1

What are the Collaborative Community Practice Groups?

Facilitated large group supervision

5 – 12 participants

Social workers, counsellors, youth workers

Intra-agency and cross-agency participation

Includes private practitioners

Variety of years of experience

2

In what Ottawa settings are some of these currently working?

Youth Services Bureau of Ottawa

Community Resource Centres

Community Health Centres

Ottawa Hospital (Rehabilitation Services)

Non-Profit Housing sector

Private practice

3

What are some of the processes that take place in these groups?

Reflecting/Outsider Witness teams (more to come on this)

In response to case presentationsIn response to live, in-group sessions

Group members present on intervention approachesSkill development exercisesGuest presentersReading discussionsPlanning and mounting of local conferences, plays and workshops

4

How did these groups come into being?

Training, Youth Services Bureau Cross-agency CPG funded by YSBFirst group spawns secondInvited consultations lead to formation of further groupsSome groups linked to shared training; other groups start from reflecting processes and collective values/ethics

5

An Ethic of Sharing

MULTIPLICITY

There are many roads to Rome: diversity, generativity

6

An Ethic of Sharing

EMBODIMENT

Personal resonance, what struck/touched me, how it connects with my experience

7

An Ethic of Sharing

TRANSPARENCY

Wonderings and personal reactions shared openly in a respectful manner

8

An Ethic of Sharing

CURIOUSITY

Not pronouncement of truth, of what is “really” going on, not seeking final answer or solution

9

An Ethic of Sharing

ACKNOWLEDGMENT AND WITNESSING

Client/person sharing their work are centred

10

An Ethic of Sharing

PERSON SHARING (AND CLIENTS) AS EXPERTS

Person sharing (or client if live) choose what to listen to and note; they discern what is useful to them

11

An Ethic of Sharing

RESPONSIVITY

Members respond to each other’s reflections and unexpected perspectives/stories arise

12

An Ethic of Sharing

COLLABORATIVE

Members support each other (through questions) in evoking rich accounts

13

Using Reflecting Processes

Reflect to client in live session

Reflect for videotaped session (tape the reflections for the client(s)

Reflect in response to verbal case presentation (could be taped)

14

Using Reflecting Processes

“Andersen style”Focused on being responsive

Co-construction of meanings

Curious

Tentative

Generating multiple possibilities

15

Using Reflecting Processes

Definitional Ceremony (White)Focused on acknowledgment

“Steps” in responding

Typically an interviewer

Useful for centering sharer’s work

16

Using Reflecting Processes

Mixing Processes: Andersen and White

Acknowledgment of sharer’s work provides witnessing and creates safety

Generative sharing expands therapeutic options

17

Collaborative Community Practice Groups:

Challenges and OpportunitiesAccountability & protection of public

Many workers un-supervisedPeer Mentoring

Learning by teachingCapitalizing on “local knowledge’

NetworkingReferral sources“Preview” of potential employees

Co-therapy opportunitiesVideotaped and live sessionsReflecting team sessions outside of group meetings—reflecting team directory

18

Collaborative Community Practice Groups:

Challenges and Opportunities Isolation

A community of practitioners

BurnoutVenue to share professional stresses

Professional developmentContinuity: ongoing learning alternative

Cost effectiveShared expense reduces cost per member