The New Social Worker Vol. 20, No. 4, Fall 2013 | Page 17

sional development is evolving. These
standards delineate what levels of competence social workers should demonstrate immediately upon graduation, after
two years of experience, and within 3-5
years of supervised clinical experience.

Finally, as another self-report measure of effectiveness, we have adopted
what Brigid Proctor (2008) calls the Four
C’s of supervision: to increase confidence, competence, compassion, and
creativity. Each member thinks of ways
in which the group has contributed to increasing his or her confidence. Examples
might be increased confidence in dealing
with a difficult co-worker, in performing suicide assessments, or in ability to
diagnose. Increased competence might
be demonstrated in a member developing a clear theoretical orientation,
gaining expertise in a particular model or
technique, or working with a particular
population. Compassion is measured in
increased sensitivity to different client
populations and cultures, and even in
increased compassion toward oneself
in self-care and balancing work and
family demands. Creativity is evidenced
in different or innovative approaches
taken. For example, play therapy with

Brashears, F. (1995). Supervision as social
work practice: A re-conceptualization.
Social Work, 40 (5), 692-99.

adults (Schaefer, 2003) has recently been
addressed in social work literature, and
a member successfully utilized some
of those techniques with a particularly
guarded and reticent adult client.

Perhaps the most important aspect of group supervision is the ability
to explore and resolve ethical dilemmas. Group members can help one
another decide the severity of an issue
and indeed if it represents an ethical
dilemma or just a complicated practice
decision. All social work models of ethical decision-making call for consultation
with experts a