1

WHAT'S INSIDE

Supervising for Quality Child 

Welfare Practice 

BULLETINS FOR PROFESSIONALS | NOVEMBER 2020

Racial equity in supervision

Understanding the importance of effective 

supervision

Supervisors play a critical role in the delivery 

of effective child welfare services. They are 

responsible for ensuring frontline caseworkers 

have the requisite knowledge, attitudes, and skills 

to engage children and families; assess family 

safety concerns as well as needs, strengths, and 

resources; make sound casework decisions; and 

develop and implement effective service plans. 

Supervisors also support agency functioning by 

translating and disseminating agency policies 

and procedures for staff and ensuring they are 

adhered to. 

This bulletin presents an overview of child welfare 

supervision, including the domains of effective 

supervision and strategies and techniques 

supervisors can use to develop and support 

their staff. This bulletin is designed to provide 

new and seasoned child welfare supervisors and 

managers with tools and resources to strengthen 

supervisory capacity and skills. 

Supervisory domains

Supervision strategies

Children's Bureau/ACYF/ACF/HHS | 800.394.3366 | Email: info@childwelfare.gov | https://www.childwelfare.gov

Promoting innovation and assessment

References

Supporting and developing child welfare 

supervisors

Conclusion

Additional resources
Children’s Bureau/ACYF/ACF/HHS | 800.394.3366 | Email: info@childwelfare.gov | https://www.childwelfare.gov 2

UNDERSTANDING THE 

IMPORTANCE OF EFFECTIVE 

SUPERVISION 

Supervision is critical to shaping, supporting, 

and guiding child welfare practice (Bostock 

et al., 2019). It helps caseworkers turn their 

knowledge and skills into effective practice 

with families. There is an extensive body of 

research in the child welfare field linking 

effective supervisory practices to positive 

outcomes for staff, agencies, and children 

and families. For example, high-quality 

supervision can reduce employee stress 

(Collins-Camargo & Royse, 2010), increase 

staff retention (Kim & Kao, 2014), and 

improve the quality of direct practice with 

families (Bostock et al., 2019). Additionally, 

it can serve as a safeguard against stressful 

work conditions, provide protection from 

unreasonable job demands, offer emotional 

and social support during arduous times, 

and guide and support caseworkers as 

they navigate the challenges of the job and 

organization (Kadushin & Harkness, 2002). 

Furthermore, positive relationships between 

supervisors and caseworkers serve as a model 

for how caseworkers should interact with 

their clients (Van Berckelaer, 2011).

To ensure effective supervision that 

strengthens the workforce and promotes 

quality services to families and children, it is 

critical that supervisors, caseworkers, and 

agency leadership make supervisory sessions 

with staff a priority and a vital part of the 

agency's culture. They should also ensure 

these sessions are regularly scheduled with 

protected time, informed by the clinical 

expertise of the supervisor, used to discuss 

cases and processes, and conducted with the 

intent to develop and enhance the skills and 

knowledge of the caseworkers. 

SUPERVISORY DOMAINS 

Supervisory responsibilities can be 

categorized into three overarching and 

complementary domains, which may, at 

times, overlap: administrative, educational, 

and supportive (National Association of Social 

Workers [NASW] & Association of Social Work 

Boards [ASWB], 2013; Kadushin & Harkness, 

2002). Each of these domains is critical to 

effective supervision, quality practice, and 

positive outcomes for families. 

ADMINISTRATIVE 

Administrative supervision is the 

implementation of managerial methods that 

enable caseworkers to provide efficient and 

effective services to their clients (NASW 

& ASWB, 2013). It includes tasks such as 

recruitment and retention of workers, 

monitoring and evaluating work, task 

assignment, and others (Kadushin & Harkness, 

2002). Under this domain, supervisors also 

manage their staff's caseloads and workloads

in order to increase their ability to carry 

out their responsibilities and facilitate 

communication regarding the quality of 

caseworker practice. Additionally, supervisors 

are responsible for championing new 

practices, adopting new innovations, and 

enabling reform. Therefore, supervisors must 

be skilled at anticipating, addressing, and 

managing change within the agency as well as 

disseminating the changes to their staff.

