Models of

Supervision: Theory

and Application

NASW Ohio Annual Conference November 12, 2015Scott A. Wilkes, J.D., Ph.D.

96 Years of Leadership

in Social Justice 1

SUPERVISION DEFINED

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A social work supervisor is an agency administrative

staff member to whom

authority is delegated

to direct, coordinate,

enhance, and evaluate

job performance of

supervisees.

Implementing this responsibility, the supervisor performs an

administrative, educational, and supportive function.

STYLES OF LEARNING

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Each supervisee has an individual style of learning. In an effort to conceptualize these styles, educators have created typologies. It is rare to find anyone exhibiting a pure type. More commonly, individuals are prone to one form of learning as the dominant style and use the others to a lesser degree. The styles include: The Intellectual Learner

The Intuitive Learner

The Practical Learner

INTELLECTUAL LEARNER

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The Intellectual Learner: The intellectual learner leads with their mind. They want to anticipate and

prepare for encounters with clients. They believe the more they know beforehand, the better the result. They are strong in their analytical skills but may be hesitant to initiate an intervention.

Supervisor Response: The supervisor of the intellectual learner will need to help the supervisee

gain awareness of how feelings affect their work with clients. As the supervisee is better able to integrate intellectual and emotional ways of understanding.

INTUITIVE LEARNER

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The Intuitive Learner: The intuitive learner leads with their senses. They are empathic and

attuned to the feelings of their clients. They are motivated by a desire to be helpful and rely heavily on practice wisdom or prior experience. They are likely to get in “over their heads” quickly.

Supervisory Response: The supervisor of an intuitive learner will need to help the worker make

conscious what is now done naturally. With the supervisee, the supervisor will label techniques and build in the theoretical underpinnings of practice so that the supervisee can identify and control their responses.

PRACTICAL LEARNER

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The Practical Learner: The practical learner is guided by a desire to make things better and seeks

every opportunity to perform a concrete service. They are less attuned to client’s problems for which there is no immediate solution. They are more comfortable with facts than with feelings and desire to uncover a solution quickly.

Supervisory Response: The particular challenge of supervising a practical learner lies in

appreciating and supporting the very real skills required to carry out a concrete task, while demanding a more reflective level of practice.

THE PURPOSE OF SUPERVISORY MODELS

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A supervisory model provides a theoretical framework by which we can apply empirically specific methodologies to create order and meaning out of perceived meaningless data.

Effective supervisors have a clear idea of where they are with their supervisees, where they are

going with their supervisees and how they

are going to get there.

SUPERVISION MODELS

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• Outcome Oriented Supervision

• Postmodern Supervision

• Interactional Supervision

• Solution Focused Supervision

• Psychodynamic Supervision

• Reflective Supervision

• Developmental Supervision

OUTCOME-ORIENTED SUPERVISION

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A model of supervision that shifts the focus of the supervisee’s performance from process to outcome.

By focusing on the outcome and individual achievement, it allows the supervisee to reflect on his or her own accomplishments as a way of monitoring and describing their own performance and allows greater receptiveness to the supervisory process.

Framing the inquiry to focus on outcomes

INTERACTIONAL SUPERVISION

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A model of supervision which conceptualizes staff members as constantly interacting with a number of systems that are directly related to their work.

The relationship between

the systems and individual

is always reciprocal.

Supervisee

Clients

Colleagues

Supervisor

Agency

Funders

Family

Community

POSTMODERN SUPERVISION

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Postmodern supervision is predicated on a “constructivist” philosophy. The essential tenants consist of a belief that the self is socially constructed and there is no essential self nor defined roles for the self to perform.

The identity and construction of the social work supervisor is experienced as multiple roles. The process of supervision, involves the blurring of boundaries between the use of multiple roles.

POSTMODERN ROLES

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The Supporter Role - Supervision that explores emotional hurdles faced by a supervisee that relate to issues beyond his or her immediate work, without being so intrusive as to lead to the dual relationship of the supervisor becoming the supervisee’s therapist.

The Supervisor Role – Supervision that focuses on the supervisee in their role as social worker, rather than as a person.

