Building and Assessing Proficiency for Child Protection Safety Decision-Making

Child Protection Supervisor proficiency is critical to ensure adherence to fidelity of a safety practice model and to address child safety threats with the sense of urgency needed. A process to define and measure supervisor... [ view full abstract ]

Child Protection Supervisor proficiency is critical to ensure adherence to fidelity of a safety practice model and to address child safety threats with the sense of urgency needed. A process to define and measure supervisor proficiency promotes the ongoing development of skills in  coaching, supervision, and consulting to ensure successful implementation of a safety practice model. OBJECTIVES:  This session will illustrate the steps for designing and implementing a proficiency process to evaluate supervisory understanding of safety model constructs and elements; ability to provide consultative feedback via discussion and written analysis; and ability to provide a learning opportunity for staff development.  Participants will:  (1) build knowledge about the steps for designing a proficiency process; (2) explore how to create a process to measure consultative feedback and presentation of a learning opportunity; and (3) view audio and video examples of proficiency case consultations and learning opportunities. METHOD:  Data from all supervisors evaluated in a large US jurisdiction over a 3-year period were gathered and analyzed, and expert evaluation, technical assistance, and implementation support were provided to structure and complete the proficiency process. RESULTS:  Participants will be engaged to practice methods for defining performance measures and  operationalize the essential knowledge and skills related to core components of safety practice; and to discuss the factors that contributed to successful completion of the proficiency process and how performance expectations impacted the role of supervisors retention.  CONCLUSIONS:  Demonstration of the application of safety model constructs through live case consultation, review of written case feedback, and delivery of training is an effective method for evaluating supervisory proficiency related to safety decision-making.