Module 2: Supportive Supervision

Developed by Butler Institute for Families

Supervisor Core TrainingSupervisor Core Training

Fairness and EquityFairness and Equity

Fairness and Equity• The challenge [in child welfare services] is the considerable

evidence of the following trends among children of color, particularly African American and Native American children:

• Greater likelihood to be removed from their mothers as infants

• Higher rates of foster care entry

• More time spent in foster care

• Fewer services and less contact with child welfare staff

• Lower reunification rates

• Longer time to adoption and lower adoption rates

(CWLA, 2003)

Fairness and Equity:Considerations in Working with Families

• Continued self-examination for biases regarding

• Kin or community (“the apple doesn’t fall from the tree”)

• How children would have a “better life” elsewhere when the issue is not safety

• Transference/counter-transference issues

• Gathering information to “fit” a preconceived assessment and plan

• Communication styles

California Common Core Curricula for Child Welfare Supervisors, Supervisor Core:Child Welfare Policy and Practice for Supervisors Version 1.0 |March 2006

MAAGER

Supervision Probing Questions• Who are the people in the family’s circle of people?

• Who is in charge?

• Who makes decisions?

• How are problems addressed?

• Do people keep schedules or is time free flowing?

• How would people in the church think such problems occur?

• How are children disciplined in the family’s community?

MAAGER

Managing to DiversityManaging to Diversity

Managing to Diversity

Diversity is: differences and similarities related to social or cultural group that includes gender, race, class, age education, religion, sexual orientation, ability, nation origin and ethnicity

Definitions• CultureCulture refers to ideas, attitudes, values, habits,

beliefs, customs, language, rituals that provides group of people with general design

• RaceRace refers to anthropological concept to classify people based on physical characteristics; nose, eyes

• Ethnicity Ethnicity describes groups in which members share a cultural heritage from one generations to another; national origin, religion, and or race

MAAGER

Cultural Responsiveness

The ability to work effectively and respectfully with people of various backgrounds, cultures, and identities.

(Cross, 2007)

MAAGER

Cultural Competence“Many practitioners settle for becoming culturally sensitive rather than culturally competent and may not focus on acquiring effective skills.”

(McPhatter & Woodroffe, 2005)

What is the role of the supervisor in advancing culturally competent practice?

MAAGER

Supervisor Should…• Knowledge of views/opinions in other cultures;

• Recognize exclusion/unequal treatment and engage in dialogue;

• Deal with different ways of communication;

• Be aware of exclusion from informal networks;

Supervision ApproachA. Understand workers’ values: Accept that these values come from their diverse

cultural experiences.

B. Inform workers/support acquisition of knowledge of culture (self and others).

C. Develop workers’ behaviors: Expect, support, and model culturally competent behaviors; challenge/counsel staff behaviors that are disrespectful or harmful to others.

D. Support culturally competent models of practice.

E. Understand and work for institutional and societal changes.

Copyright 2009, The University of Iowa

Successful Strategies

• Asking the questions in supervision

• Provide a written summary of important information

• Develop different feedback forums

Common Culture

“A common culture can be a unifying factor—a dictionary of sorts—that provides the basis for shared interpretation or meaning.”

(Hall, 2002)

Job Satisfaction and Job Satisfaction and RetentionRetention

RREEWWAARRDDSS

Types of Rewards

• Verbal

• Tangible

• Task

• Time

Guidelines for Effective Rewards and Recognition

• Match the reward to the person • Match the reward to the achievement • Be timely and specific

(Nelson, 1994)

Instant Recognition• Agencies can and should offer informal, spontaneous

awards that flow from personalized, instant recognition

• Studies show that although this technique has the highest motivational impact, it is used less than any other (Nelson, 1994). Praise should be:

– Spontaneous

– Specific

– Purposeful

– Private and/or public

– In writing

Other Recognition

• Flexible Schedule• Job Sharing• Developmental and Training Opportunities• FEEDBACK!• Challenges

Supervisor as Supervisor as Feedback ProviderFeedback Provider

Defining FeedbackConstructive Feedback:• Information-specific, issue-focused, and based on something

observed

Praise and Criticism:• In contrast, these statements are personal judgments about

an effort or outcome• Praise is a favorable judgment while criticism is an

unfavorable judgment(Source: Brounstein, 2000)

Constructive Feedback: A Step-by-Step Guide

Content: What you say when giving feedback.

• Identify the issue or performance involved.

• Provide specifics of what happened.

Timing: When the feedback should be offered

Frequency: How often you should give feedback

Manner: How you say it.

• Be direct when delivering your message.

• Avoid “need to” phrases.

• Be sincere and avoid giving mixed messages.

• In positive feedback situations, express appreciation.

• In negative feedback situations, express concern.

• Give the feedback person-to-person, not through messengers or technology.

• State observations, not interpretations

Feedback Formula

1. Let the supervisee see what they have done

2. Show the effect of the behavior

3. Agree on a change

a2 + b2 = c2

“Feedback Frenzy”

1. Draw a scenario and provide feedback to the “worker” (balance of the group becomes the collective “worker”).

2. Toss out the “but”, “however”, or “although” cards when these words are used.

3. Each person gets one pass if they want to skip a scenario. The scenario goes back into the pile and draws another card.

4. After the supervisor practices giving feedback to the “worker”, the group should provide feedback (constructive feedback!).

5. Allow a few minutes per person.6. Rotate to the next person. Keep going until time is called.

Module 3: Educational Supervision

Developed by Butler Institute for Families

Supervisor Core TrainingSupervisor Core Training

Educational Supervision

• Teaching the worker what he or she needs to know to do the job and helping him or her to integrate it

• Workers learn the knowledge, skills, and attitudes they need

Teach to Learn

• Expectations• Specifics• Look like;• Due• Review • Feedback

The Adult Learner• Vast amounts of knowledge and experience;

educational resources to one another

• Active participants in own learning

• Varying cognitive styles that affect style of learning

• Tend to formulate principles from specific examples

• Long(er) attention spans than children

• Often resists dependency, even temporarily, on teacher

Learning StylesLearning Styles

Learning Styles

• Information enters your brain three main ways: sight, hearing and touch, which one you use the most is called your Learning Style

• Visual Learners learn by sight• Auditory Learners learn by hearing• Tactile Learners (kinesthetic) learn by

touch

Principles of LearningPrinciple 1: Workers learn best if they are highly motivated to learn.

Principle 2: Workers learn best when they devote most of their energy in the learning situation to learning.

Principle 3: Workers learn best when learning is followed by satisfaction.

Principles of LearningPrinciple 4: Workers learn best if they are actively involved in the learning process.

Principle 5: Workers learn best if the content is meaningfully presented.Principle 6: Workers learn best if their uniqueness as a learner is taken into consideration.

Your Role in RCTYour Role in RCT

Your Role Prior to RCT

• Stay positive• Register ASAP• Request a CA email account• Communicate with the assigned Coach• Connect new worker with a champion worker• Coordinate case assignment

How Do I Sign Up My New Worker?

• Just include:– Worker’s name – Hire date – Office Location– Program area (CPS,

CFWS, DLR, FVS, FAR, After Hours, DLR CPS)

• It’s easy!!• Send an email to Shelly

Myers at mysh300@uw.edu or Carlos Carrillo at carlosc2@uw.edu

First Day

A Word (or Two) about Case Assignment

• Cases can be assigned during RCT• Case assignment is about learning (not about

coverage)• No full caseloads

Graduation Day

Transfer Time Learning Circles

Reflection…………