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Leadership and Development in Social Services (LDSS) Concentration
Social Work 650
Staff Management and Development in Social Services
Sample Syllabus
Prerequisite(s)
Second-year standing
Course Description
This course is designed to prepare students for leadership and development
practice in staff management and development/supervisory1 positions in social/human
services organizations. The terms staff management and development and supervision are
used interchangeably.
Content focuses on providing knowledge, values and ethics, and skills in guiding
the work and development of others within social/human services organizations. Content
areas include but are not limited to staff management and development/supervision
principles, models, and styles, staff development, team work, staff selection, legal issues,
evaluation and termination, and mediation and conflict resolution.
Students who successfully complete this course should possess effective staff
leadership competence in general and for working with diverse and multicultural
personnel and clients as well as vulnerable, oppressed and disenfranchised populations.
Learning Objectives
Knowledge objectives
1. Identify, discuss, and compare and contrast theories, concepts, styles, models, and
principles of supervision/staff management and development.
Outcome: Student will be able to identify theories and concepts that inform her/his
supervisory behavior as well as the models and styles that she/he has adapted.
2. Identify, define and discuss the purpose, tasks, responsibilities and functions of
supervision/staff management and development in general and as relates to the
impact on all personnel with attention to diverse and multicultural staff issues.
Outcome: Student will demonstrate, through intensive case analyses and field practice
experiences, the ability to engage and execute staff management and development tasks,
responsibilities and functions. Student will exhibit culturally relevant and competent
behaviors.
3. Identify and discuss challenges, stresses and other relevant practice issues for
supervision/staff management and development.
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Outcome: Student will self-study through journaling and analysis as to how stresses,
challenges such as self-management, dependence/independence, transference/countertransference and such impact her/his interactions and relationship with supervisees.
Value Objectives
1. Demonstrate an understanding of the role and application of social work values
and ethics and the principles of social and economic justice in supervision/ staff
management and development.
Outcome: Student will apply values, ethics, and principles of economic justice through
role plays, case analyses, and field placement assignments. Of special note, are
opportunities to deal with value and ethical dilemmas.
2. Demonstrate ethical leadership in working with diverse staff/personnel and
resolving or managing challenges and issues in supervision/staff management and
development
Outcome: Student will apply values, ethics, and principles of economic justice through
role plays, case analyses, and field placement assignments. Of special note, are
opportunities to deal with value and ethical dilemmas.
3. Understand and appreciate the role and impact one’s supervision/staff
management and development plays in the provision of services to all clients but
especially to vulnerable, oppressed populations.
Outcome: Student will apply values, ethics, and principles of economic justice through
role plays, case analyses, and field placement assignments. Of special note, are
opportunities to deal with value and ethical dilemmas.
Skills Objectives
1) Apply supervision theories, models, principles, functions, tasks,
responsibilities to field practicum experiences, case studies/vignettes, role
play situations, video content, and other class exercises.
Outcome: Student, instructor and field instructor will assess the quality of the skill(s)
applications.
2) Evaluate research-based journal articles using criteria related to
supervisory/staff management and development performance expectations.
Outcome: Students will demonstrate evaluation skills thorough analyses and discussions
of research finding related to staff management and development/supervision.
3) Assess one’s own supervisory/staff management and development style and
philosophy through journaling and analysis, including ones style and
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philosophy of working with diverse and multicultural personnel and
vulnerable, oppressed and disenfranchised client populations.
Outcome: Student will self-study through journaling and analysis as to how stresses,
challenges such as self-management, dependence/independence, transference/countertransference and such impact her/his interactions and relationship with supervisees.
Teaching Methodology
This course is taught with an effort to exemplify within the context of the classroom the
principles of effective and sensitive supervision, administration and staff development in
a social work setting. Didactic material will be presented and classes will be structured
using a seminar format where group discussion is required. Site visits, guest speakers,
audiovisual presentations, role plays, and class presentations supplement the course
content. Students will be expected to utilize the materials from class and site visits to
integrate clinical, administrative, and policy issues that form the basis for
organizationally and clinically sound social service agency functioning.
Class Attendance and Participation
Class participation is an important element of the course.
Students are to have completed assigned readings prior to coming to class.
Students are expected to attend all classes. Students who miss more than one class
without discussing absences with the instructor will have their final letter grade reduced.
Discussion with the instructor should take place within one week of an absence.
Students Needing Accommodation
Students needing accommodations for any type of documented need should, no later than
the second week of the semester, inform the instructor both verbally and in writing.
Examples include but are not limited to the following areas: disabilities, religious
holidays, and jury duty (as soon as notified).
Assignments and Grading
Assignment One: (Due the third week of class).
Write a paper (Six pages or less, double-spaced) that describes your own personal
experiences with clinical and/or administrative supervision, with your being the
supervisee. You should consider the following questions/points:
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The setting where supervision took place (mental health agency, hospital, school,
homeless service agency, etc.), and if it was paid work experience, field
placement, or other. Please do not include the name or location of the agency
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Your supervisor’s position in the agency/organization (e.g. clinical director,
executive director, program director, team leader, etc.)
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A brief description of your first supervision session and your subsequent
understanding of what supervision would entail (specify if you were told what to
expect, or if you came to your own understanding)

