A family-centred practice supervision project conducted for a child welfare agency

ABSTRACT

This paper reports on a supervision project that aimed to enhance a child welfare agency staff’s professional competence in family-centred practice through a strength-based approach. A qualitative study was designed to explore the effectiveness and the change agents of the supervision. Purposive sampling was used. Two agency supervisors and two social workers participated the study voluntarily. The findings indicated that after the period of supervision, the staff had changed in three respects: their conceptualisation of the meaning of family work in the care context; their understanding of the importance of relationship-based interventions with families; and their development of alternative ways of practice. The agents of change from the supervision were the consultants’ modelling effect and the co-worker experience of the consultants and the social workers. This supervision approach can discern the synergistic effect of supervision on an agency’s routine supervision and balance the cultural beliefs in qing, yuan and ‘face’ embedded in the supervisory process.     

Being the Only One: Finding Connection through the Shared Experience of “Otherness”

ABSTRACT

There is a noticeable paucity of clinical resources that help clinicians of color to name and navigate the multitude of challenges in working through racial, cultural, and power differences in psychotherapy with White clients. African American therapists rarely receive adequate preparation for clinical practice in identifying, addressing, and working through transference and countertransference reactions in racially mixed dyads. The author highlights the challenges she faced early in her career with addressing racial and sociopolitical differences as an African American female clinical social worker providing individual psychotherapy to her older White male client whose traumatic experience focused on racial issues.     

Illuminating the Phenomenological Challenges of Cross-Cultural Supervision

ABSTRACT

The authors discuss transference enactments that occur during cross-cultural supervision. Previous research has shown that few mental health professionals willingly talk about race during supervision and that White supervisees experience significant difficulty when directly engaged in discussions about race. They introduce a new phenomenon, “stereotypical” transference enactments, as a means for understanding the countertransference Black female clinical supervisors experience during clinical supervision of White supervisees. The findings indicated that effective cross-cultural supervision should address the intersectionality of race and gender to enhance the development of multicultural clinical skills. The clinical and educational challenges are discussed by using two case vignettes.     

External supervision for social workers in another socio-political context: a qualitative study in Shenzhen,China

External supervision of local social workers has become a common practice in Shenzhen, China as the development of social work as a profession reaches break-neck pace and when the shortage of experienced social work supervisors also becomes acute. Hence, many supervisors have been recruited externally from Hong Kong to fill the gap. However, for external supervisors working in another socio-political context they will need an awareness and sensitivity of cultural issues, and cultural dynamics in supervision. Based on a qualitative study conducted in Shenzhen of 16 in-depth interviews with supervisors and supervisees in eight supervisory dyads, as well as a focus group meeting with three external supervisors from Hong Kong, this study finds that the institutional hierarchy, ruling culture and traditional Confucian values which place great importance of harmony, reciprocal relationships with others, effective self-control and respect for hierarchy have impacted the day-to-day practice as well as the interactions between social workers and their external supervisors in Shenzhen. The implications of this study is that in achieving successful supervisory practice the further development of intercultural competence is one of the key directions for professionalising social work in the Chinese Mainland.     

Revitalizing the Vision in Supervision: Supporting the Supervisor in Home-Based Therapy Programs

Home-based programs provide a growing number of mental health and case-management services to high-risk children, adolescents, and their families. The clinical service providers who work directly with these children and families have varying degrees of education and practice experience as well as a range of different supervisory needs. Because of the daily challenges service providers face, they require support from competent, available supervisors. The professionals who supervise them often assume that responsibility with limited, if any, training in providing supervision. New and experienced supervisors alike often find themselves in positions for which they are ill prepared, without suitable training or administrative support. This article describes a supervision seminar developed for supervisors who supervise the clinicians who provide home-based services. The seminar provides training, support, consultation, and other forms of assistance to help supervisors adapt their clinical skills for use in their supervisory roles.     

An exploration of social work supervision in Mainland China

ABSTRACT

Social work supervision is receiving increased attention in Mainland China. This paper uses qualitative interview data from a study in Mainland China, which involved telephone interviews with 24 social work supervisors which enabled the readers to know the current situation of supervision and its provision in the country. Common difficulties facing social work supervision and the possible solutions are identified. The Findings suggest greater attention should be given to the establishment of supervision system, the provision of the supervisor training and the adoption of new supervision methods.     

