New article alert! Our Lab Research Associate Sarah Tarshis, alongside other scholars including the Lab’s Co-Director Katherine Occhiuto, Research Associate Karen Sewell, Lab Manager and Research Coordinator Ruxi Gheorghe, and Lab Director Sarah Todd, recently published the article Supporting Social Workers through Uncertainty: A Qualitative Study Exploring the Role of Supervision. The article was published in The Clinical Supervisor journal, and it highlights a portion of the findings from the SIM Lab’s recent project, “Knowing and Not Knowing: Navigating Uncertainty in Social Work Practice, (2020-2024).”
Social workers constantly face uncertainty in their practice as they navigate complex and unpredictable situations. Although supervision can be an essential tool in supporting them to manage the uncertainty they encounter, the specific elements of supervision experienced as supportive are not well captured in the literature.
Findings from a simulation-based study with 22 clinical social workers reveal how supervision can address uncertainty. Thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews identified four elements of supervision: normalizing uncertainty as expected in practice, providing an opportunity to receive feedback, creating a space to engage in reflection, and fostering a trusting and professional relationship.
Check out the article here!