That reality places enormous weight on school-based clinicians, and on the supervisors responsible for helping them do this work safely, ethically, and well. Yet structured, competency-based supervision training is often the missing piece.
This multiday, practicum-driven training is built specifically for supervisors, clinical directors, and senior clinicians who oversee interns and staff in school-based mental health settings. Grounded in Janine Bernard's widely-researched Discrimination Model, it gives supervisors a structured, flexible framework for moving between three supervisory roles — Teacher, Counselor, and Consultant — across three focus areas of clinical skill, matched to where each supervisee actually is in their development.
Across role-play practicum, case vignette work, small-group consultation, and a capstone implementation-planning activity, participants leave with a concrete, personalized plan for applying this model in their own school context.
What participants will get out of this training
- A working command of Bernard's Discrimination Model and its 3×3 matrix — three supervisory roles crossed with three clinical focus areas — with practical, school-specific applications for each
- Hands-on practicum experience applying the model through role-play and real-world case vignettes
- A developmental framework for matching supervisory approach to where each supervisee actually is in their growth
- Practical tools for the operational side of supervision — documentation systems, supervision contracts, and competency tracking templates
- Strategies for addressing the specific challenges of school-based supervision, including working in relative isolation and navigating systemic barriers
- A personalized implementation roadmap, built during the training's capstone activity
- Optional Day 3 specialty tracks in crisis and trauma-informed supervision, documentation systems setup, implementation planning, and peer consultation network building
Learning objectives
By the end of this training, participants will be able to:
- 1.Explain Bernard's Discrimination Model, including its three supervisory roles and three focus areas, and apply the resulting 3×3 matrix to real school-based clinical situations.
- 2.Differentiate between the Teacher, Counselor, and Consultant supervisory roles, and select the appropriate role based on a supervisee's presenting need.
- 3.Apply a developmental framework to match supervisory approach to a supervisee's current stage of professional growth.
- 4.Develop practical supervision infrastructure, including supervision contracts, documentation systems, and competency tracking tools suited to a school-based setting.
- 5.Formulate a personalized implementation plan for applying competency-based, developmentally-attuned supervision within their own school context.
Training structure
Day 1 (~6 hrs) — Foundation & Framework
The critical need for quality supervision; deep dive into Bernard's Discrimination Model; focus areas in school-based mental health; developmental supervision framework; practical implementation tools
Day 2 (~6 hrs) — Practice & Application
Addressing common supervision challenges; role-play and case vignette practicum; evaluation and continuous improvement; capstone implementation-planning activity
Day 3 (Optional Extension) — Advanced Specialty Tracks
Choice of: Crisis & Trauma-Informed Supervision · Documentation & Systems Workshop · Implementation Planning Workshop · Peer Consultation Network Building