The New Social Worker Vol. 20, No. 4, Fall 2013 | Page 6

Ethics Alive!
Ethical Concerns in Social Work Field Supervision
by Allan Barsky, JD, MSW, Ph.D.

W

hen student interns and other
new social workers are making decisions about where to
work, one of the most important factors
to consider is the quality of field supervision (sometimes called field education or
field instruction). Ideally, you will have a
supervisor who not only excels as a practitioner, but one who possesses a high
level of competence (skills, knowledge,
and ethics) as a field supervisor. Ideally,
you will have a supervisor who is always
available and always ready to provide
you with the support that you need to
provide services in a competent manner and to facilitate your professional
development. And ideally, you will have
a positive relationship with your supervisor, based on mutual respect and trust.

So, what happens when the reality
departs from these ideals? The following
scenarios present a range of issues that
may arise and offer suggestions for how
to proceed. A word of caution: when
problems arise in supervision, there is
an interactive effect—the supervisor’s
behaviors affect you, and your behaviors
affect the supervisor. The two of you are
also part of greater systems, including
the host agency, your clients, and your
social work program. As we know from
systems theory, problems often occur in
the interactions between people—accordingly, be careful
about

laying blame on your supervisor or any
other individual.
SCENARIO 1: Randi has recently started
her field placement in an agency that serves
people who are transitioning from prison back
to the community. Randi’s supervisor, Trish,
assigns 10 clients to Randi. Randi is excited
to have clients, but also fears that she is not
ready for all the responsibility. Further, she is
very anxious about working with this population, particularly those who have committed
violent crimes. Randi asks Trish if she can
observe Trish as she conducts some interviews
first, so she can get a better sense of what will
be expected of her. Trish tells Randi that she
was supposed to be prepared for field in her
practice courses. Randi thinks that Trish is
being negligent in providing appropriate supervision, but Randi is also afraid to confront
Trish. Randi feels caught in a double bind.
If she talks with Trish about her concerns,
Trish may become defensive or angry, putting
Randi’s whole field placement at risk. If she
does not talk with Trish, she feels she may fall
flat on her face. Randi decides to speak with
her faculty field advisor for help. If Randi
came to you for assistance, how would you
advise her?

If you take Randi’s story at face value, you might conclude that Trish is not
providing supervision in a competent or
professional manner. Although Randi’s
story relates her perceptions, remember
that you have heard just one side of the
story. Yes, it is important to listen
to Randi’s concerns and
demonstrate empathy for her

situation. It is also important to assess the
situation further, to determine what is
truly occurring in the student-supervisor
relationship. Perhaps Trish has provided
sufficient supervision, and perhaps her
expectations for Randi are reasonable.
Perhaps Trish is stressed from working
in an under-resourced agency and does
not have the time she needs to provide
additional supervision. Perhaps Randi’s
BSW program has not prepared her sufficiently. Or perhaps Randi has anxiety
issues, so she is projecting the problem
on her supervisor to protect herself. The
point of assessing the situation is not to
lay blame, but to determine responsibility for future action.

Many student-supervisor concerns
can be managed through improved communication and planning. The facultyfield liaison can help Randi develop
plans to ensure that Trish is providing
sufficient support. The liaison can also
ensure that Randi is taking sufficient
responsibility for her role in the field
education process. It is only when matters cannot be managed informally that
more formal complaint processes or
dispute resolution procedures need to be
initiated. In other words, if you have a
concern about a supervisor, try to work
it out informally with the supervisor, and
if necessary with the faculty field liaison.
Focus on the concerns, such as the need
for support, direction, information, or
observation. When initiating concernsolving discussions, avoid labels such
as unethical, negligent, irresponsible, or
lazy. Randi’s first instinct was right: she
did not want to say something that would
make her supervisor feel defensive or
angry. There are ways to approach ethics
concerns in a more amicable manner.
SCENARIO 2: Bill’s supervisor Amy works
from a psychodynamic perspective. During a
supervisory session, Bill explains how he felt
very angry when he observed one of his clients
berating her daughter. Amy says it would be
helpful to explore the source of Bill’s countertransference. She asks about Bill’s relationship
with his mother. Bill feels the questions are

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The New Social Worker

Fall 2013