The Case Consultant Role – Supervision that offers advice on best practice options, clearly articulating the practice expertise of the supervisor.

The Trainer Role – Supervision that focuses on instruction to the supervisee in how to do an intervention, rehearsing techniques or coaching live performances of therapy.

POSTMODERN ROLES

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The Colleague Role - The supervisor shares clinical responsibilities with the supervisee, working together collaboratively to fulfill a mutual mandate.

The Advocate Role - The supervisor encourages the supervisee to take action, or the supervisor becomes involved in direct action to garner the resources necessary to ensure the wellbeing of either the supervisee or the client with whom the supervisee is working.

The Partnership Role - Supervision that involves two people engaged in working together, rather than one person, the supervisor, delivering supervision to another person, the supervisee.

The Coaching Role - Supervision that involves the process of searching for positive ways to bring out the best in supervisees by encouraging the supervisee to stretch and develop new skills beyond their comfort zone.

SOLUTION FOCUSED SUPERVISION

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A model of supervision which utilizes key concepts of solution-focused therapy. It is predicated on four basic assumptions: The social worker knows what is best for the themselves.

It is not necessary to know the problem in order to solve it.

The Supervisor’s role is to identify and amplify change.

Techniques used with clients have relevance in clinical supervision.

SOLUTION FOCUSED SUPERVISION

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Focus on the nature of the relationship.

Realize the supervisee has the skills or potential to learn the skills.

Emphasize incremental progress.

Focus on what is working in the present.

Reframe the work to reveal the supervisee’s strengths.

Assure there is no single method for working with the client.

Maintain a level of accountability.

Understand problems are socially and linguistically constructed.

Conduct the supervisory session as a cooperative partnership.

Allow the supervisee to be responsible for the direction of the session.

PSYCHODYNAMIC SUPERVISION

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Supervisor is interested in supervisee’s personal issues only to the extent they affect the client intervention. The supervisor focuses on dynamics such as resistance, ways of reacting to clients, and transference issues.

A presumption is made that

the supervisee’s interaction

with the supervisor parallels

the client’s behavior with

the supervisee.

PSYCHODYNAMIC SUPERVISION

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Supervisor’s employing a psychodynamic model will ask the following questions:

What similarities do you see between our supervisory work and the relationship you share with your client?

Think out loud about what purpose your client’s resistance might be serving?

Why do you think you are having a strong emotional reaction to your client?

Where, and with whom, else in your life might you experience this emotion?

REFLECTIVE SUPERVISION• Reflective supervision is focused on the experiences, thoughts and feelings

of the supervisee that are directly connected with the work. It is characterized by active listening and thoughtful questioning by both parties.

• The role of the supervisor is to help the supervisee answer his/her own questions, and to provide the support and knowledge necessary to guide decision-making.

• The supervisor provides an empathetic, nonjudgmental ear to the supervisee. Working through complex emotions in a “safe place” allows the supervisee to manage the stress she experiences on the job.

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REFLECTIVE SUPERVISION

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• Stepping back from the immediate, intense experience of hands-on work and taking the time to wonder what the experience really means. Through reflection, the supervisee examines his/her thoughts and feelings about the experience and identifies the interventions that best meet the client’s needs.

Reflective

• The concept of collaboration (or teamwork) emphasizes sharing the responsibility and control of power. Collaborative supervisory relationships are characterized by a clear understanding of the reciprocal expectations of each partner.

Collaborative

• Supervision should take place on a reliable schedule, and sufficient time must be allocated to its practice. It takes time to build a trusting relationship, to collaborate, and to share ideas, thoughts, and emotions.

Regularity

DEVELOPMENTAL SUPERVISION

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• Based on the individual

• Considers “levels” or stages of professionalism

• Supervisory approach varies depending on the level

• Levels are predictable

• Levels can’t be skipped

• Level not necessarily related to years of experience

• Both supervisee and supervisor levels of development must be considered

• Movement can be affected by change (assignment, setting, client population, etc.)

SUPERVISEE LEVELS

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• Focus is on self and basic skills; Highly motivated; May be rigid and anxious; Wants answers, Focus on the “right way”; Very dependent upon supervisor; Has difficulty conceptualizing tasks and assignments.

