Primary Care Supervision: A Community of Practice

Background The goal of this project was to determine the feasibility of a Community of Practice (CoP) model to support behavioural health (BH) clinical supervisor professional development. Approach Fourteen supervisors participated in 13 CoP‐focused workshops focused on supervision within the Primary Care Behavioural Health (PCBH) model over a 4‐year period. These workshops occurred twice a semester (in person and virtually) for supervisors hosting students participating in a Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Behavioural Health Workforce Education Training (BHWET) grant. The program focused on preparing masters‐level clinical mental health counselling students to function as Behavioural Health Consultants (BHCs) in primary care settings in rural and urban areas. Supervisors completed post‐workshop surveys on their satisfaction with the content and the impact of the workshop content on building their PCBH supervision skills. Evaluation Supervisors were satisfied with the content presented during the CoP workshops as well as indicated improvements in their confidence with providing supervision within the PCBH model. Areas of improved confidence and competence included supervision in integrated health care settings, topics discussed in primary care, and telehealth visits. Implications Overall, this demonstrates an approach to building supervisor confidence in working with pre‐licensure trainees within the PCBH model. CoP workshops show promise as an approach that institutions of higher education and health care organisation can adopt to improve clinical teaching and supervision in primary care as well as support supervisors in the community who work with trainees in primary care.