EDUCATIONAL

Educational supervision, also referred to as 

clinical supervision, focuses on advancing 

the practice of caseworkers by helping 

them develop knowledge and skills they can 

apply to promote child and family safety 

and well-being. During educational work 
Children’s Bureau/ACYF/ACF/HHS | 800.394.3366 | Email: info@childwelfare.gov | https://www.childwelfare.gov 3

with staff, supervisors can provide guidance 

to caseworkers if their practice is not 

consistent with ethical standards or evidencebased practices (Lietz, 2018). Additionally, 

supervisors can use educational supervision 

to encourage—and provide caseworkers with 

the time needed—to engage in self-reflection 

so they can examine ways to improve their 

own practice (Collins-Camargo & Millar, 2010).

Supervisors should discuss a wide range of 

topics to promote well-rounded professional 

development in their supervisees. The 

following are examples of areas that should 

be addressed in educational supervision 

activities (NASW & ASWB, 2013; Dill & Bogo, 

2009; Collins-Camargo & Millar, 2010):

 Risk and safety assessment

 Treatment and intervention

 Identification and resolution of ethical 

issues 

 Social work philosophy

 Cultural awareness

 Family engagement 

 Family dynamics 

 Critical thinking

Supervisors can use a variety of methods to 

educate caseworkers, including developing 

individual learning plans, reviewing recorded 

interviews, visiting and interviewing the 

family with the caseworker, and providing 

positive and constructive feedback about 

worker performance (Dill & Bogo, 2009). They 

can use both individual or groups settings to 

promote knowledge transfer. 

For more information, visit Child Welfare 

Information Gateway's Clinical Supervision

webpage.

SUPPORTIVE

In supportive supervision, the supervisor 

builds a trusting, safety-focused relationship 

that decreases job-related stress and 

encourages self-efficacy and the development 

of the employee's sense of professional 

identity (NASW & ASWB, 2013). Examples 

of supportive behaviors include expressing 

concern for employees' needs and feelings; 

actively listening and showing empathy when 

staff are struggling, stressed, or unhappy; 

being considerate; providing support and 

encouragement to staff confronting difficult 

or stressful tasks; and expressing confidence 

in staff (Barbee, Winters, Putnam-Collins, & 

Ciola, 2020). As supervisors seek out ways to 

support their staff, they should keep in mind 

that each employee's needs for support may 

be different and require different strategies. 

Example From the Field: 

Supervision Throughout a Case

The Oklahoma Department of Human 

Services developed the Safety Through 

Supervision Framework as a detailed 

guide and supportive approach to 

supervision throughout the life of a case. 

The goal of the framework is to increase 

the accessibility, practicality, and relevancy 

of daily supervision to ensure safety and 

enhance permanency and well-being 

outcomes for the children and families 

involved with the child welfare system. 
Children’s Bureau/ACYF/ACF/HHS | 800.394.3366 | Email: info@childwelfare.gov | https://www.childwelfare.gov 4

SUPPORTING STAFF EXPERIENCING 

SECONDARY TRAUMATIC STRESS (STS)

Child welfare workers—including 

supervisors—may experience STS due to the 

nature of their work. Supervisors should be 

trained to identify and respond to STS among 

their staff. Discussion of self-care and stress 

management should be a regular part of 

supervision (Collins-Camargo & Antle, 2017). 

This provides the supervisor the opportunity 

to regularly assess for STS and burnout and 

to take the necessary steps to meet the needs 

of their staff. Supervisors should support 

self-care activities, including agency-level 

resources, which can help prevent or mitigate 

STS and compassion fatigue. 

The National Child Traumatic Stress 

Network's Child Welfare Trauma Training 

Toolkit (free registration required) includes a 

Supervisor Consultation Series that provides 

information about recognizing STS and how 

to speak with staff about it. The following are 

additional resources about STS:

 Burnout, Compassion Fatigue, and 

Secondary Traumatic Stress [web section] 

(Information Gateway)

 Children's Bureau Express [July 2016 issue] 

(U.S. Department of Health and Human 

Services, Administration for Children and 

Families, Children's Bureau)

 "Supervising From a Trauma-Informed 

Perspective" [webinar] (Child & Family 

Research Institute)

Building Caseworker Resilience

The Resilience Alliance (RA) was 

developed by the ACS-NYU Children’s 

Trauma Institute (a collaboration of 

the New York City Administration 

for Children’s Services and New 

York University) to help child welfare 

professionals identify, understand, 

and address the ways their work and 

related STS affects them personally and 

professionally. The Quality Improvement 

Center for Workforce Development (QICWD), which is funded by the Children’s 

Bureau, partnered with Nebraska and 

Ohio to implement RA in those States’ 

child welfare agencies. More information 

about Nebraska’s CFS Strong project and 

Coach Ohio is available on the QIC-WD 

website. 

