What is it?

The person(s) and their environment(s) paradigm provides a frame of reference for incorporating the multiple interactions that occur within peoples’ bio-psycho-social realities (Turner, 1996). In short, the person and their social context are always considered together.

This Person(s) and their Environment(s) paradigm is reinforced in the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) definition of social work.

SOCIAL WORK SUPERVISION A PERSPECTIVE

Persons in Their Environments Supervision Practice

• Supervision practice that focuses upon the persons in their environments calls for supervision to be reconceptualised in terms of professional practice rather than in organisational or management terms (Brashears, 1995).
• It recognises the affect that the various contexts, (e.g., personal, practice, team, managerial, organisational, professional and political) have upon the principal actors (namely, clients, supervisee, supervisor, and agency) involved in the supervision and the supervision itself (Tsui et al, 1997).
• Persons in their environments supervision practice is social work practice, it assesses and intervenes in the intrapersonal, personal, interpersonal, and social systems arenas. It addresses, mediates and reconstructs the effects that the ecological environment has on the person and their situation (Turner, 1996).
• Professional supervision practice constructed in this manner also draws from a wide knowledge base of theoretical concepts and models of practice.
• In terms of the actual practice the persons in their environments supervision approach stimulates critical reflective supervision because it recognises the impact of the social and political context upon the direct client practice, the workers involved, and the organisation (Ellis, 1998; Fook, 1996; Drew, 1987; Freire, 1974).
• This type of critical reflection is more likely to result in intervention that attends to clients, supervisees and agencies social realities and their perception of this reality. It is also likely that the intervention is more apt to being constructed on the basis of the parties strengths and available resources (Turner, 1996).

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The persons and their environments framework can also be adapted as shown below to be used as a tool for assessing supervision theories models.
The keys question to ask in this assessment is how does the supervision theory or model address the macro and micro elements?

Bibliography, References and Recommended Reading

Argyris C, and Schon D, (1974) Theory in Practice: Increasing Porfessional Effectiveness, Jossey-Bass, San Francisco.

Brashears F, (1995) Supervision as Social Work Practice: A Reconceptulization, In Social Work, Volume 40, Number 5, pp692-699.

Brown, A and Bourne I, (1996) The Social Work Supervisor, Buckingham, Open University Press.

Drew J, (1987) Social Work Supervision as a Political Function: A Critique of Cognitive Interests and the Impact of the Capitalist Welfare State. MSW Thesis. Palmerston North, Massey University.

Ellis, G, (1998) Through The Looking Glass- Fieldwork Supervisors’ Perceptions of Their Role And Needs for Support, Education and Training, Massey University, MSW Thesis.

Fook J, (1996) The Reflective Researcher, St Leonards, NSW, Allen and Unwin.

Freire,P, (1974) Pedagogy of the Oppressed, London, Penguin Books.

Kadushin,A, (1992a) Supervision in Social Work 3rd Edition, New York, University of Columbia Press.

Munson, C, (1993) Clinical Social Work Supervision, New York, Haworth Press.

New Zealand Association of Social Workers, (1998) Social Work Notice Board October 1998, Dunedin, NZASW.

Payne, M (1994) "Personal Supervision in Social Work" in O'Connor A, and Black S, (eds), Performance Review and Quality in Social Care, London, Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

Payne, M (1997) Modern Social Work Theory Second Edition, London, Macmillan Press Ltd.

Rein M, & White, S, (1981) "Knowledge for Practice", Social Service Review 55(1), pp1-41.

Rich P, (1993) " The Form, Function, and Content of Clinical Supervision:
An Integrated Model, The Clinical Supervisor, Vol 11(1), New York, Haworth Press pp137- 176.

Shulman L, (1993) Interactional Supervision, Washington DC, NASW Press.

Tsui M, (1997) ‘The Roots of Social Work Supervision: An Historical Review’,
In The Clinical Supervisor, Vol 15(2), New York, Haworth Press, pp191-198.

Tsui M, & Ho W, (1997) ‘In Search of a Comprehensive Model of Social Work Supervision’ In The Clinical Supervisor, Vol 16 (2), New York, Haworth Press, pp181-205.

Turner F, (1996) Social Work Treatment 4^th Edition, New York, Free Press.