An Analysis of Supervisor Support of Policies on Workplace Flexibility

ABSTRACT

Workplace flexibility policies provide workers with an opportunity to attain a healthy work–life balance. This study utilized a secondary data set of 658 supervisors from a study that was commissioned by the work–life office of a major university in the Southern United States to get a better understanding of the implementation of flexibility policies at this university. The purpose of examining this secondary data set was to determine whether supervisors who have caregiving responsibilities are more likely to be supportive of workplace flexibility policies than those with no caregiving responsibilities. The findings indicate that supervisors who have caregiving responsibilities are no more likely to be supportive of workplace flexibility than those with no caregiving responsibilities. This finding is important to those who have a vested interest in understanding factors that may promote or undermine workplace policies that have direct impact on workers and their families. Future research and recommendations for practice are made.     

Reminiscence Group for Chinese Older People-A Cultural Consideration

Abstract

Literature abounds with discussions on the therapeutic effects of reminiscence groups for older people. To ensure their effectiveness in Chinese societies, helping professionals should take into account the specific cultural values and experiences of older Chinese people. This paper draws on the experiences of social work students in Hong Kong and offers suggestions in five areas in the design and implementation of a reminiscence group in order to make the therapy culturally sensitive: membership, group content, the interaction process, identifying and appreciating the positives and the leadership style of the helping professionals.     

Dilemmas in Creating an Intern/Field Instructor Supervision Group in a School Setting: Thoughts on Role and Authority

ABSTRACT

Being guests in a host system, a school-based health program (SBHP), presents social workers with complex challenges that underscores the need for regular, supportive supervision. Group supervision is especially useful in bridging this gap, reducing isolation, and uniting a social work team dispersed across four different schools. This article reports on efforts to strengthen a social work component in a four-unit SBHP through the creation of a bi-weekly supervision group. Due to the hierarchical mixed membership of field instructors, interns and program administrator, this group addressed challenges and opportunities around role, authority, and power dynamics.     

民主监督与村民自治制度的完善——以广东省蕉岭村务监督制度的实践为例

自2007年起,广东省梅州市蕉岭县纪委创造性地在当地开展＂村务监事会＂试点工作,使得监事会对村务的监督权得以落实并形成与决策权、执行权分列的村级＂三权分立＂状态,增强了村委会的公信力,完善了村民自治制度建设。蕉岭县的村务监督工作制度和实践经验,对指导当前村级民主发展、完善村民自治制度,加强基层民主政治建设、预防村官腐败,巩固农村基层政权、维护群众利益、保证新农村建设顺利发展,具有普遍意义。实践证明,村务监事会今后还应在规范监事会的监督权力来源、监督流程、建立对监事会监督工作的评估制度等方面进一步加强与完善。     

A Kaupapa Māori,culturally progressive,narrative review of literature on sport,ethnicity and inclusion

ABSTRACT

This Kaupapa Māori narrative review identifies themes in literature concerning sport, ethnicity and inclusion, from an indigenous ‘culturally progressive’ perspective. Scholars suggest that sport influences national identity and in Aotearoa/New Zealand, rugby is a rich site for examining such connections. Inclusiveness within sport is an expressed desire, although the academic scrutiny on this is limited. This study identifies and examines themes within literature (2008–2017), using a ‘Ngā Poutama Whetū’ culturally progressive review process, contributing nuanced understandings from the content. Results suggest that racist othering, representations and practices of ethnic minority exclusion are a reality in sport, although, locally, at least, the ‘cultural climate’ in sport strives for greater ethnic inclusivity. Conclusions suggest that current research in this domain is largely theoretical, insofar as challenges to organisations, power and privilege. However, future research should explore participants’ lived experiences at the intersections of ethnicity and inclusion in sport.     

Taste™

ABSTRACT

Developments in intellectual property law (and its interpretation) have opened the door for new claims to “ownership” in the domain of food. From the copyrighting of recipes to the trademarking of the “cylindrical configuration” of the Cinnabon cinnamon bun, food and its sensory properties appears to be increasingly governed, channeled, and transformed by commercial demands and concerns over competition. The unique role of color in this phenomenon has yet to be explored, and this article traces how food, color, and the law intersect—as well as the significance of the overlap. Specifically, the article examines the varied and complex ways in which color tints our edibles, probing attempts at color control and the sometimes contested nature of the process. This exploration of food and color will reveal the central and often fraught role of the law in bolstering—and also shaping—the semiotic, symbolic, and cultural meaning of food and hue.     

Helping each other: a peer supervision group with facilitators of mutual aid groups

ABSTRACT

Mutual aid groups can help people cope with life’s problems. A peer supervision group can help facilitators to better understand their role and improve their facilitating skills in mutual aid groups. Peer supervision groups aim to support facilitators ability to reflect on their difficulties in working with groups, deepen their methodological questions, and improve their understanding regarding how to best proceed as facilitators. This paper studied a peer supervision group of experts-by-experience facilitators to demonstrate the dynamics of mutual aid that characterized the group’s functioning.     

