Highlighting the Evidence Base for Enhancing Supervision in Child Welfare Practice

1. Highlighting the Evidence Base for Enhancing Supervision in Child Welfare Practice Crystal Collins-Camargo, MSW PhD University of Louisville NASW Child Welfare Symposium November 18, 2010

2. Why is Supervision Important in Child Welfare? Past research links supervision to: • Reduced Worker Burnout/ Stress (e.g.,Martin & Schinke, 1998; Ratfill, 1988;) • Turnover/Retention(e.g. Yankeelov, Barbee, Sullivan, & Antle, 2009; Strand & Dore, 2009; Jacquet et al., 2007; Landsman, 2001; Ellett& Millar, 2001) • Perceptions of Organizational Culture (e.g. Collins-Camargo & Royse, 2010; Cohen & Austin, 1994)

3. …and to Worker Practice/ Client Outcomes • Managing boundaries, approaches to families (Banach, 1999) • Motivation & service intensity (McGrew and Bond, 1997) • Ability to assess and treat families (Young, 1994) • Analytic skills (Berkman & Press, 1993) • Successful risk assessment in child protection (DePanfilis, 1996) • CA/N fatalities (Nash,1997) • Client engagement (Bibis, 1993) • Client satisfaction(Harkness & Hensley, 1991) • Client contentment and goal attainment (Harkness, 1995) • CW self-efficacy and client outcomes (Collins-Camargo & Royse, 2010)

4. Conceptual Model Regarding the Mechanism for Supervisory Influence Supervisor Workers

5. Emerging Framework and Model for Child Welfare Supervision (NRCOI & NRCFCPPP, 2009) • Comprehensive review of the literature • Working group of child welfare administrators, supervisors, and others interested in supervision • Structured key informant interviews with practitioners, supervisors and administrators, experts in child welfare supervision and members of the NRCOI Peer Training Network

6. Job Responsibilities Ranked ‘Most Important/Important’ in what the study called “Administrative Supervision” • Provide leadership within community • Anticipate/address/manage change within unit • Interpret and influence the organizational culture within the unit • Manage time and workflow for caseworkers • Influence agency • Anticipate/address/manage change within agency • Use management information systems (MIS) • Recruit, select, train (or arrange for training), and retain staff • Identify/manage/evaluate caseworker performance • Facilitate communication and collaboration • Build and maintain working relationships with other units in agency • Manage caseloads • Manage time and workflow for supervisor • Monitor caseworker responsibilities to supervisor • Provide leadership to unit • Provide leadership within organization

7. Case staffing/case reviews • Address ethics in caseworker practice • Address ethics in supervision • Provide ongoing professional development for supervisor • Develop/monitor caseworkers’ family-centered practice competence • Promote caseworkers' self-reflective practice, critical thinking and case decision-making • Develop/monitor caseworkers’ cultural competence • Provide ongoing professional development for caseworkers • Promote evidence-informed practice • Assist caseworkers in applying learning from training, workshops, etc. • Prevent/address stress/secondary traumatic stress/burnout for supervisor • Anticipate/manage risk (safety) • Prevent/address stress/secondary traumatic stress/burnout for caseworker • Enhance caseworkers’ job satisfaction/build and maintain morale Educational Supervision Supportive supervision

8. 2002 Child Welfare Supervision Study Across Six States: What should be the primary responsibility of supervisors? (N=836) Supporting the work of line workers • Most important: • on-the-job training • modeling good practice • case consultation • case decision-making • on-going feedback • policy clarification • worker safety

9. Southern Regional Quality Improvement Center: 4 State Study on Effectiveness of Clinical Supervision in CW • Arkansas • Mississippi • Missouri • Tennessee • Effectiveness of Supervision and Organizational Culture (2 States) • Intent to remain employed/turnover (2 states) • Self-efficacy in child welfare tasks (3 states) • Trends in case outcomes (2 states) • Supervisor practice, worker practice and client outcomes based on qualitative data (4 states) Study Sites Favorable Cross-site Findings

10. The Role of Supervision in Promoting Evidence-Informed Practice in Child Welfare • Quality Improvement Center on the Privatization of Child Welfare Services survey of frontline staff and supervisors in public and private agency settings Examples of some relevant findings (n >900) • These preliminary, interim data are shared as examples of how supervisors can influence evidence-informed practice only and are not reflective of data regarding project outcomes

11. Frequency of Team Discussion in Terms of What the Activity Might Mean for Work with Clients (1 Never; 3 Sometimes; 5 Very Often)

12. Percent of Supervisors Replying “Yes”

13. Mean Worker Response Regarding Perceptions of their Supervision (5 point Likert-style scale)

14. So What Are the Keys To Supervisor Facilitation of EIP? • It’s about learning • A supportive learning organizational culture • It’s about modeling • Using evidence regarding • Readiness for EIP • Staff perceptions re: outcomes orientation • Staff assessment of what is happening on team and in supervision • It’s about relationship • Having a relationship with staff that makes looking at evidence and adjusting practice safe • It’s about vision • Keeping the team’s eye on the prize • Safety • Permanency • Well-being

15. The Body of Evidence is Growing that Supervision is the Lynchpin • A sustainable workforce • An organizational culture that is based on learning and evidence-informed practice • Practice enhancement • Improved outcomes for children and families