For additional information on resiliency 

and self-care, refer to Information 

Gateway’s Self-Care and Supervisory 

Development and Well-Being webpages.
Children’s Bureau/ACYF/ACF/HHS | 800.394.3366 | Email: info@childwelfare.gov | https://www.childwelfare.gov 5

SUPERVISION STRATEGIES

Supervisors can use a variety of strategies 

and techniques to support their staff within 

the three supervisory domains. This section 

describes a sampling of ways supervisors can 

engage with and support their staff, including 

reflective supervision, coaching, adaptive 

leadership, and virtual supervision. 

REFLECTIVE SUPERVISION 

Reflective supervision is the regular 

collaborative discussion between a supervisor 

and caseworker that helps develop the 

caseworker's ability to be aware of, reflect on, 

and regulate their internal experiences while 

also considering the internal experiences 

of others, such as a child, parent, or other 

professional (Flowers & Burgeson, 2015). 

Reflective supervision improves selfregulation so that providers have access 

to their own higher-level thinking and 

wisdom, and it promotes the ability to make 

critical judgments. The process also offers 

critical emotional support to those who are 

frequently exposed to traumatic situations 

and helps them avoid reactive responses. 

For reflective supervision to be effective, 

however, supervisors and caseworkers must 

meet on a regular basis—at least weekly with 

new workers—to process a worker's emotions 

related to difficult cases. 

The following are three building blocks of 

reflective supervision (ZERO TO THREE, 

2016):

 Reflection: Taking time to think about 

how workers' experiences, thoughts, 

and feelings are directly connected to 

their work and using active listening and 

thoughtful questioning by both parties to 

identify interventions and services that best 

meet a family's needs

 Collaboration: Sharing power between 

the supervisor and caseworker, which 

enables staff to express their ability to 

handle various situations and encourages 

supervisors to recognize opportunities to 

share responsibility and decision-making

 Regularity: Meeting and interacting on a 

regular basis to facilitate reflection and 

collaboration

For additional information about the building 

blocks, visit ZERO TO THREE's Three Building 

Blocks of Reflective Supervision webpage. For 

more information on reflective supervision, 

refer to Multiplying Connections' What Is 

Reflective Supervision webpage and "Best 

Practice Guidelines for Reflective Supervision"

from the Pennsylvania Child Welfare Resource 

Center.

COACHING 

Coaching is distinct from performance 

oversight. It is used to help new and veteran 

staff develop competencies, practice critical 

thinking, and improve performance (Atlantic 

Coast Child Welfare Implementation Center 

[ACCWIC], 2013). Exercising empathy 

and trust, devoting attention to workers' 

individual needs, and creating a supportive 

feedback environment are ways supervisors 

can strengthen the coaching relationship 

with their supervisees (Gregory & Levy, 2011). 

For coaching to be successful, it requires a 

safe learning environment that encourages 

experimentation, reflection, and learning from 

mistakes (Hafer & Brooks, 2013).
Children’s Bureau/ACYF/ACF/HHS | 800.394.3366 | Email: info@childwelfare.gov | https://www.childwelfare.gov 6

Coaching can be conducted using a formal 

model or through informal interaction. 

The following are techniques often used 

in coaching to promote learning (Capacity 

Building Center [CBC] for States, n.d.): 

 Asking questions and using active listening, 

reflection, and discussions

 Demonstrating and observing skills

 Providing feedback

 Helping caseworkers recognize 

opportunities

 Acknowledging successes and contributions

 Encouraging self-directed change

 Reviewing caseworkers' progress toward 

goals and promoting accountability

For additional information about coaching, 

refer to the following:

 Coaching in Child Welfare: Two-Day 

Training Curriculum (Atlantic Coast Child 

Welfare Implementation Center)

 Coaching in Child Welfare (CBC for States) 

 Resource Library: Coaching [webpage] 

(National Child Welfare Workforce Institute 

[NCWWI])

 Child Protective Services: A Guide for 

Caseworkers [see chapter 13] (CBC for 

States)

 Supporting Quality Contacts Through 

Supervisor-Worker Coaching (CBC for 

States) 

 The Coaching Toolkit for Child Welfare 

Practice (Northern California Training 

Academy)

 Coaching in the Field of Child Welfare

[webpage] (Northern California Training 

Academy)

ADAPTIVE LEADERSHIP

Adaptive leadership is a framework that 

helps employees and organizations adapt 

and flourish in challenging environments 

(Cambridge Leadership Associates, n.d.). 

