stephenrollnick

Hello.  I am looking for any direction around how to utilize MI in supervision of child welfare workers.  I am not talking about supervising people who are providing MI services, just using the techniques as a way to motivate workers.  Any direction of materials would be helpful.  thanks - c

Dear Crista,

you dont say where you are and what country and language you work in?  I ask because most developments I know of are taking a bottom-up form in different countries, in which supervisors are being trained to use MI in supervision in everyday practice. Little has emerged in the research literature to date.  When I plugged "MI in supervision" into google, I found a paper by Scott Walters in the criminal justice field. There might well be others if you look more thoroughly.

In most places where MI is being used by supervisors it is also being used by practitioners.  No surprise there, because the parallel processes are obvious - both practitioners and their clients struggle to adjust and change.....

I know of work in your field in Cardiff in child welfare, if you live in the UK. Sweden too. Definitely in the US people will be doing this. Melinda Hohman is the person I would turn to. She's in San Diego. Child welfare, social work practice and motivational interviewing is her special interest, and she is a really top rate person, writer and researcher.

Happy to talk more in this forum.

Steve

thank you for your response.  I have also not found much on using it in supervision as a tool.  I work for The Butler Institute in Denver COlorado an am creating a curricula to try and help child welfare supervisors motivate their caseworkers in various aspects of their job.  Many Child Welfare agencies say they use a MI model with clients so it should be mirrored in supervision.  Yet it is a different type of relationship and different issues.  What would you think are the 3 or 4 best techniques to use in this environment?  I was thinking that is they are having a difficult client you would help them explore the ambivalence with reflections.  It is just difficult on how to mold it to use in this supervisory forum.  I will try and contact