Clinical supervision is now an integral part of the expert practice of all of the professions using psychotherapeutic or counselling frameworks, including psychotherapy, counselling, mental health nursing, social work, expressive therapies, organisational consultancy, psychology, occupational therapy, medical psychiatry, probation work and many others. Online supervision is a new way of accessing the guidance and support required by practitioners in these professions, using computer mediated communication tools.

The field of online supervision is hardly yet even in its infancy and there are no established professional guidelines to draw on to direct its practice. In this context, members of The Online-supervision.net Research Team have put together these guidelines, as a way of setting the tone for the culture and outlining what we consider 'best practice' usage of the service we are developing and researching, and to flag up issues that require thinking about generally by supervisors and supervisees in establishing online supervisory relationships anywhere. We hope that these guidelines will be equally useful to those engaged in peer-group (i.e. leaderless) supervision.

The Psychotherapy & Clinical Supervision Online Internet Forum

An international online group for mental health practitioners and researchers, also Internet researchers, with an interest or involvement in the practice, research, development or theory of Online Clinical Supervision (and Online Psychotherapy). The forum started in March 2002, and currently comprises an e-mail list (PSYCHOTHERAPY-ONLINE@JISCMAIL.AC.UK), a videoconferencing and instant message facility, and a website. There are currently approaching 50 members. The forum is not a place where members should expect to receive online supervision (or online psychotherapy!); rather, it is for exchange of theory, experience and research, also for networking, sharing information and offering solidarity, support and challenge, amongst those practicing or researching in these fields. It is largely unstructured.

Clinical-supervision.com

a collection of supervision resources mainly for nurses run by Steve Cottrell (not providing e-supervision at the moment)

Clinical supervision in psychiatric mental health nursing

A position statement (or framework for standards and delivery of clinical supervision in psychiatric mental health nursing in North Queensland) from the North Queensland Sub-Branch of the ANZCMHN (Australian and New Zealand College of Mental Health Nurses )

Online Supervision for Social Workers

Shavone Hamilton's and Gary Stofle's account of their experience of a year's weekly online supervision.

Utilisation of online training for supervisors

An overview of how one university developed online training to provide supervision training to clinical supervisors

The Group Analysis Internet Forum

An online group for all those with an interest or involvement in the practice, research, development or theory of group analysis. The forum is for the public, international exchange of theory, experience, research and practice, also for networking, offering solidarity, support and challenge, soliciting and sharing information and sources of information. It is largely unstructured, although discourses around particular themes have been developed for publication and some discussions are along the lines of informal peer supervision. See also attached videoconference meeting page at http://www.groupintervisual.net/hosting/group-analysis.

Group Psychotherapy Online Discussion List

The Group Psychotherapy online discussion list aims to develop and promote group psychotherapy and other group work, through the exchange of ideas between professionals in this field from all over the world, some of which are along the lines of informal peer supervision. See also attached videoconference meeting page at http://www.groupintervisual.net/hosting/group-psychotherapy.

Psychiatric Nursing E-mail List

A discussion forum for all those interested in both research and development in psychiatric nursing. For mutual help, swapping of news and ideas, and for generally keeping up to date with new initiatives, developments, conferences, etc. Some discussions are along the lines of informal peer supervision. See also attached videoconference meeting page at http://www.groupintervisual.net/hosting/psychiatric-nursing.

For guidelines regarding the provision of online psychotherapy services, please click on the image below to go to the website of the International Society for Mental Health Online (ISMHO) - (see also: ISMHO guidelines for online provision of mental health services)