Rather than relying on a top-down approach 

to change and decision-making, adaptive 

leadership highlights the importance 

of engaging workers throughout the 

organization to promote and enact change 

through transformations in culture, values, 

and behaviors. 

For more information about adaptive 

leadership, visit the NCWWI resource library.

Example From the Field: Coaching 

Protocols

Over more than 5 years, Jefferson County, 

CO, and the Annie E. Casey Foundation 

worked together to strengthen the 

workforce, including caseworker and 

agency decision-making, through the 

On the Frontline Initiative. This included 

developing a supervision framework as 

well as coaching protocols to address 

caseworkers’ personal and professional 

growth. To learn more about this initiative, 

refer to “Jefferson County Human Services, 

Division of Children, Youth, Families and 

Adult Protection (CYFAP) Protocol,” “Tips 

for Supervisors for Individual Supervision 

and Coaching,” “Supervisor’s Individual 

Coaching and Supervision Guide – CYF,”

and “Employee Preparation for Individual 

Coaching and Supervision.”
Children’s Bureau/ACYF/ACF/HHS | 800.394.3366 | Email: info@childwelfare.gov | https://www.childwelfare.gov 7

VIRTUAL SUPERVISION

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, child 

welfare agencies across the country required 

staff to work from home, as appropriate, 

depending on the task. This required 

supervisors and staff to alter their work habits 

and pivot quickly to using technology as the 

primary means of communication. Effective 

supervision became even more critical to 

ensuring the continuation of high-quality 

service provision, child and family safety and 

well-being, and protecting the health of staff. 

Even prior to the pandemic, some child 

welfare agencies were exploring allowing 

staff the option to telework. Best practice 

shows that teleworking 2 to 3 days per week 

is ideal for maintaining staff engagement 

and coworker relationships (QIC-WD, 2019). 

Additionally, telework can help attract and 

retain staff; provide a productive work 

environment; and improve employee job 

satisfaction, stress, work-life balance, and 

retention (Boell et al., 2013). 

The following are additional resources to 

assist supervisors in managing a remote 

workforce:

 Virtual Workforce Supports [webpage] 

(NCWWI) 

 Knowledge Management Research: Telework 

in Child Welfare (CBC for States)

 Supervising Child Welfare Professionals 

Virtually During a Pandemic [webpage] 

(QIC-WD)

Example From the Field: Virtual 

Supervision

The Washington State Department of 

Children, Youth, & Families (DCYF) is 

working with the QIC-WD to implement 

a telework program to support and retain 

child welfare staff. Teleworking is available 

for frontline caseworkers and supervisors 

who have worked in child welfare field 

operations for at least 18 months and 

have been in their current position for at 

least 3 months (Washington State DCYF 

& QIC-WD, 2020). Interested staff are 

required to complete a self-assessment, 

obtain supervisory approval, complete an 

application, and sign an agreement prior 

to beginning telework. DCYF and the 

QIC-WD developed a telework handbook

that includes a chapter on supervision. 

Supervisors and staff have reported 

an increase in productivity and that they 

are accomplishing more at home than 

they did in the office (QIC-WD, 2020). Staff 

also reported they value the flexibility and 

that this option allows for more work-life 

balance. 
Children’s Bureau/ACYF/ACF/HHS | 800.394.3366 | Email: info@childwelfare.gov | https://www.childwelfare.gov 8

RACIAL EQUITY IN SUPERVISION

Culturally competent supervision requires an 

acute awareness of the culture of each of the 

supervisor's staff members, respect for their 

values, and working to eliminate oppression 

and discrimination (Lusk et al., 2017). When 

child welfare staff have strong feelings 

of inclusion and when there is a positive 

organizational diversity climate, they have less 

intent to leave and are more committed to 

and more satisfied with their work (Brimhall 

et al., 2014).

