Small Group Supervision Research Articles

ADVANCING DIVERSITY IN ADRD/AGING RESEARCH AND CLINICAL CARE: EDUCATIONAL AND CAREER TRAJECTORIES OF MSTEM MENTEES

Abstract As an NIA-funded mentorship program, MADURA addresses the lack of diversity among Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease & Related Dementia (ADRD) researchers and clinicians. Aims include improving retention and academic success of URM MSTEM undergraduates, and increasing rates of graduate/medical school applications and entry into Aging/ADRD clinical careers. MADURA offers paid research lab experience, weekly whole-cohort research skills training, guest seminars and presentations, and weekly faculty-facilitated small group supervision, advising and support. It served 23–29 undergraduates/quarter, in its initial five quarters. The Program accepts students at varying undergraduate educational levels, particularly because students from target populations often enter as Junior-level transfers from community colleges. Thus, although the Program just completed its second year, 17 MADURA trainees have already graduated. While ongoing data collection on Program, Mentor and Student Mentee performance is beneficial, outcomes data are of utmost importance to ensuring achievement of aims. This poster will present descriptive data on MADURA graduates’ immediate employment and educational activities. Notable findings include a significant proportion of trainees who take a gap year before applying to graduate or medical school (for financial and personal reasons), and others taking internships, post-baccalaureate training or research jobs, to strengthen future medical and graduate school applications. Understanding the multiple pathways of recent graduates will enable mentorship programs to help current trainees critique and optimize preparations for their selected educational and career trajectories. These findings also suggest additional mentorship program outcomes of interest (beyond a sole focus on graduate program acceptance), and the need for longer-term alumni follow-up.

(185) Small Group Supervision in Psychiatric Residency Training: A National Survey to Determine Prevalence, Barriers and Feasibility

(185) Small Group Supervision in Psychiatric Residency Training: A National Survey to Determine Prevalence, Barriers and Feasibility

Not Rocket Science: Implementing Efforts to Improve Working Conditions of Social Workers

Abstract The aim of the study was to investigate if the working conditions of child welfare social workers in one municipality would be improved after the implementation of three initiatives: weekly small group supervision for newly educated social workers, team-strengthening activities and training for the team leaders. Five teams consisting of thirty-six child welfare social workers and five team leaders participated. At project start and after the two project years (2017–2018), the social workers’ perception of their working conditions was measured by a questionnaire (QPS Nordic). After the two years the social workers rated several aspects of their working conditions more positively. They were more satisfied with the organisational climate and leadership and with the collaboration in their work group. Turnover, which had been high for many years, had almost stopped and vacancies were now filled. The social workers were now more often satisfied with the quality of their work. Interestingly, these positive changes had occurred at the same time as the social workers now reported higher demands and more often experienced role conflicts. The overall results of this small-scale study indicate that working conditions of social workers can be improved after the implementation of rather modest means.

How to Learn Together, Apart

Jones offers insights about learning together apart Claude Coste notes that the first session in particular suffered a number of interruptions: the retransmission not working, the irritated amusement of the students, having to send out for a technician, Barthess own embarrassment at the many technical failings The pandemic has enabled an efflorescence of thoughts on the modalities of isolated thinking and feeling What follows are flash reflections (half-cooled hot takes) on what the continuing pandemic might entail both for critical theory and applied pedagogy

Exploring Residents’ Experience of Career Development Scholarship Tracks: A Qualitative Case Study Using Social Cognitive Career Theory

