Interactional Supervision, 4th edition

Clinical supervision is fraught with difficulties, and those who transition from frontline worker to supervisor often receive little training or support, particularly when it comes to the interpersonal skills needed for implementing complex human relations tasks. Left to their own devices, clinical supervisors must navigate myriad challenges like these real-world examples: A supervisor decided that the evaluation process would be a good time to level with a long-term staff member about his inadequate performance. She reviewed the staff member s personnel record and discovered that previous supervisors had given the employee consistently positive and obviously false evaluations. She dreaded the approaching conference, expecting the worker to be angry. A supervisor was asked by her administrator to back her up when staff were notified of budget cuts that would result in pay cuts and heavier caseloads. At a team meeting, one worker, who appeared to be speaking for the rest, said to the supervisor, You are going to be with us on this one, aren t you? A recently promoted Black supervisor heard that many members of the largely White staff thought he had obtained the promotion because of the agency s affirmative action program. Nothing was said directly; however, he could sense tension in the staff group. He felt angry, hurt, and bitter at the racist element in his reception and increasingly isolated at the agency. Drawing on decades of his own experience and the experiences of those he has trained, Lawrence Shulman provides clear, simple models of supervision using a conversational tone and practical advice in this must-have resource. Every phase of supervision is discussed in detail, with a focus on communication, making demands for work, facing taboo subjects, and transitioning into and out of roles and relationships. Strategies for group work and meetings include everyday challenges; trauma, such as client deaths; violence against frontline workers; and cutbacks. Supervisors will learn how to apply Shulman s parallel process framework in their interactions with frontline workers to model ideal interactions between workers and their clients. In this fourth edition, evidence-based practices and interventions are updated to include the latest ethical and legal aspects of supervision and also feminist; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning; and trauma-informed practice. An electronic teaching guide is now also available from publisher for separate purchase. https://naswpress.org/product/53671/