It is important for supervisors and managers 

to learn about implicit bias (i.e., biases a 

person has that they are unaware of) and 

participate in analyzing policies, practices, 

and the informal rules of the organizational 

culture to root out systemic racism (Barbee & 

Antle, in press). Supervisors are responsible 

for promoting positive, culturally competent 

approaches to working with families and 

helping address racial or cultural biases they 

or their staff may have. The Center for the 

Study of Social Policy and the Kirwan Institute 

for the Study of Race and Ethnicity developed 

the "Implicit Racial Bias 101: Exploring 

Implicit Bias in Child Protection" curriculum 

to provide caseworkers, supervisors, and 

managers with the knowledge and skills to 

address implicit racial bias in investigation 

and decision-making processes. Additionally, 

the Undoing Racism training by the People's 

Institute for Survival and Beyond addresses 

how to reduce disproportionality and 

disparity in child welfare. 

For additional information, refer to the 

following resources:

 Cultural Responsiveness [web section] 

(Information Gateway)

 Diverse Populations and Communities [web 

section] (Information Gateway)

 Racial Equity Resources [web section] 

(NCWWI)

 Standards and Indicators for Cultural 

Competence in Social Work Practice (NASW) 

PROMOTING INNOVATION AND 

ASSESSMENT 

As agencies implement new practices and 

policies, supervisors can play a critical role 

in implementation by disseminating and 

synthesizing information and promoting 

implementation to frontline caseworkers 

(Bunger et al., 2019). They also can work with 

caseworkers on how to adapt to changing job 

responsibilities. Caseworkers may experience 

stress during transitional periods, and 

supervisors can help relieve this by clearly 

communicating their expectations and 

providing support (Cooksey-Campbell et al., 

2013).

As changes are being implemented within an 

agency, supervisors should play an active role 

in the CQI process. This involves creating an 

organizational climate where CQI is expected 

and valued, evaluating workers' abilities to 

implement new techniques, and working with 

agency evaluators to gather and evaluate 

metrics connected to implementation success 

and child and family outcomes. 
Children’s Bureau/ACYF/ACF/HHS | 800.394.3366 | Email: info@childwelfare.gov | https://www.childwelfare.gov 9

The following are additional resources to 

assist with agency change and continuous 

quality improvement: 

 Role of Supervision in Quality Improvement

[webpage] (Information Gateway) 

 Resource Library: System Reform [webpage] 

(NCWWI)

 "Evidence Building Strategies in Child 

Welfare" [e-learning course; free 

registration required] (CBC for States)

 Change and Implementation in Practice

[webpage] (CBC for States) 

 Resource Library: Continuous Quality 

Improvement [webpage] (NCCWI)

SUPPORTING AND DEVELOPING 

CHILD WELFARE SUPERVISORS

Given the crucial role supervisors play in 

supporting frontline staff and ensuring 

effective practice with families, agencies need 

to invest in recruiting and training strong 

candidates who are prepared to meet the 

intense and complex demands of the position 

and have the requisite skills, knowledge, 

and capacity to supervise. They also need to 

recognize that someone may be an effective 

caseworker but not have the desire or 

competencies—at least at that moment—

to supervise. The following qualifications 

should be considered in identifying potential 

supervisors (Hess et al., 2009):

 Experienced and expert child welfare 

practitioner

 Knowledgeable about current child welfare 

research and evidence-informed practices

 High level of motivation to undertake the 

demands of the position

 Commitment to continue their own 

professional development through training, 

supervision, and mentoring

Additionally, effective child welfare 

supervisors should have people skills; 

communicate respectfully; be diplomatic, 

honest, and empathic; and have organizational 

and time management skills. Supervisors 

should also have the knowledge and ability to 

correctly interpret policies and procedures 

and apply them correctly to specific 

situations. 

Example From the Field: Agency 

Leadership Academy

The Summit County (OH) Children 

Services executive team developed a 

Leadership Academy to provide current 

staff with professional development to 

prepare them for the next level of their 

career. They wanted to ensure staff 

who may be considering applying for 

a supervisor or manager position were 

provided an avenue for advancement, 

which, in turn, could improve morale and 

retention of staff. Participants attend 

classes monthly for 1 year and shadow a 

member of the executive team. Attending 

the academy does not guarantee a 

promotion, but one-half of the first cohort 

was promoted within the 12-month period 

they attended the course (V. Nash & M. 

Serapiglia, personal communication, May 

19, 2020). The presentation “Preparing 

for Our Future: One County’s Solution 

to Succession Planning & Workforce 

Development” provides additional 

information about the academy. 
Children’s Bureau/ACYF/ACF/HHS | 800.394.3366 | Email: info@childwelfare.gov | https://www.childwelfare.gov 10

Agencies can foster the growth of 

supervisors—both those new to the position 

and veteran staff—with ongoing professional 

and leadership developmental opportunities. 

