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June 2011Vol. 12, No. 5Social Work Policy Institute Hosts Supervision Symposium

In November 2010, the Social Work Policy Institute (SWPI) of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) hosted a think tank symposium in Washington, DC, titled "Supervision: The Safety Net for Front-Line Child Welfare Practice." The event was designed to further knowledge on the critical role that supervisors play in the child welfare field.

Presentations highlighted the role that effective supervision plays in child welfare staff retention, organizational culture and climate, culturally competent practice, transmission of evidence-based practices, and child and family outcomes. The workshops also addressed occupational challenges facing child welfare supervisors.

More recently, the SWPI published two resources on the symposium website that aggregate the lessons learned from the event. The full report, also called Supervision: The Safety Net for Front-Line Child Welfare Practice, provides an overview of research on the child welfare supervision field. It places particular emphasis on the challenges facing the field and the recommendations for future action in addressing these issues. The Action Brief provides a shortened, user-friendly version of the information in the full report. The symposium website also provides videos of the speakers' presentations. 

The symposium was planned in conjunction with the NASW Center for Workforce Studies & Social Work Practice and the National Child Welfare Workforce Institute, with Casey Family Programs as a contributing partner.

Link to the symposium website:

www.socialworkpolicy.org/news-events/supervision-the-safety-net-for-front-line-child-welfare-practice.html

Link to the symposium full report:

www.socialworkpolicy.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/SWPI-ChildWelfare-Supervision-Final-Report.pdf (1.03 MB)

Link to the Action Brief:

www.socialworkpolicy.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/SWPIChild-Welfare-Supervision-Action-Brief.pdf (116 KB)