Problem: Trainees enter graduate medical education with professional aspirations that often extend beyond the role of clinician to roles such as educator, innovator, leader, advocate, or researcher. Many residency programs have implemented academic tracks to support career development in these areas. With the exception of research tracks, these tracks generally do not include significant longitudinal protected time and often rely upon ‘extra-curricular’ effort and possess insufficient structure, mentorship, and accountability. Most prior studies of non-research scholarship tracks have not been theory driven and do not explore in depth the experience of residents who participate. Approach: To address this gap in the literature, we conducted a qualitative case study informed by Social Cognitive Career Theory to explore the professional identity development of residents who participated in a non-research scholarship track that incorporates recommended best practices. The track, Pathways to Expertise Program, incorporates features of successful research tracks: protected time, longitudinal experience, mentorship, platforms for recognition, and accountability. Participants from the first three cohorts were interviewed at the time of their graduation (2017–2019). Semi-structured interviews were conducted, transcribed, and independently coded. Social Cognitive Career Theory informed the organization of codes into themes. Context: The Pathways to Expertise Program was implemented in a psychiatry residency training program in a large urban academic teaching hospital. Impact: Fifteen residents entered Pathways to Expertise Program during the study period and all 15 participated in the study. Fourteen completed the program and presented their projects at the department grand rounds. For dissemination, 12 presented their project findings at one or more national meetings in the form of a poster (20 distributed across 11 residents), workshop (six distributed across four residents), or presentation (two across two residents). Six residents accounted for a total of seven first author publications in peer reviewed journals. All participants described how their self-efficacy increased as a result of new skills (e.g., content, methodology, and scientific communication), mentorship (e.g., content and process guidance), peer and broader support (e.g., small group supervision), persuasive communications (e.g., recognition both locally and nationally), and positive emotional reactions (e.g., triumph). The residents also described expecting compelling benefits (e.g., stronger application for fellowship and expanded career opportunities). Participants indicated that the experience influenced their career goals and how they perceived their professional identities. Lessons Learned: These findings suggest that a longitudinal academic track that incorporates features of successful research tracks (protected time, mentorship, peer support, and accountability for deliverables) can be instrumental in forming and maturing professional identities for non-clinical roles. These tracks can accomplish several important goals, including enhancing resilience via identity formation around passion and purpose and meeting society’s need for physicians who are engaged in inquiry and innovation. Implications for the design of academic tracks in general are explored.

Positive/negative events by peer supervisees in a small group supervision and their effects

Positive/negative events by peer supervisees in a small group supervision and their effects

Creating a Space for Acknowledgment and Generativity in Reflective Group Supervision.

Small group supervision is a powerful venue for generative conversations because of the multiplicity of perspectives available and the potential for an appreciative audience to a practitioner's work. At the same time, the well-intentioned reflections by a few practitioners in a room can inadvertently duplicate normative discourses that circulate in the wider culture and the profession. This article explores the use of narrative practices for benefiting from the advantages of group supervision while mindful of the vulnerability that comes with sharing one's work among colleagues. The reflective group supervision processes described were modified from the work of Tom Andersen and Michael White to provide a venue that encourages the creative multiplicity of group conversation while discouraging unhelpful discourses which constrain generative conversation.

Learning to argue as a biotechnologist: disprivileging opposition to genetically modified food

In the public discussion of genetically modified (GM) food the representations of science as a social good, conducted in the public interest to solve major problems are being subjected to intense scrutiny and questioning. Scientists working in these areas have been seen to struggle for the position of science in society. However few in situ studies of how the debate about science appears in learning situations at the university level have been undertaken. In the present study an introductory course in biotechnology was observed during one semester, lectures and small group supervision concerning GM food were videotaped and student’s reports on the issue were collected. The ethnographic approach to Discourse analysis was conducted by means of a set of carefully selected and representative observations of how a group of students learn to argue and appropriate views held in the Discourse they are enculturated into. While socio-scientific issues (SSIs) are often associated with achieving scientific literacy in terms of “informed decisions” involving “rational thought and Discourse” this study shows that SSI in practice, in the context studied here, is primarily concerned with using scientific language to privilege professional understandings of GMOs and discredit public worries and concerns. Scientific claims were privileged over ethical, economical and political claims which were either made irrelevant or rebutted. The students were seen to appropriate a Discourse model held in the biotechnological community that public opposition towards GMO is due to “insufficient knowledge”. The present study offers insights into biotechnology students’ decision making regarding socio-scientific issues, while also demonstrating the utility of Discourse analysis for understanding learning in this university context. Implications for reflection on the institutional Discourse of science and teaching of controversial issues in science are drawn and the study contributes to the investigation of claims of scientific literacy coupled to SSIs and argumentation

Enabling connections in postgraduate supervision for an applied eLearning professional development programme

This article describes the practice of postgraduate supervision on a blended professional development programme for academics, and discusses how connectivism has been a useful lens to explore a complex form of instruction. By examining the processes by which supervisors and their students on a two-year part-time masters in Applied eLearning negotiated the blended approach adopted to supervision, it illustrates the conditions that enable connections to occur and flourish. The socio-technical context for supervision was supported using learning technologies (VLE, research wikis and ePortfolios), small group supervision (two to three supervisors and students) and traditional individual supervision. Qualitative data were obtained through surveys and focus groups, and analysed using a framework which drew on connectivist principles. Findings suggest that for increased connections between supervisors and their students, a sense of sanctuary, community and regulation within the supervision process is important; the role of technologies in unifying postgraduate supervision in professional development are discussed.

