Critical Analysis of Supervision
Brian Byerly
SW 5820: Social Welfare Organizational Management
Appalachian State University

Critical Analysis of Supervision
Catawba Valley Behavioral Healthcare (CVBH) is a private 501c3 non-profit organization established in 2005 (S. Learned, personal communication, September 11, 2014). CVBH serves individuals with mental health, intellectual/developmental disabilities, and co-occurring mental health and substance use diagnoses. The agency mission statement is as follows:
Catawba Valley Behavioral Healthcare (CVBH) shall provide a continuum of high quality evidence-based, recovery-oriented behavioral and integrated health services to people in our community in need, promoting emotional, mental, physical and social health and functioning while respecting the dignity and rights of the unique individuals we serve (CVBH facts, 2014).
CVBH operates outpatient clinics in Burke and Catawba counties. These clinics provide services including individual and group therapy, medication management, integrated healthcare, peer support, and outpatient walk-in clinics for clinical assessment and referral to appropriate services (CVBH facts, 2014). The teams include staff members from multiple disciplines including psychiatrists, nurses, physician extenders, licensed social workers, licensed counselors, licensed psychologists, and licensed marriage and family therapists (Catawba Valley Behavioral Healthcare, 2012). Zoe Jamison (named changed for anonymity) is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who currently serves as Outpatient Supervisor for each location. She has been in varied supervisory roles for six years. Her primary responsibility as Outpatient Supervisor is to assure her staff remain consistent to the mission of the agency through best supervisory practice.
According to the Catawba Valley Behavioral Healthcare job description for the Outpatient Supervisor, the core of her practice is to plan, organize, direct, set performance standards and evaluate the work of a multi-disciplinary staff (2012). Ms. Jamison also supervises and directs the work of professional and paraprofessional staff to achieve optimum productivity levels appropriate for their particular service. She collaborates with the leadership team to interview and select new employees. She implements employee disciplinary process as necessary. She assures employee competencies and long-term development through regular performance evaluations and development plans (Z. Jamison, personal communication, November 6, 2014). Her varied functions and responsibilities correlate with the administrative, educational, and supportive components that are interwoven in many forms of Social Work supervision (Bogo & McKnight, 2005).
i. Use of professional self in supervision
Zoe Jamison stated that it is important to remind ourselves of the Social Work values through reviewing the Code of Ethics on a regular basis. In particular, she reinforces the importance of service, social justice, dignity and respect, human relationships, integrity, and competency (National Association of Social Workers, 2008). She stated that she also participates in clinical supervision seminars as part of her continuing education. She reviewed a recent National Association of Social Workers bulletin of “Best Practice Standards in Social Work Supervision" as a guideline and ongoing resource with specific guidelines for clinical and administrative practice (National Association of Social Workers & Association of Social Work Boards, 2013). She reported also utilizing external consultation to help guide her supervision. She emphasized that knowing Social Work values and practicing constant mindful awareness of them is crucial in consistently engaging these values in supervision and client care (Z. Jamison, personal communication, November 6, 2014).
When asked about helpful professional strengths for a social work supervisor, Ms. Jamison