Group Supervision as a Learning Laboratory for the Purposeful Use of Self in Child Protection Work

Abstract

The growth of reported child abuse and neglect cases has been dramatically documented in the literature. Child protection workers are asked increasingly to work with families whose resources are limited and opportunities are few to address their chronic and difficult problems. Often they are the only professional staff who is available to the families. Therefore, there is a need for workers to develop a framework for understanding how a purposeful use of themselves can enhance their work with these families. The article examines how a group supervisory model was used to teach child protection workers, enrolled in a graduate social work program, about acquiring an enhanced understanding and use of their professional selves.

Key Words:

• Use of self
• child welfare
• field teaching model
• professional relationships