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Abstract

Child mental health social workers are inundated on a daily basis with complex family dynamics. Burn-out and cynicism towards change become frequent. Strengths-based group supervision is a client-based alternative to the “team meeting as usual” approach and combats some of the challenges workers often experience. Strengths-based group supervision is based on The Strengths Model, a case management model with four distinct components. The Model has been implemented in adult mental health settings and recently has been adapted for work with youth with mental illness. This paper describes strengths-based group supervision and discusses it’s applicability to different child serving systems.

Key Take Away Points

Practitioners can utilize the strengths based group supervision method described to conduct case staffings

Agencies or supervisors can learn about the components of the Strengths Model

Author Biography

Whitney Grube: Whitney earned her PhD from the University of Kansas’ School of Social Welfare. Whitney also received her MSW from the University of Kansas’ School of Social Welfare and has previously worked as a program consultant for the State of Kansas’ Children’s Behavioral Health Division and has several years of experience working with children and adolescents diagnosed with severe emotional disturbances. While at KU, Whitney has coordinated multiple projects involving child and adolescent populations. Whitney has worked on implementing and evaluating strengths based outpatient case management programs for community mental health centers. Furthermore, Whitney has coordinated evaluation efforts examining a parenting program aimed at improving over all child wellbeing for children identified as being as risk for child welfare involvement. Dr. Amy Mendenhall: Dr. Amy Mendenhall is an associate professor and the Associate Dean for Research in the School of Social Welfare at the University of Kansas. She joined the KU faculty in 2009, and served as the Director for the School’s Center for Children & Families from 2013-2016.Past research and evaluation projects include studies of strengths case management for youth and an early childhood parenting intervention.

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