Supervision Basics: For the New and Aspiring Supervisor (and Experienced Supervisors who are Looking for a Refresher)
Agency supervisors are recognized as playing a key role in ensuring that recipients receive high-quality services and staff are provided with the support needed to develop the professional skills, values and behaviors to do their jobs effectively. Insufficient and inadequate supervisory support has been linked to issues with staff retention, burnout, and poor-quality services.
A significant contributing factor to these poor outcomes is that supervisors are typically chosen from the ranks of clinicians and direct service workers, and are often ill-prepared to make the transition to supervisory roles in their agencies. Most have had no academic coursework or prior training in supervisory skills and competencies. Generally, staff are promoted because they have demonstrated good practice skills, behaviors, values, and attitudes in their direct service roles.
This course is designed to begin to address this gap in workforce development. In this 1.5 training, we will assist participants in exploring the challenges of making the transition from clinician/direct service worker to supervisor. Participants will learn about the main roles that a supervisor takes on and the skills and competencies necessary to fulfill them. Among these skills and competencies are:
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Changing focus from direct practice to facilitating the delivery of high quality, culturally informed services by their staff.
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Establishing a workplace culture that is safe, encouraging, and supports the professional development of staff.
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Understanding and operating effectively in a new position in an agency’s hierarchy, as management, including issues of authority and power.
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Setting and maintaining appropriate boundaries with supervisees, who may have previously been colleagues.
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Providing constructive feedback and performance evaluation.
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Demonstrating the practice and value of cultural humility through their own behavior.
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Managing their own stress and need to practice self-care.
Course Objectives:
After completing this training participants will be able to:
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Discuss the process of transitioning to a supervisory position;
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Describe supervisory roles and the competencies necessary to fulfill them;
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Identify the elements necessary to support staff professional and personal development;
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Recognize the importance of bringing the principles of cultural humility into their supervisory practice.
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