Social Work Supervision
“The Survey says that years ago in a mid-western orphanage was a ten-year-old girl, a hunchback, sickly, ill-tempered, ugly to look at, called Mercy Goodfaith. One day a woman came to the orphanage asking to adopt a girl whom no one else would take, and seeing Mercy Goodfaith, exclaimed, “That’s the child I’m looking for.” Thirty-five years afterward an official investigator of institutions in another state, after inspecting a county orphan’s home prepared a report of which the following is a resume. The house was exquisitely clean and the children seemed unusually happy. After supper they all went into the living room where one of the girls played the organ while the rest sang. Two small girls sat on one arm of the matron’s lap, and two of the larger boys leaned on the back of her chair. One of the boys who sat on the floor took the hem of her dress in his hand and stroked it. It was evident that the children adored her. She was a hunchback, ugly in feature, but with eyes that almost made her beautiful. Her name was Mercy Goodfaith” (Fosdick, 1943:72).
“To put it less dramatically, the modern supervisor has a responsibility, a heritage, a philosophy, a set of values, and knowledge to pass along to the next generation, represented by their supervisees” (Munson, 1993:78).
Introduction
The profession of social work has evolved since the 1880s from a myriad of philosophies, disciplines, theories and groups. Social work supervision has mirrored this complex development, and often the changes in orientation to direct practice have been reflected in supervision (Kadushin, 1985). In the beginning of the 1880s, supervision was provided by paid agents who oversaw the work of visitor volunteers. At the turn of the century and into the 1920s there was an increase in the professionalism of social work practice with expansion into the mental hygiene and child guidance areas. During the 1930s social work supervisors took on certain
“To put it less dramatically, the modern supervisor has a responsibility, a heritage, a philosophy, a set of values, and knowledge to pass along to the next generation, represented by their supervisees” (Munson, 1993:78).
Introduction
The profession of social work has evolved since the 1880s from a myriad of philosophies, disciplines, theories and groups. Social work supervision has mirrored this complex development, and often the changes in orientation to direct practice have been reflected in supervision (Kadushin, 1985). In the beginning of the 1880s, supervision was provided by paid agents who oversaw the work of visitor volunteers. At the turn of the century and into the 1920s there was an increase in the professionalism of social work practice with expansion into the mental hygiene and child guidance areas. During the 1930s social work supervisors took on certain
References: Brashears, F. (1995). Supervision as social work practice. A reconceptualization. Social Work, 40 (5), 692-700. Cohen, B.Z. (1999). Intervention and Supervision in Strengths-Based Social Work Practice Conn, J.D. (1993). Delicate liaisons: The impact of gender differences on the supervisory relationship within social services Ekstein, E., & Wallerstein, R. (1972). The teaching and learning of psychotherapy. New York: International Universities Press. Fosdick, H. (1943). On Being a Real Person. New York: Harper and Row. Kadushin, A. (1985). Supervision in Social Work (2nd ed.). New York: Columbia University Press. Munson, C. (1993). Clinical Social Work Supervision (2nd ed.) Binghampton, NY: The Haworth Press. Rubenstein, G. (1992). Supervision and psychotherapy: Toward refining the difference. Shulman, L. (1994). Interactional Supervision. Washington, DC: N.A.S.W. Press. Skidmore, R. (1995). Social Work Administration (3rd ed.). Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon. York, R., & Denton, R. (1990). Leadership behavior and supervisory performance: The View from below