Use of the Outcome and Session Rating Scales in Clinical Social Work Supervision​

Abstract

This paper explores the use of the Outcome Rating Scale (ORS) and the Session Rating Scale (SRS) in clinical social work supervision. These assessment tools are designed to provide clinicians with direct feedback from clients about the clients’ views on progress in therapy and their views on the quality of each session provided by the clinician. This type of feedback can be useful for beginning therapists as well as experienced therapists. This paper discusses helpful ways that these assessment tools can be used by clinical supervisors to increase the competence and self-awareness of clinical social workers in training. Supervisors can work with their trainees to help those in training better assess their own practice and what changes they might need to make based upon the results from the ORS and the SRS.