Creating Supportive Environments for LGBT Older Adults: An Efficacy Evaluation of Staff Training in a Senior Living Facility

ABSTRACT

Supportive housing later in life tends to be a key concern for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) elders. Most senior care providers are un(der)prepared to meet the needs of older LGBT adults. This study evaluated the efficacy of a 4 hours, face-to-face, research-based, LGBT-diversity training designed to improve senior housing facility staff’s cultural competency regarding the needs of LGBT elders. Findings from this study found a significant increase in LGBT content knowledge between pre- and post-intervention assessments and a significant decrease in perceived preparedness when working with LGBT elders. These effects remained significant after controlling for staff designation, religion, educational attainment, and training session. Findings suggest that staff’s cultural competence affected their perceived readiness to address LGBT elders’ needs. Implications are related to the concept of cultural humility or the lifelong process of understanding others’ experiences based on the recognition of lack of un(der)preparedness to create a culturally supportive residential environment.     

Social Workers' Experiences of Virtual Psychotherapeutic Caregivers Groups for Alzheimer's,Parkinson's,Stroke, Frontotemporal Dementia,and Traumatic Brain Injury

ABSTRACT

The objective of this study was to examine the challenges for social workers who transition from facilitating face-to-face psychotherapeutic groups to online web-based video groups with family caregivers of persons with chronic disease. Study data consisted of survey responses of a group of therapists who had facilitated a series of web-based video-conferencing caregiver groups over a period of 4 years. All therapists were trained using an intervention training manual and weekly supervision. They received minimal training with regard to using technology (computers, Internet, web cams, and headsets). Despite reported challenges in how the technology affected the group process, therapists described overall positive experiences transitioning from face-to-face to working online. All therapists reported that group interactions and client outcomes in the Internet environment were overall comparable to those that occur in face-to-face groups.     

Culture and context in Chinese field supervision: a case study from Shanghai

Supervision that provides supports helps students to develop intervention skills and forms a strong professional identity. Yet, the literature on supervision largely stems from Western countries. Less is known about supervisory relationships in countries such as China. This article presents a qualitative case study of three MSW students and two supervisors in Mainland China focusing on how the practice context and Chinese cultural norms intersect with student expectations over a 10-month period. Findings demonstrate important differences between student expectations for supervision and the reality of their experience. These differences are based in current realities but reinforced by cultural norms.     

Physical and Sexual Abuse,Battering, and Substance Abuse

Abstract

Women born before 1945 are the older women of today. Many of these women were subjected to childhood physical and sexual abuse and spouse battering at a time where there were no laws to protect them and few people discussed such subjects. Some of these women became substance abusers or lived with substance abusers. While there are retrospective studies on the experiences of adult women who suffered abuse in the family, little is known about the experiences of women over the age of 60 years.

Similarly, there is information on substance abuse among young and middle-aged women, but very little information on or about older womens' experiences with substance abuse. In this study, we review the literature on abuse and substance abuse. We present three clinical cases of older women who have experienced various forms of abuse and who in turn abuse substances. The cases are analyzed. Assessment, treatment, and evaluation methods for social workers are discussed.     

Lessons Learned From the Supporting Father Involvement Study: A Cross-Cultural Preventive Intervention for Low-Income Families With Young Children

ABSTRACT

Despite the proliferation of fatherhood programs designed to promote paternal involvement and positive family outcomes, evaluations of these programs are scarce. The Supporting Father Involvement (SFI) study is a randomized clinical trial comprised of 289 low-income Spanish- and English-speaking families living in California. The evaluation design reflects a partnership stance that promotes empowerment of staff and social service agencies. This article examines lessons learned from the program's first 3 years (2002–2004) from the perspectives of both evaluators and program staff. The lessons cover a broad range of areas, including communication procedures, training, staffing, recruitment/retention, clinical needs, intervention content and process, and maintaining cultural sensitivity.     

Methodology for Discovering and Teaching Countertransference Toward Elderly Clients

Abstract

This article will describe a method that has been effective in helping students, paraprofessional counselors as well as mental health professionals identify countertransference reactions in themselves. It offers instructors and clinical supervisors a way to teach about countertransference toward elderly clients. This technique can be utilized in a variety of work settings such as classrooms, mental health clinics, multi-purpose centers for older adults and private practice.