Summary of - Supervision of a Person-Centered Group Intervention: Perspectives from Supervised Facilitators and Their Supervisor – A Qualitative Exploratory Study

Title of Original: Supervision of a Person-Centered Group Intervention: Perspectives from Supervised Facilitators and Their Supervisor – A Qualitative Exploratory Study
Authors: Rikke Jørgensen, Vicki Zabell, Flavia Maria Maties, Kira Jensen, Kattie Legaard Hostrup, Jette Christiansen & Mette Linnet Olesen
Journal: Issues in Mental Health Nursing
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/01612840.2025.2526452

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Why This Matters - Shows how structured supervision strengthens nurses’ confidence and facilitation of person-centred groups, yet is undermined by workload and organizational priorities.

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Read Time - 9 Minutes

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The article investigates the supervision of mental health nurses facilitating a person-centered group intervention (PCGI) in Danish outpatient psychiatric services. Supervision is framed as essential for supporting the adoption and sustained use of evidence-based, person-centered interventions. However, existing literature tends to address supervision at a general clinical level rather than in relation to specific interventions. This study therefore seeks to explore both the content and influence of supervision on PCGI facilitation from the perspectives of supervised facilitators and their supervisor, as well as to describe the supervisory process in detail.
The introduction outlines the challenges of implementing evidence-based and person-centered interventions in real-world practice, emphasizing supervision as a strategy to enhance adoption and prevent underutilization. The background highlights varied definitions of supervision but identifies shared features such as collaborative alliance, focus on supervisee experience, and enhancement of skills and competencies. Supervision is also described as a relational practice influenced by supervisor qualities and organizational priorities. Within the study’s setting, Guided Self-Determination (GSD) had been implemented individually and adapted into a group format, creating a need for structured supervision to support facilitators.

The aim of the study is to explore the content and influence of supervision for nurses facilitating the PCGI, considering both facilitator and supervisor perspectives.

A qualitative exploratory design was used, aligned with a pragmatic epistemology emphasizing practical and actionable outcomes. The study took place in three outpatient psychiatric clinics in the North Denmark Region, where nurses facilitated PCGI groups alongside their usual caseloads. Four registered nurses with GSD experience served as facilitators. One experienced supervisor with formal training, but without group-facilitation experience in GSD, provided supervision.

The PCGI comprised 12 sessions: two discovery group sessions followed by ten GSD-based sessions. The discovery sessions aimed to build rapport through guided conversational cards. The GSD sessions used semi-structured reflection sheets to promote self-management and problem-solving, adapted for a shared group process.

Supervision was structured around two objectives: supporting the facilitator role and supporting the facilitation of PCGI content. A leaflet outlined the supervision model, and supervision included two mandatory and two optional sessions per group, each scheduled for 30 minutes. Telephone format was chosen due to geographical distance. Facilitators scheduled sessions themselves.

Data were collected through three individual facilitator interviews, one individual supervisor interview, one focus group discussion with all facilitators, and the supervisor’s written registrations of session content and reflections. All interviews were transcribed and analyzed inductively using reflexive thematic analysis. The analytical process was collaborative, and reflexivity was addressed through awareness of the research team’s supervisory experience. Ethical procedures included informed consent and anonymization.

Results included an overview showing varied participation in supervision: all facilitators attended mandatory sessions during the spring groups, but participation decreased significantly in the autumn due to workload and group dissolution. Three central themes emerged.

The first theme, Facilitators’ perspectives on supervision: Balancing need for support, professional growth, and daily workload, described supervision as valuable, supportive, and important for facilitating PCGI. Facilitators experienced supervision as enhancing personal and professional growth but struggled to prioritize it due to heavy caseloads, time pressure, and feelings of guilt for stepping away from clinical duties. Supervision was sometimes viewed as a “luxury,” contributing to its low prioritization. Facilitators also expressed interest in peer meetings as an additional support mechanism.

The second theme, Supervisor establishing a safe space through competent dialogue despite the distance, described supervision as a collaborative, structured dialogue. Facilitators reported that the supervisor created a safe and reflective environment, even by telephone. Concerns about telephone supervision were mostly limited to initial sessions. The supervisor used a consistent structure—checking in, identifying core issues, and summarizing—and adapted content to each facilitator’s competencies and challenges.

The third theme, Supervision enhancing confidence and competency in the facilitator role, showed that supervision helped facilitators clarify and strengthen their roles. Supervision prompted deeper reflection, improved management of group dynamics, and supported development of problem-solving and communication strategies. Facilitators reported increased confidence, energy, and motivation after supervision sessions. The supervisor also noted variations in facilitators’ competencies and used supervision to support individualized skill development.

In the discussion, the authors relate their findings to existing literature, particularly regarding the value of supervision, known barriers such as workload and time constraints, and the role of social learning. Telephone supervision challenges and mitigation strategies are addressed. Strengths include diverse data sources and real-world implementation. Limitations include a small sample and single supervisor.

The study concludes that supervision was essential for facilitators’ role development and meaningful for professional growth, but difficult to prioritize in busy clinical environments. Structured, collaborative supervision created a safe reflective space and supported confidence and competency in facilitating PCGI. Organizations are encouraged to prioritize access to supervision and consider alternative formats, such as group supervision.