The supervisory working alliance

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The supervisory working alliance

• Susanne Bennett, Ph.D.
• NCSSS Field Instruction Training, August 26, 2009
• The Goals, Tasks, Bonds of
• Social Work Field Supervision

This presentation is the intellectual property of
the author and may be used only with written
permission and appropriate credit.
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What is successful supervision in the social
work field practicum?
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How is success determined?

• By the effectiveness of the learning activities
• By the skills the student learns
• By the behaviors the student develops
• By the educational goals the student achieves
• By the professional identity sense of self the
  student develops

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The supervisory working alliance?

• How is this related to

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The Supervisory Working Alliance(Borden, 1983)

• A multidimensional framework for understanding
  supervision
• Includes the process of supervision the
  supervisory relationship
• Based on collaboration mutual understanding
  between the supervisor supervisee
• Centers around the feelings of liking, caring,
  trusting between the supervisor supervisee
  (Borden, p. 36)

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The alliance includes
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The Goals of Field Supervision

• Provide a laboratory for students to practice
  academic learning
• Facilitate development of ethical, competent,
  effective practitioners
• Enhance understanding of the knowledge, values,
  skills of professional social work

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The Tasks of Field Supervision

• Create a feasible, concrete learning plan
• Observe model professional behavior
• Communicate critique the skills process of
  intervention
• Explain the purpose of professional interaction
• Integrate theory with social work practice

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The Bonds of Field Supervision

• Provide a safe environment to explore
  uncertainties new ideas
• Encourage students growth development of a
  professional self
• Considered essential for completion of tasks
  achievement of goals

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Significance of supervision bond
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More about goals

• One of the markers of success in supervision is
  the achievement of educational goals
• The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) sets
  curriculum standards for all components of BSW
  MSW programs, including field education
• NCSSS incorporates CSWE standards outlines the
  primary goals of field instruction in the Field
  Instruction Manual

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But what should be done with these goals?
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More about tasks

• Tasks operationalize goals of supervision
• Both students supervisors have tasks
• Tasks include behavioral process activities
• Tasks measure whether the goals of the internship
  are being met
• Tasks vary based on the shifting functions of the
  supervisor the development of the student

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Types of tasks

• CONCRETE TASKS

• PROCESS TASKS

• Behavioral activities
• Easy to measure
• Examples
• Home office interviews
• Referrals
• Process recordings
• Case record notes
• Biopsychosocial assessments
• Video audio recordings
• Role plays

• Mental activities
• Difficult to measure
• Examples
• Reflecting
• Observing
• Thinking
• Critically analyzing
• Feeling
• Reviewing
• Listening

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Role of the Learning Plan
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Areas of Competence

• The NCSSS Learning Plan outlines 5 areas of
  competence, stated here as goals
• Student will demonstrate growing use of self
• Student will gain understanding of social work
  processes
• Student will demonstrate understanding of agency
• Student will utilize supervisory process well
• Student will demonstrate professional behavior
• When these areas of competence are achieved, the
  student will have met the goals of social work
  field education the goals of supervision

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What does use of self entail?

• Help student increase awareness of personal
  thoughts, feelings, attitudes, behaviors,
  interactions
• Help student understand how use of self affects
  the helping relationship, which in turn affects
  the outcome of any intervention
• Work with student to develop cultural competence
  around many kinds of diversity

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What does social work process entail?

• Use SW models of practice to teach student about
  problem-solving processes
• Help student apply theory to organize information
  learned to plan interventions
• Help student apply knowledge appropriate
  theories to both micro macro practice
• Help student develop into competent practitioner

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What does understanding of agency entail?

• Help student understand the social work role
  within the agency
• Help student reflect on the strengths
  weaknesses of the agency at multiple levels
• Help student understand outcome measures to
  evaluate program effectiveness
• Help student see how theories can be applied to
  particular agency practice

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What does supervisory process entail?