A brief description of the organizational structure of the agency (what were the
positions at the agency, which positions supervised other positions)

What was the ethnic/racial, age, and religious make-up of the staff?

With regard to direct-service and supervisory positions, how was the agency
staffed in terms of educational levels, professional degrees, etc (e.g. were there
mostly Masters level social workers, counselors, paraprofessional staff, staff with
degrees in disciplines other than social work?)

What client population was served by the agency? (e.g. adults with mental
illness, children in foster care, men who were batterers, etc.)
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What was helpful, or what did you like about the supervision you received?
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What were some of the problems with the supervision you received?
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How would you do things differently if you were supervisor?
Assignment Two (Midterm): (Due the seventh week of class)
You may choose one of the following assignments as your midterm examination:
Option One: Case Vignette Analysis and Plan of Action
A. I will provide you with a case vignette that contains several pages (8-10) of
process material that will include information relevant to supervision issues,
management style, supervisee resistance, staff development, and administrative
concerns.
B. I will provide you with a series of questions/points to address in a paper (8-10
pages in length, double-spaced). Your paper should also include a plan of action
that includes the following:
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What you identify as the MAJOR issues to be addressed
Your goals/outcomes for this situation
Your objectives for achieving the outcomes/goals (imagine that you are
the program director and have some responsibility for resolving these
issues)
Identify any potential staff development needs for this supervisory dyad
What you will do if the goals are not achieved
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Option Two: Interview with an Administrator
Interview a supervisor at a social service agency of your choosing. The supervisor that
you choose should also have administrative functions (not just clinical functions) within
the agency. Include the following information in your interview paper (8-10 pages,
double-spaced):

What are the skills/qualifications necessary for a supervisor at the agency where
your interviewee works?

What are your interviewees’ formal duties? How does a typical day/week look?

How much formal training is provided to staffpersons who move into supervisory
positions within the agency? What is the nature of the training?

How does your interviewee balance the needs of the clients with the needs of the
agency?

Is your interviewee involved in decisions such as agency budget allocation,
program planning, staff development and training, hiring and firing, strategic
planning, interaction with the Board of Directors, etc?) Briefly describe the
involvement.

How many people does your interviewee supervise?

What challenges has she/he encountered in her role as supervisor? How has she
dealt with them?

What services are provided by the agency, and to whom?

What is the organizational structure of the agency?

How are decisions made within the agency? (e.g. participatory, hierarchically,
bureaucratically, etc.)

