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 (RSC) is a professional development model for frontline workers like educators, social workers, healthcare professionals, and early intervention specialists. RSC 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 RSC 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. RSC helps frontline workers manage their stress and increase their effectiveness through what the Reflective Practice Center has termed the “4Rs” model:
Release: RSC provides an outlet for participants to voice concerns and frustrations that arise in their work.
Reframe: RSC provides a safe context within which participants can ask themselves questions, consider multiple perspectives, and unpack their own biases.
Refocus: RSC 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 RSC 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 RSC’s impact, supports, and barriers to wider adoption.
- View testimonials from professionals who have benefited from RSC 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 RSC as it relates to the early childhood field.
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Tags: professional development, reflective practice, Reflective Practice Center, reflective supervision