Social Work Supervision

The paper updates a survey of Social Work supervision first conducted in 1973. In 1989 a national sample of N.A.S.W. members were contacted by mail. The sample consisted of 1500 direct service worker supervisees and 1500 supervisors. Questionnaire returns indicated that supervision was generally implemented in individual conferences scheduled once a week, lasting one to one and a half hours. The majority of both supervisors and supervisees expressed satisfaction with supervision. Both groups perceived educational and supportive supervision to be more important than administrative supervision. Both groups perceived expertise as the principal sources of supervisors power in the relationship.