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Supervisor Academy — Module 1

Purpose: To learn the fundamentals of creating a supportive environment for supervising specialists, developing leadership skills, retaining employees and facilitating learning to enhance practice.

Day 1—Essential Management Skills

Competency

Participants will create a development plan for their three roles as a DHS Child Welfare supervisor.

Practice Behaviors

  1. Compare supervisory strengths from Strengths Finder Instrument with the three supervisor roles of an effective DHS Child Welfare supervisor.
  2. Develop approaches to support developmental needs in order to improve performance.
  3. Apply mentoring guidelines to meet the needs of new specialists.
  4. Identify signs of stress, burnout and secondary trauma in specialists.
  5. Develop a plan for a supportive climate on the team.

Day 2—Retention

Competency

Participants will be able to successfully select and retain specialists for their units.

Practice Behaviors

  1. Identify essential tasks and KSAs of entry level staff.
  2. Consider candidates based on good cultural fit.
  3. Select strategies to create a supportive climate on the team.
  4. Develop a plan to retain staff based on evidence-based practices.
  5. Conduct stay interviews with the goal of retaining staff.

Day 3—Influential Leadership

Competency

Participants will be able to apply different leadership styles in situationally appropriate contexts.

Practice Behaviors

  1. Identify their preferences in leadership styles.
  2. Practice different leadership styles in different situations.

Competency

Participants will be able to effectively lead teams.

Practice Behaviors

  1. Diagnose unhealthy team functions and determine a correction path.
  2. De-escalate conflict situations and negotiate an agreement.