Reflective Supervision in Child Welfare (PILOT)

Note: This is a pilot, first-time offering of the course and participant feedback is strongly encouraged. As a member of the pilot classes, we'll be leaning on your valuable feedback so that we can refine the training for the entire region.

Course Overview

This one-day, advanced-level course provides an in-depth understanding of reflective supervision and the parallel process of supervision and practice with children, youth and families. By the end of this course, participants will emerge with the knowledge, skills and confidence to effectively engage in reflective supervision processes.

Who should attend?

This training is ideal for child welfare supervisors and senior leaders eager to deepen their ability to facilitate conversations with thoughtful questioning and reflective listening techniques and strategies, which in turn can promote compassionate and empathetic practice with children, youth and families.

What is Reflective Supervision?

Reflective supervision is a leadership approach that emphasizes the importance of reflection on personal experiences, thoughts, and emotions as they relate to work with children and families. Engaging in reflective supervision: encourages critical thinking; facilitates openness to other perspectives; enhances cultural competence; supports decision making; creates accountability; decreases secondary trauma, compassion fatigue and burnout; and improves resiliency and self-care.

What will I learn in this training?

After attending this training, participants will be able to:

• Describe the concepts, principles, theoretical foundations and benefits of reflective supervision in child welfare.
• Explain effective strategies to facilitate reflective supervision.
• Interpret administrative, educational and supportive supervision through the lens and strategies of reflective supervision.
• Recognize the importance of self-awareness, self-reflection and understanding of personal biases in the creation of a trusting “Learning Relationship” with their supervisees.
• Create and maintain a supervision structure which fosters relationships built on safety and trust and encourages open communication and a mutual learning environment.
• Practice curious inquiry strategies that facilitate meaningful conversations with their supervisees by promoting critical thinking, self-reflection, resiliency and self-care.
• Facilitate reflective dialogue that encourages supervisees to explore their own thoughts, feelings and experiences and the impact of these on their overall well being.
• Incorporate insights and feedback gained from reflective supervision into the ongoing professional development of supervisees.
• Adopt reflective supervision as a key strategy for promoting a supportive and empowering environment, enhancing resiliency and decreasing burnout for their supervisees.
• Encourage diversity and inclusion, recognizing the importance of diverse perspectives and experiences in reflective practice.