Supervisory Alliance: Key to Positive Alliances and Outcomes in Home-based Parenting Support?

Abstract

This study investigated whether the supervisory alliance between professionals and supervisors contributes to strong client-professional alliances and positive outcomes of home-based parenting support provided by youth care organizations. Multi-informant self-report supervisory alliance, alliance, and outcome data from 124 parents (M age = 39.83 years, SD = 6.98), professionals (n = 84, M age = 43.66 years, SD = 10.46), and supervisors (n = 26, M age = 47.18 years, SD = 8.28) collected early and late in care were analyzed using structural equation modeling. A stronger professional-reported supervisory alliance was related to a stronger professional-reported alliance early in care (β = 0.27, p < 0.01), and predicted higher levels of parent-reported satisfaction with care (β = 0.19, p < .05; β = 0.25, p < 0.01), and professional-reported satisfaction with care (β = 0.21, p < 0.01). A stronger supervisory alliance reported by supervisors predicted parent-reported improvement in parent functioning (β = 0.26, p < 0.05), and higher levels of professional-reported satisfaction with care (β = 0.19, p < 0.05; β = .14, p < 0.05). Finally, effects of professional-reported supervisory alliance on professional-reported satisfaction with care were mediated through higher levels of professional-reported alliance (β = 0.06, p < 0.05; β = .07, p < 0.05). A strong supervisory alliance may relate to strong alliances and positive outcomes of home-based parenting support. Future research needs to identify factors that contribute to strong supervisory alliances and explain linkages between the supervisory alliance, the alliance, and outcomes.