About the MASOC Clinical Mentorship Pilot
Why a clinical mentorship?
Without question, one of the most significant barriers to effectively preventing and responding to the problematic sexual behavior of young people in Massachusetts is the lack of providers with treatment and assessment experience in this specialty area.
MASOC and our affiliated clinicians have long recognized that we have two challenges in expanding access to services for young people in MA with PSB:
- The pipeline into this specialty is relatively narrow, and most people enter into it serendipitously based on a great grad school class they took with a MASOC member or a compelling clinical placement that made them want to continue in the work. More often, clinicians are encountering youth with PSB in a huge range of generalist settings and while this can be a deeply hopeful area of practice with a lot of clinical efficacy, many clinicians do not feel they have the appropriate background knowledge to do anything other than make referrals to specialty providers.
- The structure of the mental health field, especially in this specialty, makes it challenging for emerging professionals to continue sustainably. People need good foundational clinical skills, supervision by content and practice experts, and a feeling of belonging in a welcoming community of practice.
What is the Clinical Mentorship Pilot Program?
The CMPP has three goals:
- Expand access to PSB expert clinical mentorship and case consultation for clinicians doing PSB work in relative isolation, whose clinical supervisors in their current role may not have PSB or youth PSB expertise.
- Expand access to PSB expert clinical mentorship and case consultation for generalist clinicians working in a variety of settings so they can better meet the needs of kids with PSB in those settings.
- Expand the pool of clinicians in MA with foundational training in PSB relatively quickly.
What is the model?
This is a combination of a learning collaborative and group supervision model. The pilot cohort of mentees are matched with a clinical mentor (ideally in a related subspecialty, for example in juvenile justice, outpatient private practice, residential treatment, etc.).
The group supervision model is a monthly 90-minute virtual meeting for case presentation, discussion and development of intervention plans, and reflective activities.
The learning collaborative portion brings together all of the cohort members for a monthly 90-minute online learning session on a foundational training topic related to PSB (basics of PSB in children and adolescents, foundations of assessment, safety planning, work with family and caregivers, etc.).
What is the time commitment for mentees?
We anticipate this will be a time commitment of approximately 3 hours per month:
- 90 minutes of virtual small-group mentorship/supervision
- 90 minutes of virtual learning on a youth PSB-specific topic, such as introduction to assessment, safety planning, sibling sexual behavior and abuse, etc.
The timeline of the pilot is September 2025-May 2026.
Is there a cost for this program?
Thanks to grant funding from the MA Children’s Trust, this pilot program is free to participating clinicians and their agency or organization.
Are there any additional requirements?
You must be a master’s or higher level clinician working in Massachusetts.
Apply for the MASOC Pathways to the Profession Fellowship
Complete the form below to apply. All applications are due by midnight on Wednesday, September 3.