What suggestions does your interviewee have for new supervisors/administrators
in terms of managing the tasks related to this role?
Assignment Three (Due Weeks 11, 12 and 13): Formal Proposal and Small Group
Presentation.
Description of Assignment:
Choose one or more models of supervision that we have discussed in class. Imagine that
you have just been hired as Clinical Administrator at a social service agency that provides
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an array of clinical services to individuals and families. This is a brand new agency, and
you have been given the task of creating, implementing, and monitoring the clinical
staffing plan. You must decide how the agency will hire and train staff for its clinical
department, which positions will supervise, and the models that they will use for
supervision. You must work within the budgetary constraints, and policy directives that
have been established by the executive director and board of directors. Your proposal
should also include an organizational plan (diagram) for your program.
Following are your guidelines/constraints for the final assignment:
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You have a staffing budget of $500,000 (this includes your own salary)
You must decide the salaries for each staff person that you hire for your programs
(you can get salary information by calling NASW, or visiting their website. You
can also get this information by calling the Human Resources Department of
social service agencies. You can also choose to establish the salaries yourself, as
long as you do not exceed your budget. Please do not forget to include your own
salary).
Within your department, there are four separate programs (individual and family
therapeutic services, group therapy, case management, and child welfare). Your
objective is to provide these services to clients in an efficient manner.
State policy mandates that you must have at least one licensed social worker in
each program to provide clinical supervision and sign off on paperwork.
You will need support staff to assist with answering phones, scheduling
appointments, submitting bills, and running the office.
You will serve between 500-600 clients (unduplicated) per year. On any given
day, you may serve as many as 100 clients. You must try to manage a healthy
staff/client ratio so that workers will not be overburdened and clients will get the
services that they need.
All workers must have a supervisor (this should be illustrated on your
organizational chart)
You must present your staffing plan to the executive director (your classmates
will act as executive director) in a clear and concise manner having followed both
agency and policy mandates.
Your proposal should include the following information:
1. Your staffing plan, and the rationale for the plan
2. An organizational chart that provides information about which positions
supervise, and who they supervise.
3. The number of staff you will hire for your department (which consists of four
programs)
4. The salaries and duties of the staff
5. Your supervision plan (e.g. structure and model(s) of supervision), staff
training/development protocol, and your rationale for choosing this plan
6. How you plan to monitor operations in your department.
7. Any other relevant information
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This assignment should be completed in groups consisting of 2-4 people. Proposals
should be submitted the week before presentations. Presentations will be weeks 12 and 13
of class. Each member of the group should take responsibility for a portion of the
assignment. Each group member will receive an individual grade (for the portion that he
or she was assigned), and a group grade for the overall proposal and presentation.
Proposals must answer/cover all of the above-mentioned points, and must include a
formal organizational chart. The entire paper should not exceed 6 pages. Reference class
readings, journal articles and other resources using APA format.
Required Textbooks
Dolgoff, R. (2005). An Introduction to Supervision in the Human Services. Boston: Allyn
& Bacon.
Kadushin, A. & Harkness, D. (2002). (4th ed.). Supervision in Social Work. New York:
Columbia Press
Weinbach, R.W. (2003). The Social Worker as Manager: A Practical Guide to Success.
Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Recommended Textbooks
Perlmutter, F.D., Bailey, D., and Netting, F.E. (2001). Managing Human Resources in the
Human Services: Supervisory Challenges. New York: Oxford University Press
SOWK 650
Week 1
Week 2
COURSE SCHEDULE
Staff Management and Development in Social Services
Introduction, course overview, assignments and grades
Video: Clinical Supervision by Carlton Munson
Historical origins, definition, and significance of supervision/staff
management and development
Management theories; purpose and goals of supervision
Required Reading
Kadushin and Harkness
Chapter One – History, definition, and significance of supervision in social work
Perlmutter, Bailey, and Netting
Chapter One – Professional challenges for managerial supervisors
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Journal Article(s)
Brashears, F. (1995). Supervision as social work practice: A reconceptualization. Social
Work, 40/5, 692-700
Cousins, C. (2004). Becoming a social work supervisor: A significant role transition.
Authors. Australian Social Work, 57/2, 175-186.
Wimpfheimer, Shelly. (2004). Leadership and Management Competencies Defined by
Practicing Social Work Managers: An Overview of Standards Developed by the
National Network for Social Work Managers. Administration in Social Work,
Vol. 28 Issue 1, p45, 12p; DOI: 10.1300/J147v28n01; (AN 13576597)
Week 3
The ecology and context of supervision/staff management
Basic functions, roles, tasks, and responsibilities in staff management and
development/supervision
Required Reading
Dolgoff
Chapter One – A staff manager’s/supervisor’s job: Functions, roles, and tasks
Chapter Two – Working in Multiple Contexts
Chapter Three – The Supervisory Process: Beginnings, middles, and endings
Case study/analysis/application
Week 4
Ethics and values in supervision
Elements, theories, and models of leadership
Required Reading
Dolgoff
Chapter Four – Authority, power, and supervisory ethics
Chapter Five – Relationships, initial interviews, and leadership styles
Journal Article(s):
Strom-Gottfried, K. (Spring/Summer 2000). Ethical vulnerability in social work
education: An analysis of NASW complaints. Journal of Social Work Education; 36/2,
p241-253.
Cohen, Ben-Zion. (May/June 1987). The Ethics of Social Work Supervision Revisited.
Social Work, 32/3, 194-197.
Case study/analysis/application
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Week 5
Management Functions and Supervisory Skills
Administrative Supervision
Required Reading
Dolgoff
Chapter Six – Modes, Methods, and Techniques of Supervision
Perlmutter, Bailey, and Netting
Chapter Three – Building Strategic Alliances
Chapter Five – Facilitating Communication
Kadushin and Harkness
Chapter Two – Administrative supervision
Chapter Three – Administrative supervision: problems in Implementation
Journal Article(s):
Harkness, D. & Hensley, H. (November 1991). Changing the focus of social work
supervision: Effects on client satisfaction and generalized contentment. Social
Work. 36- 6, 506-13.
Berger, C. & Mizrahi, T. (2001). An Evolving Paradigm of Supervision Within a
Changing Health Care Environment. Social Work in Health Care, 32/4, 1-18.
Week 6
Management Functions and Supervisory Skills
Supervision Model: Educational Supervision and Clinical Supervision
Required Reading
Weinbach
Chapter Five – Creating and Managing Diversity
Kadushin and Harkness
Chapter Four – Educational supervision: Definition, differentiation, content, and process
Chapter Five – Principles and Problems in implementing educational supervision
Perlmutter, Bailey, & Netting
Chapter Six – Supporting Diversity
Journal Article(s):
Page, M. L. (Winter 2003) Race, culture, and the supervisory relationship: A review of
the literature and a call to action. Journal of Curriculum & Supervision, 18/2,
p161-175.
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Young, R. (Spring2004).Cross-cultural supervision. Clinical Social Work Journal, 32/1,
39-50.
Itzhaky, H. (Spring 1996). The therapy--supervision dialectic. Clinical Social Work
Journal, 24/1, 77-89.
Week 7
Supervision and administration in the context of the larger organization:
The dual focus of supervisors, supervisor anxieties, and typical
Experiences of a new administrator.
Week 8
Management Functions and Supervisory Skills
