Workforce surveys consistently rate supervision as a key factor in worker retention. It is important that child welfare supervisors are provided with adequate training on supervisory skills, such as effective management, supervision styles, interpersonal skills, clinical supervision, and more. Use the following resources to locate training curricula and materials on general supervision issues as well as information for supervisors in specific child welfare program areas.
ASFA Supervisor-Team Training: Solution-Based Supervisory Practice for Achieving Outcomes in Child Welfare (PDF - 557 KB)
Barbee, Martin, Antle, & Christensen (2003)
Describes a curriculum for providing ongoing, intensive training to supervisors and their teams to improve daily casework practice skills in the areas of family assessment, case planning, and case monitoring.
Change Is All Around Us: Tools to Build Commitment to Change: Trainer's Guide (PDF - 216 KB)
Institute for Child and Family Policy, Edmund S. Muskie School of Public Service (2003)
Outlines a workshop for child welfare leaders about overcoming barriers to change and engaging staff in new practices.
Clinical Supervision
Homestead Schools (2005)
Addresses supervisory models, learning styles, the supervisory relationship, dealing with difficult situations, and tools and techniques for supervision. Includes a posttest, course evaluation, and information on obtaining continuing education credit.
Developing Models of Effective Child Welfare Staff Recruitment and Retention Training: Training Series: Staff Retention in Child and Family Services
Michigan State University School of Social Work (2007)
Presents a series of training workbooks to increase child and family service agencies' effectiveness in developing and retaining their staff by applying information from research and best retention practices to their work.
Essentials of Supervisory Skills for Child Welfare Managers (PDF - 778 KB)
University of Michigan School of Social Work (2004)
Focuses on the supervision process and addresses the intra- and interpersonal skills that supervisors need to supervise efficiently and effectively.
Leading Practice: A Development Programme for First-Line Managers
Social Care Institute for Excellence (2009)
A training program in Great Britain to improve the supervisory skills of social work managers, addressing topics such as group dynamics, teamwork, stress and distress, service user participation, and management information. The website provides a trainer's guide, participant's handbook, supplemental handouts, and PowerPoint presentations.
Performance Management: Linking Individual Performance to Agency Outcomes Training Curriculum
Institute for Public Sector Innovation, Muskie School of Public Service, University of Southern Maine (2009)
Helps supervisors promote the use of consistent performance management, evaluation, and professional development to achieve agency outcomes. The training addresses assessment tools to analyze worker strengths and weaknesses and effective performance evaluation reviews.
Preparation for Adulthood: Supervising for Success
National Resource Center for Family-Centered Practice and Permanency Planning, Foster Care Coalition, & Child Welfare League of America (2007)
Strengthens supervision of staff interventions with older foster youth. The website offers training materials for a supervisory overview and for conducting learning circles as well as digital stories from youth, child welfare workers, and supervisors.
Promoting Structured Clinical Casework Supervision in Public Child Welfare: Curriculum Outlines and Selected Materials
Southern Regional Quality Improvement Center for Child Protection (2006)
View Abstract and Document
Provides outlines to develop the knowledge and skills supervisors need to promote a structured clinical casework supervision approach. Training materials, learning modules, materials for online tutorials, and supervisory tools developed by the projects are included.
Results Oriented Management in Child Welfare
University of Kansas School of Social Welfare
Assists child welfare program staff in managing programs and supervising staff to achieve results for children and families within the context of the Adoption and Safe Families Act. Includes 21 modules in three major content areas: policy, data, and evidence-based practice.
STAR, Successful Transitions for Adult Readiness: Training for Managers and Supervisors: Participant Version
Academy for Professional Excellence (2003)
View Abstract and Document
Offers training for child welfare supervisors and managers about independent living services for foster youth. Includes information on youth protection and care, youth development strategies, interagency collaboration, and community planning. Also see the trainer version.
Supervisors' Toolbox: An On-line Supplement to the Supervisors' Toolbox in Fundamentals of Clinical Supervision
Bernard & Goodyear (2004)
Provides links to Internet resources relevant to supervision, including ethical and legal issues, model or discipline-based supervision, and online PowerPoint presentations on clinical supervision.
Training of Child Welfare Agency Supervisors in the Effective Delivery and Management of Federal Independent Living Service for Youth in Foster Care
Children's Bureau Discretionary Grant Cluster
Presents site visit reports from programs funded to develop, implement, evaluate, and disseminate a training curriculum for public child welfare agency supervisors that strengthens supervision of staff interventions with older youth who are in foster care and/or independent living programs.
Training Program for Child Welfare Supervisors
University of Michigan School of Social Work (2004)
Includes links to training materials addressing the needs of supervisors in public agencies, voluntary agencies providing contractual child welfare services, and supervisory personnel in the courts.
Using Information Management to Support the Goals of Safety, Permanency and Well Being
Institute for Child and Family Policy, Edmund S. Muskie School of Public Service (2004)
Trains supervisors how to use Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information Systems (SACWIS) data to generate information critical to casework supervision and incorporate its use into their day-to-day work as supervisors.
Child Welfare Information Gateway encourages organizations to submit resources from their workforce or training efforts for inclusion in our library. Send information to library@childwelfare.gov.