• Model appropriate use of supervisory process
• Encourage student to be adult learner, showing
  initiative resourcefulness
• Help student learn to evaluate own practice

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What does professional behavior entail?

• Help student understand appropriate personal
  professional boundaries
• Help student understand ethical behavior
  resolution of ethical dilemmas
• Help student become a professional social
  worker
• Help student appreciate social justice values of
  social work
• Help student identify with the social work
  profession

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What are examples of concrete process tasks for
both students supervisors that will help
students achieve the five social work
competencies?

• Small group exercise

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For example

• What tasks will develop the students use of
  self?
• What tasks will facilitate the social work
  process?
• What tasks will increase the students
  understanding of the agency?
• What tasks will facilitate the supervisory
  process?
• What tasks will develop the students
  professional behavior?

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How can you help students integrate theory
academic learning into their field practice
experiences?

• On the application of theory to practice

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Why is theory important?

• It helps us organize our thoughts, interpret the
  world, evaluate our actions
• It explains predicts
• Human behavior (micro)
• The impact of social structures (mezzo)
• Social problems (macro)
• It directs research informs policy
• It guides practice
• It gives credibility to the profession

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How are theories, models, interventions
connected?
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The differences between theories models

• Theories are general
• Theories are abstract
• Theories are self-contained
• Theories explain and predict

• Models are specific to populations problems
• Models include sets of concrete actions or
  techniques
• Models may use one or more theory
• Models are goal oriented to resolve a problem

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In other words.

• Theories help you know which way to go how to
  get theretechniques assist you with that
  journey!

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Tasks that help students apply theory to practice

• Be open to new ways of knowing respect the
  value of theory as a guide to practice
• Be clear about which theories underpin your work
  the clinical interventions used in your agency
• Ask students about the theories they are learning
  how they may or may not apply in your setting
• Encourage students to demonstrate explanatory
  change concepts their link to interventions
  used
• Encourage students to think critically about
  their clinical work critique the outcome of
  their interventions

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The student-supervisor bond is key to creating
maintaining the supervisory working alliance

• Finally

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Research says that predictors of student
satisfaction are

• The affective component (Fortune Abramson,
  1993)
• Trust, support, openness, and availability
  (Fortune Abramson, 1993)
• Positive, supportive relationships (Kadushin,
  1992)

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For this reason

• It is vital for the supervisor to form a secure
  bond of supervision with the student
• This relational bond can be seen as a circle of
  supervisory security
• The supervisor is the major facilitator of this
  bond

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CIRCLE OF SUPERVISORY SECURITY
I need you to
I need you to

• Watch over me
• Delight in me
• Help guide me
• Enjoy with me

Support my exploration
I need you to
I need you to

• Protect me
• Comfort me
• Appreciate me
• Organize my feelings ideas

Welcome my coming to you
Adapted with permission from Marvin, Cooper,
Hoffman, Powell, 2002
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Remember that all relationships are mutual

• You your student each bring your internal
  models of relating your personal social
  histories that influence your relational styles
• Yet you have power over your student must take
  the lead to work out any ruptures that occur in
  the supervisory relationship or the internship

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A secure, supportive bond is key to maintaining
the supervisory working alliance central to
meeting the goals tasks of field supervision

• In summary

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References

• Bordin, E. (1983). A working alliance based model
  of supervision. The Counseling Psychologist, 11,
  35-42.
• Fortune, A., Abramson, J. (1993). Predictors of
  satisfaction with field practicum among social
  work students. The Clinical Supervisor, 11(1),
  95-109.
• Kadushin, A. (1992). Whats wrong, whats right
  with social work supervision. The Clinical
  Supervisor, 10(1), 3-19.
• Marvin, R., Cooper, G., Hoffman, K., Powell, B.
  (2002). The Circle of Security project
  Attachment-based intervention with
  caregiver-pre-school child dyads. Attachment
  Human Development, 4(1), 107-124.