One day you are providing services and the next day you wake up as a supervisor – it happens all the time. Most of us had no training on good supervisory principles and practices and even fewer have been taught to supervise using trauma-informed approaches. This webinar will walk through what it takes to be a good supervisor and to infuse a trauma-informed and collaborative process into your supervision.
After this webinar, you'll be able to:
- Recognize the values of trauma-informed supervision based on the principles of trauma-informed care
- Name two of the basic assumptions and key components of trauma-informed supervision
- Develop one organization strategy to support trauma-informed supervision
Presented in partnership with The National Council for Behavioral Health.
Presenter
Senior Advisor of Trauma-Informed Services, National Council for Behavioral Health
On-Demand Webinar
Challenges for Supervisors
Supervisors cannot always rely on their graduate school education to prepare them for a supervisory role.
The need for preparation
In a trauma-informed care environment, it is important to carry the principles and best practices throughout the entire organization, from supervisors to clients.
However, graduate school courses on supervision are often limited and focus only on being supervised rather than on the skills needed to be a supervisor. So when a supervisor comes into this role after years of clinical work, they often have very little preparation for supervising others with a trauma-informed approach.
Principles of Trauma-Informed Care (TIC)
Supervisors strive to infuse the trauma-informed care principles into all areas of supervision.
The principles
The foundational work of Roger Fallon and Maxine Harris established guiding principles for trauma-informed care, which include safety, trust and transparency, collaboration and mutuality, empowerment, and voice and choice.
Supervisors should seek to create a transparent environment where supervision is not top-down, but collaborative. This ensures that supervisees feel safe and empowered and provides them with options and the ability to have their voice heard.
Screening and Assessment
The trauma-informed care principles apply along the entire clinical pathway from screening and assessment to referral and treatment.
Implementing TIC
Trauma-informed supervision ensures that staff who do screening and assessment:
- Ask questions in a sensitive, respectful manner to create positive interactions at every step of the pathway.
- Honor shared decision making and understand that when we make recommendations or explore possibilities, it is okay for a person to decline.
- Effectively partner with the client to identify trauma-related needs, strengths and available resources.
Supporting Trauma-Informed Supervision
Combining the key components of supervision with the principles of trauma-informed care empowers supervisors to succeed.
An Overview
In addition to the basic assumptions and key components of supervision, the webinar looks at:
- The National Council’s Organizational Self-Assessment and how it aligns with practices of trauma-informed supervision
- Organizational strategies to support good trauma-informed supervision
- Self-care for supervisors and the need to model it for the people they supervise
- Support for peer providers
- The importance of rewards in a trauma-informed environment