All supervisors and managers should have plans 

for professional development that identify their 

goals, the knowledge and skills necessary to 

reach these goals, and concrete steps toward 

achieving goals (Hess et al., 2009).

Professional development programs should 

include clear communication on supervisory 

responsibilities within the agency, access to 

mentors, frequent and regularly scheduled 

supervision, and peer-learning opportunities. 

Supervisor training should include detailed 

information on their responsibilities in the 

administrative, educational, and supportive 

supervisory domains; Federal legislation 

that has an impact on their work; and the 

importance and skills necessary for personnel 

and program management, including program 

evaluation using data from various sources. 

Agencies should also provide supervisors with 

access to outside resources and tools, such as 

workshops, conferences, job-related training 

classes, and advanced degree programs, such 

as master of social work programs.

The transition from directly serving families 

to undertaking a supervisory role can be 

difficult for some staff. As an individual moves 

into a supervisory or management position, 

they will begin to spend less time interacting 

with children and families and more of their 

time on administrative tasks and staff support 

activities. Supervisors may need assistance 

in making this adjustment and in interacting 

differently with other staff. The Ohio 

Child Welfare Training Program developed 

"Transition to Supervision: Crossing the Divide"

to address the common difficulties related to 

transitioning from caseworker to supervisor. 

NCWWI offers a variety of supervisor and 

manager training—including the free, webbased NCWWI Leadership Academies (one for 

supervisors and one for middle managers)—

that provide supervisors and managers with 

resources to become skilled in leading change, 

fostering collaborations, implementing 

results-oriented decisions, and leading 

people. The following are additional resources 

regarding training child welfare supervisors:

 Supervisory Development and Well-Being, 

Training for Supervisors, and Training for 

Administrators [web sections] (Information 

Gateway) 

 Learning and Living Leadership [toolkit] 

(NCWWI) 

 Supervisor Training Series [training] 

(Pennsylvania Child Welfare Resource 

Center) 

CONCLUSION

A supportive, effective child welfare 

supervisor is key to the facilitation of effective 

services for children and families, improved 

outcomes, increased workforce capacity, 

and retention of staff. Supervisors can be an 

invaluable source of information; support the 

assessment, planning, and implementation of 

agency initiatives and reforms; and champion 

agency changes with frontline staff to ensure 

their success. Transforming child welfare 

practice is dependent upon professional 

leadership that guides and coaches 

caseworkers as they work with families with a 

focus on both practice and caseworker wellbeing. Careful attention should be paid to the 

recruitment and selection of supervisors as 

well as training and leadership development. 
Children’s Bureau/ACYF/ACF/HHS | 800.394.3366 | Email: info@childwelfare.gov | https://www.childwelfare.gov 11

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES 

Supervising Child Welfare Services and 

Management & Supervision

Information Gateway

These two web sections offer a wide array of 

resources to help supervisors, managers, and 

administrators provide effective leadership 

and build a skilled workforce.

“National Adoption Competency Mental 

Health Training Initiative (NTI) for Child 

Welfare Supervisors”

Child Welfare Capacity Building Collaborative

This 25-hour web-based training (free 

registration required) is designed to help 

supervisors support their staff in addressing 

the mental health challenges of children and 

youth in foster, adoptive, and guardianship 

families.

Umbrella Summaries

QIC-WD

These summaries highlight findings regarding 

child welfare workforce challenges. 

1 Page Summaries and Infographics

NCWWI

This page provides information on various 

child welfare workforce topics

Positive Psychology and Well-Being of Child 

Welfare Workers

Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare

This three-part training series focuses on the 

application of positive psychology to improve 

the well-being of child welfare caseworkers.

Best Practice Standards in Social Work

Supervision

NASW and ASWB

This guide provides an in-depth discussion 

of supervision in social work and provides 

standards to ensure uniformity. 

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SUGGESTED CITATION:

Child Welfare Information Gateway. (2020). 

Supervising for quality child welfare practice. 

U.S. Department of Health and Human 

Services, Administration for Children and 

Families, Children’s Bureau. https://www.

childwelfare.gov/pubs/factsheets/effectivesupervision/

This material may be freely reproduced and distributed. However, when doing so, please credit Child Welfare Information 

Gateway. This publication is available online at https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/factsheets/effective-supervision/.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Administration for Children and Families

Administration on Children, Youth and Families

Children’s Bureau