Supervisee Level 1

• Focus is on the client; Motivation fluctuates; More assertive; More frustrated and/or confused; Dependency/autonomy conflicts; Considered the “teenage years”.

Supervisee Level 2

• Focus is on the client, but also is self aware and can reflect and use prior knowledge; Has personal sense of identity and style; Functions with more autonomy; Does less pigeon-holing of clients; Consistently motivated; Displays appropriate use of self.

Supervisee Level 3

SUPERVISORY TYPOLOGY

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SUPERVISORY MODELS

LEA

RN

ING

STY

LES

OutcomeOriented

Interactional Solution Focused Postmodern Psychodynamic Developmental Reflective

IntellectualLearner(Head)

Issue: May need to focus more on the process rather the outcome.

Strategy: Focus on the treatment plan and methods of intervention.

Issue: May not be willing to accept feedback or input from others.

Strategy: Empower supervisee to take on a leadership role when working with others.

Issue: May not be able to recognize success especially if it was not anticipated or planned.

Strategy: Establish realistic and measurable goals and timeframes for accomplishing tasks.

Issue: May be too rigid in the application of therapeutic techniques and needs to individualize treatment.

Strategy: Adopt the Supervisory and Coaching Role to brainstorm different techniques.

Issue: May be resistant to acknowledge their own feelings about clients and the supervisory process.

Strategy: Explore objective evaluation of the supervisor and supervisory process.

Issue: May lack confidence to implement clinical strategies.

Strategy: Explicitly share the developmental model and mutually develop milestones.

Issue: May not be aware of the importance of rapport building with clients, coworkers or supervisor.

Strategy: Explore supervisee’s empathic response theoretical basis for it.

IntuitiveLearner(Heart)

Issue: May need to focus more on the outcome rather than the process.

Strategy: Focus on what is their vision of success and how will they know when it is achieved.

Issue: May be too focused on the dynamics of the relationship rather than mutual goals or tasks.

Strategy: Focus on relationship building, establishing consensus, and motivating others on the treatment team.

Issue: May need to expand and explore alternative methods in working with clients.

Strategy: Focus on existing strengths and insights they have in working with clients.

Issue: May need to be aware of potential boundary issues with clients and issues within supervision.

Strategy: Adopt the Supporter and Mentoring Role to appeal to instincts and of the supervisee.

Issue: May need to focus the supervisee on needs of clients rather than their own needs.

Strategy: Explore feelings related to the client and the supervisory process.

Issue: May be impulsive and erratic in working with clients and managing their own anxiety.

Strategy: Acknowledge and normalize the supervisee’s feelings.

Issue: May be too preoccupied by their own feelings and reactions.

Strategy: Use open ended questions targeted toward building empathy for clients.

PracticalLearner(Hands)

Issue: May be too bogged down with details and not able to see the “forest for the trees”.

Strategy: Focus on the incremental, concrete steps taken toward progress of the goal.

Issue: May be too focused on roles and responsibilities and have high expectation regarding members of the team. Insist on others “pulling their own weight“.

Strategy: Utilize group supervision, treatment teams, direct observation and shadowing techniques.

Issue: May need to work on developing attainable goals with clients and in supervision.

Strategy: Conduct a weekly review of progress toward the goals.

Issue: May need to rely on evidence based practice models.

Strategy: Adopt the Case Consultant and Trainer Role to work collaboratively with the supervisee.

Issue: May not to be resistant per se, just unable to grasp the relevance of the approach.

Strategy: Use analogies and other metaphorical techniques to explore their thoughts and feelings.

Issue: May be impatient with the learning process and take unnecessary risks.

Strategy: Set limits based upon the individual stage of development.

Issue: May deliberately ignore rapport building, instead focusing on completing tasks.

Strategy: Explore feelings of supervisee regarding the supervisory session and model affective response.

SMALL GROUP ACTIVITY

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1. Break up into small groups of 3 or 4 members.

2. Read the Case Scenarios.

3. Refer to the Supervisory Typology.

4. Answer the questions related to the identification of the

learning style and supervisory model.

5. Identify a rationale for your decisions.

6. Discuss the process in the larger group.