[Contracting, legal considerations/”supervisory liability”, handling
conflict, assessment, delegation, coordination]
Required Reading
Dolgoff –
Chapter Seven - Unit planning, the professional contact, and the legal background
Chapter Eight – Assessment, delegation, setting objectives, coordination and control
Perlmutter, Bailey, and Netting
Chapter Two – Responding to legal mandates
Journal Article(s):
Lynch, J. & Versen, G. (2003). Social Work Supervisor Liability: Risk Factors and
Strategies for Risk Reduction. Administration in Social Work, 27-2, p57-73.
Reamer, F. G. (September 1989). Liability Issues in Social Work Supervision. Social
Work, 34/5, 445-449.
Strom-Gottfried, Kimberly. (1999). When Colleague Accuses Colleague: Adjudicating
Personnel Matters Through the Filing of Ethics Complaints. Administration in
Social Work, Vol. 23 Issue 2, p1, 16p, 4 charts; (AN 2298257)
Week 9
Management Functions and Supervisory Skills
[Motivation, work performance development]
Group Supervision
Required Reading
Perlmutter, Bailey, and Netting
Chapter Eight – Motivating, appraising, and rewarding
Dolgoff –
Chapter Nine – Motivation, teaching, and learning
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Kadushin and Harkness
Chapter Nine – The group conference in supervision
Chapter Ten – Problems and Innovations
Week 10
Management Functions and Supervisory Skills
Performance appraisal, evaluation(s), boundary violations, and staff
development
Required Reading
Dolgoff
Chapter Ten – Supervisory practice issues-1
[Self-management, dependence and independence, transference and counter-transference,
supervisor/supervisee differences and similarities, culture and communication
issues/vignette, workers with personnel and family difficulties]
Chapter Fourteen – Performance appraisal, outcomes, accountability and staff
development
Kadushin and Harkness
Chapter Eight - Evaluation
Perlmutter, Bailey, and Netting
Chapter Nine – Protecting managers as workers
Submit your set of three questions, based on content and exercises covered so far, for
next week’s guest speaker.
Week 11
Guest Speaker
Week 12
Management Functions and Supervisory Skills
[Managing conflict, substance abuse, advocacy, consultation, violence,
interdisciplinary teams]
Required Reading
Dolgoff
Chapter Eleven – Supervisory practice issues-11
[Substance abuse in the workplace, violence, supervisor’s responsibilities, technology
and supervision, interdisciplinary teams/vignette]
Chapter Twelve – Conflict
Perlmutter, Bailey, and Netting
Chapter Seven – Creating and sustaining interdisciplinary teams
Journal Article(s)
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Sarkisian, Gregor V.; Portwood, Sharon G. (2003). Client Violence Against Social
Workers: From Increased Worker Responsibility and Administrative Mishmash to
Effective Prevention Policy. Administration in Social Work, Vol. 27 Issue 4, p41,
19p; (AN 12479631)
Video Analysis
Week 13
Stress, Challenges, and Opportunities for Staff Managers
Required Reading
Dolgoff
Chapter Thirteen – Stress, burnout, and time management
Kadushin and Harkness –
Chapter Seven – Problems and stresses in becoming and being a supervisor
Itzhaky, H. & Lipschitz-Elhawi, R. (February 2004). Hope as a strategy in supervising
social workers of terminally ill patients. Health & Social Work, 29-1, 46-55.
Case study/analysis/application
Week 14
Creating your own management plan for supervision,
Administration and staff development using “tricks
of the trade”
Review and Summary of the course
Required Reading
Dolgoff
Chapter Fifteen – Advocacy, Service Development, Consultation, Self-Evaluation, and
Ending Thoughts
(chapter summaries numerous points covered earlier)
Perlmutter, Bailey, and Netting
Epilogue: Where do we go from here”
Bibliography
Austin, M.J. & Hopkins, K. (2004). Supervision as Collaboration in the Human Services:
Building A Learning Culture
Perlmutter, F.D., Bailey, D. & Netting, E. (2001). Managing Human Resources in Human
Services: Supervisory Challenges. New York: Oxford University Press.
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Shulman, L. (1993). Interactional Supervision. Washington, DC: NASW Press.
Tsui, Ming-sum. (2003). Social Work Supervision: Contexts and Concepts. Thousand
Oaks:Sage Press.
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