Beyond The Question of Color

Abstract

Abstract Discussions about diversity issues in supervision occur in a variety of child welfare arenas. Diversity in child welfare most often refers to culturally responsive services delivered by workers when engaging families of color or the need for a diverse workforce. This chapter focuses on a third area that tends to receive less attention, which is the presence of complex inter and intracultural processes that occur in the supervisory relationship. These processes include communication styles, expectations, dynamics of power, and roles. The processes are influenced by organizational values, community values, and individual experience. In addition, the context of child welfare, which is fraught with high levels of stress, short timelines, and the possibility of hostility at multiple levels, further increases the stakes in an already high-stakes social service environment. This chapter will make a case for the value of a diverse workforce, highlight communication frameworks for individual and group supervision, and provide best-practice examples for effective supervision with diverse workers and work groups. While entire books have been written about aspects of diversity in child welfare practice (Everett, Chipungu, & Leashore, 2004; Thoburn, Chand, & Procter, 2004), this chapter specifically addresses the supervisor–supervisee relationship (see Box 9.1).