Start & Ending Times: 9:30 - 4:00 on Wednesdays for nine months (ten sessions) from October thru June. A half hour is given for lunch, which would be a total of 6 in-class CEU's per session, for a total of 60 CEU’s for the course.
Eligibility: Class registration is restricted to OCS supervisory staff who have already participated and completed Marsha Salus’ introductory supervisory training; and who are not currently in the coaching or mentoring sequence; and who are not currently enrolled in the adoption/foster care competency course. Students should have an MSW or other advanced degree, but this requirement will be waived (in consultation with Regional Office staff) for those OCS staff that have experience in years, not degree.
Class Size: Ideally, three eligible staff from each Region should be identified; as well as three eligible staff from Central Office.
Location: Iberville Building, 627 North 4th St., Baton Rouge. All sessions are scheduled for room 1-125 on the first floor.
COURSE OUTLINE:
The following detailed outline provides a session by session schedule for the course.
SESSION I: OVERVIEW: HISTORY, ROLES, STYLES AND STAGES: Historical perspective of child welfare supervision within the profession of social work will be discussed. The impact of changes in the broader environment on the current role and function of supervisors in social agencies. The various conceptual frames for supervision will be reviewed including roles, styles, and stages in supervision.
SESSION II: THE TRANSITION TO SUPERVISION: Identification of critical tensions in the shift from direct practice to the assumption of supervisory responsibilities. Basic concepts of leadership in supervision, providing specific opportunities for students to examine their own leadership styles. The relationship of leadership style to job performance and staff relationships.
SESSION III: ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT: Exploration of different patterns of organizational structure and communication as critical contexts for supervisory practice. Students have the opportunity to reflect on the organizational structure of their agencies and the impact of patterns of formal and informal communication. Discussion focuses on the implications of their analysis for their effectiveness as supervisory and middle management staff.
SESSION IV: THE ADMINISTRATIVE FUNCTIONS OF SUPERVISION: The administrative functions of supervision will be identified and discussed within the framework of organizational structure described in Session III. Issues related to differential goals, establishment of formal and informal reward systems, and participatory decision-making will be highlighted. The importance of communication skills in all aspects of supervision will be discussed. Ethical considerations in administration will be emphasized. Issues such as confidentiality, ethical dilemmas encountered by administrators, and the NASW Code of Ethics will be examined.
SESSION V: THE EDUCATIVE FUNCTIONS OF SUPERVISION: The unique structure of educational supervision in social work agencies will be discussed in the context of adult learning theory. Skills of educational diagnosis (including the identification and utilization of learning styles), recognition of informal and formal teaching opportunities, and the development of learning contracts will be examined. Identification of dysfunctional supervisory strategies and the concept of the parallel process will be identified. The relationship between the teaching function of supervision and administrative and supportive roles will be examined.
SESSION VI: THE EVALUATIVE FUNCTIONS OF SUPERVISION: Common attitudes toward worker evaluation will be explored. The different uses of ongoing feedback and formal evaluation will be discussed. The process of setting objectives, measuring performance and stimulating worker commitment to growth will be discussed in the context of developing goal-directed supervisory contracts. Identification of specific types of evaluation will be reviewed.
SESSION VII: THE SUPPORTIVE FUNCTIONS OF SUPERVISION: The impact of societal changes and expectations on the helping profession will be explored. The importance of mentorship, maintaining and improving worker morale, and the effects of workplace support on employee morale will be highlighted. Identification of the symptoms of burnout in both workers and supervisors will be discussed, as well as the supports and strategies used to alleviate stress. Special attention will be paid to the role that risk and resiliency factors play in affecting burnout.
SESSION VIII: Identifying Commonalities and Distinctions between Clinical Supervision and Supervision in Community Practice Settings
SESSION IX: THE CHALLENGES OF DIVERSITY: The impact of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability and other social characteristics in the supervisory relationship will be explored. Various perspectives on supervising and training for cultural sensitivity, cultural specificity and cultural competence will be examined.
The special issues of supervising practitioners with special needs such as those who are victims of physical violence and sexual harassment, as well as those with histories of incest, mental illness, etc. will be examined.
SESSION X: LEADERSHIP Just as in any other profession child welfare agencies need leaders that possess a wide range of abilities and traits. Knowledge of legal and regulatory requirements is important, as are issues such as the understanding of corporate compliance in funding practice, hiring procedures, etc. Executive leadership is also expected to be responsible for business and marketing strategies, including fiscal understanding and promoting the organization within the community. But these abilities are only part of the picture of a good leader in the child welfare community.
In addition to professional savvy, child welfare professionals have to remember that in child welfare, the business at hand is vulnerable children, youth - and their families. Thus, there are specific traits that should be evident in top administrators. Heading this list is emotional intelligence. Certainly, the ability to perceive, assess and manage our own emotions, as well as tending to the emotions and needs of others is very important. We need to recognize our own strengths; our own limitations, but it is essential in our work to recognize the needs of our clients and their families. Leaders in our field must be able to convey these needs, and develop effective strategies to meet them. From the concept of emotional intelligence come the more humanistic traits that are necessary for supervisors within child welfare organizations.
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