The Reflective Practice Center at the Center for Early Education and Development (CEED) has just released Reflective Supervision/Consultation: Preventing Burnout, Boosting Effectiveness, and Renewing Purpose for Frontline Workers. This free e-book introduces reflective supervision/consultation and its benefits for people who work with young children and their families.
Reflective supervision/consultation (RS/C) is a professional development model for frontline workers like educators, social workers, healthcare professionals, and early intervention specialists. RS/C involves regularly scheduled discussions, either one-on-one or in a group. These conversations take place between a trained reflective supervisor or consultant and staff members.
During RS/C sessions, practitioners can share thoughts and feelings about their work. Being on the front lines with families who are experiencing challenging problems can be very stressful. RS/C helps frontline workers manage their stress and increase their effectiveness through what the Reflective Practice Center has termed the “4Rs” model:
Release: RS/C provides an outlet for participants to voice concerns and frustrations that arise in their work.
Reframe: RS/C provides a safe context within which participants can ask themselves questions, consider multiple perspectives, and unpack their own biases.
Refocus: RS/C helps practitioners identify how they feel they can have the greatest impact. They can also come up with new strategies to try.
Respond: Participants report approaching their work with greater flexibility rather than a fixed agenda. They are better able to nurture trusting relationships with families.
Our e-book explores how RS/C works and the training and tools that are available to supervisors and supervisees.
In the e-book:
- Access results of a 31-state landscape survey conducted by the Reflective Practice Center. This survey of current practitioners reveals RS/C’s impact, supports, and barriers to wider adoption.
- View testimonials from professionals who have benefited from RS/C in their workplace.
- Learn about tools like the Reflective Interaction Observation Scale (RIOS), developed at CEED. The RIOS pinpoints the ingredients that make reflective interactions so beneficial.
- Find out our predictions for the future of RS/C as it relates to the early childhood field.
