Human Service Supervision: Standards and Practices

Human Service Agencies are changing due to budget shortfalls requiring fewer workers to do more with less. The focus of the child welfare agencies seems to have shifted from one of helping those in need to one of helping those who can afford it. Have the decision makers changed their standards of practice to adequately manage these changes while upholding the ethical standards? Quality supervision is imperative to maintain productivity and quality services to clients in human service agencies. The front-line supervisor needs to be supportive to the direct line workers in order to maintain a high degree of quality work, productivity, and services to the client's while at the same time providing both administrative and educational functions. The results may be beneficial to directors, supervisors and administrators to assess how this impacts staff in his/her agency. Evaluating the performance of supervisors on a regular basis may be one way to gain additional insight for administrators, supervisors, and supervisees regarding changes that may benefit the agency and the clients serviced and provide more cost effective measures to ensure this.

Autorentext

Alyce L. Knueppel, MSED: Studied at the University Wisconsin- Stout, Menomonie, WI. Over thirty years of social work experience in two county agencies, all units in three hospitals, and developed social work seminars in the United States and Canada. Child Protective Service Social Worker at Eau Claire County Department of Human Services.