But l e r

Broadcast
Supervision is related to both the quality of child welfare practice and client outcomes.

A report from the field of Child Welfare . . .

Supervision: The Cornerstone of Exceptional Practice

Why is supervision so important for child welfare agencies? Put simply, child welfare supervisors are central to effective practice and to a clients achievement of positive outcomes. Child welfare work is high stakes, high stress, and highly complex. It requires a high level of critical thinking and analysis skills, coupled with a high level of clinical intervention and case management skills. Still, most child welfare workers join the child welfare system with little experience or preparation for that work (Potter, Hanna, & Brittain, in press). Child welfare supervisors serve a pivotal role in success for children and families and in support of the organizational cultures that promote high quality interventions. We have long known that the quality of supervision is related to stress and burnout for child welfare workers (e.g., Martin & Schinke, 1979; Ratfille, 1988). More recently, research has demonstrated that supervision is related to both the quality of child welfare practice and client outcomes (e.g., Glisson & Hem-

melgarn, 1998). Some of the ways supervision affects worker practice include ways of working with involuntary clients, ways of understanding client needs and appropriate interventions, and the use of effective intervention approaches (Collins-Camargo & Millar, 2010). Client outcomes, such as progress toward goals and case resolution outcomes, are also related to quality supervision (e.g., Yoo & Brooks, 2005). Recently, the Butler Institute has been working on interventions to support child welfare supervisors, sometimes in a targeted way, and sometimes as part of larger interventions aimed at supporting strong agency culture and climate. The articles in this edition of the Butler Broadcast describe some of this exciting work. We dedicate this issue to the child welfare supervisors who make a positive impact on the lives of children and families, and on the workers they support.
Child Welfare Work:

High stakes High stress Highly complex

Leadership Academy for Supervisors (LAS): Leadership Skills for Implementation of Change
Supervisors play a key role in workforce development, the achievement of outcomes, implementation of Program Improvement Plan (PIP) priorities, and other systemic change initiatives. The Leadership Academy for Supervisors (LAS) helps supervisors develop leadership skills and implement sustainable systems change. Funded by the Childrens Bureau, the Leadership Academy for Supervisors in the National Child Welfare Workforce Institute is part of the Bureaus comprehensive strategy to develop leadership at all levels and promote sustainable change in the child welfare system. The goal of the LAS is to develop leadership skills for implementation of change and consists of two components. The first component deepens supervisors understanding of leadership issues and develops leadership competencies, while the second component focuses on ways to implement sustainable change in the child welfare system. This innovative training program provides free on-line learning to supervisors throughout the country. Each on-line module is followed by a synchronous session, the LAS Learning Network (LASLN), to assist with the transfer of learning and provide coaching to participants for the development of their Personal Learning and Change Initiative Plans. Over 1,300 supervisors are currently enrolled. Some supervisors participate in a self-directed approach, while some states, including Indiana, Colorado, Tennessee, Vermont, and New Jersey, sponsor a statewide or organization-specific approach for supervisors to participate in the LAS.
www.ncwwi.org

2148 S. High St. | Denver, CO 80208 | (303) 871.4548 | www.thebutlerinstitute.org

Learning Circles: A Fresh Approach with Deep Roots

Since people have worked together, they have gathered to talk and figure out better ways of achieving their common goals. This concept gets a new life with the advent of Learning Circles to solve problems and make decisions in organizations. Within a P lan Learning Circle, members collaborate to pursue new ways of addressing common A ct issues affecting their team and their agency, R eflect as well as their practice with clients. Typically, Learning Circles meet at least once A dapt per month and are led by a trained facilitator, who is also a group member. Group composition varies from state to state or agency to agency, and may be a supervisory unit, a group of supervisors across counties, or a group of administrators. Some agencies use coaches to support the Learning Circle facilitator during the initial project phase. Agencies may easily customize the model to meet their needs.
The PARA Approach:

meeting time while ensuring fidelity to the Learning Circle model. Cumulative in nature, Learning Circles may explore one topic while acting on another, and discussion of a topic may span several meetings. Learning Circle members may choose their own topics to discuss in their Learning Circles, though some agencies may encourage or designate a topic that requires immediate attention. However topics are chosen, groups develop their own plan to resolve those issues. Topics explored by Learning Circles have included secondary trauma, team cohesion, use of data, job satisfaction, and performance monitoring. Learning circles allow the problem-solving process to occur at the level of the agency, where the issue is the most meaningful to staff. Empowerment comes from how members resolve the issues, the recommendations they make, and the changes they are able to implement for the benefit of their colleagues and clients. The Butler Institute has helped to guide agencies in six states (Colorado, Wyoming, Mississippi, Georgia, Massachusetts and Arkansas), as well as tribes in North Dakota, in the development of their Learning Circle projects.

During the Learning Circle, group members focus on a topic in a semi-structured format to develop a plan to address that issue. Learning Circles use the PLAN, ACT, REFLECT, and ADAPT (PARA) approach that mirrors most strategic planning or even problemsolving processes; that is, to plan, implement, re-assess, and then begin the cycle anew. A loose structure maximizes the

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Chiildrens Bureau Commemorates 100 Years of Service

Created through legislation signed by President William Howard Taft on April 9, 1912, the Childrens Bureau (CB), within the Administration for Children and Families, was the first federal agency focused on the well-being of children. In preparation for the 100-year anniversary, planning is underway for a number of special events. The Childrens Bureau Express (CBX) is featuring a series of articles over eight issues that examine historical and cultural events and their influence on societys views of children and families. The 18th National Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect will also be held in conjunction with the centennial celebration. The theme for the conference, scheduled to occur in D. C. April 16-20, 2012, is Celebrating the Past, Imagining the Future. Butler is pleased to play a role in marking this historic event. Staff have been invited to contribute to three separate chapters of a book to be published by CB and NASW Press. The book, titled The Childrens Bureau: Shaping a Century of Child Welfare About this Issue . . . Practices, Programs, and Policies, will be released Executive Director this spring as part of the Cathryn Potter, Ph.D. yearlong commemoration. Cathy Potter, Nancy McDan- Editor Sandra Spears, LCSW iel, Charmaine Brittain, and Robin Leake are contribContributors uting authors on three Freda Bernotavicz, M.S. Charmaine Brittain, Ph.D. chapters: Leadership and Nancy McDaniel, M.P.A. Supervision for Workforce Cathryn Potter, Ph.D. Capacity Building, Impact of Knowledge on Leadership Layout, Design, & Editing Development and Change Ann Moralez Melissa Thompson Management, and Traineeships: Building the Diverse For more information, please Child Welfare Workforce.
email Butler.Institute@du.edu.

www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb

2148 S. High St. | Denver, CO 80208 | (303) 871.4548 | www.thebutlerinstitute.org