P02-272 The catalan healthcare intercultural mediation training project of “la Caixa” social and cultural outreach projects

Known by many different names-culture broker, community interpreter, medical interpreter, and communication facilitator-the intercultural mediator has as a primary task the facilitation of communication and the therapeutic relationship in the presence of linguistic and/or cultural difference. The Immigration Plan of “la Caixa” Social and Cultural Outreach Projects has undertaken an ambitious project to train all of the cultural mediators in Spain, including both those currently working and those newly entering the field, to meet existing needs. In the first phase of the project, the training was developed in Catalunya, in collaboration with the the Catalan Department of Health, executed by the Psychiatry Department of the Vall d'Hebron University Hospital (Autonomous University of Barcelona) and certified by the Health Studies Institute of the Department of Health. Drawing from the four years experience of the NGO SURT and the Department of Psychiatry of the Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, the program provides 200 hours of theoretical and 1200 hours of practical training. 50 currently employed intercultural mediators and 30 novices are being trained. In subsequent phases the training will be adapted to needs of other autonomous regions of Spain. Modules include medical anthropology, Western biomedicine, community health, linguistic interpretation, cultural competence, professional identity, and ethics. Small group supervision provides a supportive environment to facilitate the application of theory to practice. Finally, high quality training materials were developed specifically for the course. Preliminary evaluations of the project are positive despite some unanticipated complications.

Effects of motivational interviewing training on mental health therapist behavior

This study examined the effectiveness of training community mental health therapists in motivational interviewing (MI) adapted to treat clients with co-occurring disorders. Ten therapists with high caseloads of culturally diverse clients in two different community mental health settings fulfilled all study requirements. MI training consisted of a two-day didactic and experiential workshop followed by eight biweekly small group supervision (coaching) sessions. Using an interrupted time series design, 156 randomly selected therapy sessions involving 28 clients were coded for assessment of therapist fidelity to MI at multiple points in time, both pre- and post-training. Employing hierarchical linear modeling analysis, significant improvement in MI skill was observed after training on five of six key therapist ratings, and on the sole client rating (client change talk) that was examined. Importantly, the present study demonstrates training-related proficiency in motivational interviewing using: (a) a representative sample of mental health therapists from the community; (b) a protocol emphasizing adherence to a mental health treatment regimen as well as management of substance use behavior for clients with co-occurring disorders; (c) repeated random observations of therapy sessions; (d) measurement of training-related changes in clinician skills and self motivational statements by clients. Findings of this effectiveness study compared favorably with efficacy literature on MI training.

Effectiveness of Group Supervision Versus Combined Group and Individual Supervision

This study investigated the effectiveness of large group supervision, small group supervision, and combined group and individual supervision with counseling students. Sixty‐four participants in a master's‐level practicum were divided into 3 treatment groups that received supervision over 10 weeks. Using a pretest/posttest method, counselors were rated on growth in effectiveness and development according to self‐report, supervisor, client, and objective rater responses. Analyses of covariance revealed that all supervision formats resulted in similar progress in counselor effectiveness and counselor development. Large group supervision produced a significant result on the factor Autonomy/Dependency. However, participants showed a marked preference for individual feedback and supervision.

A Case Presentation Paradigm

This paper provides a case presentation model that has been utilized by beginning master's, post master's and doctoral level students who are participating in small group supervision. The literature revealed that while many authors have addressed the theoretical, structural and relationship issues involved in small group supervision, there is a dearth of literature on the actual case presentation format itself. The author proposes a paradigm in which the case presentation is organized into four major areas: the characterological analysis, the system analysis, the goal analysis and the analysis of the therapeutic intervention. The author's case presentation format organizes the information about a client into a clear and succinct view of the client that allows for effective and efficient use of the time of small group supervision.