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Clinical supervision and training with multidisciplinary staff in a day treatment program for emotionally troubled children and their families
Abstract
This research was a case study using the methodology of participant observation, and examined the effects of a specialized supervision and training model used with multidisciplinary staff in the Children' s Partial Hospital Program, affiliated with Elmcrest Psychiatric Institute of Portland, Connecticut. Three distinct supervision and training sessions were designed, implemented, and evaluated by the researcher and participants in the study as the primary data source. Prior to the implementation of multidisciplinary sessions, participants shared their experiences and perceptions about supervision in the program through a survey questionnaire and individual interviews. The three weekly supervision and training sessions were then developed based on the ideas generated by this information. For 6 months, the three sessions were observed and participants interviewed. Information was also gathered through three large group evaluation interviews with participants when sessions were designed, at the midpoint, and at the end of the 6-month period. Examination of program documents and written assessment instruments were used to provide another means of evaluating the efficacy of sessions, and experiences of participants. The findings highlight clearly those aspects of sessions that contribute to an effective level of communication and collaboration among professional groups, and those which impede a productive level of team functioning. While all three groups were designed to include representatives from each discipline, the process of supervision and structure of the three sessions were very different from one another. The nature of leadership in the program and during each session was the major factor that influenced the interactions among participants, and the functioning of the multidisciplinary team. There were widespread differences among supervisors in experience, training, and philosophical beliefs related to the process of supervision. As a result, supervision was carried out according to the idiosyncratic style of the supervisor, and participants considered some sessions to be more useful than others. The relationships among team members were organized in discipline-centered and compartmentalized groups. Hierarchical conflicts appeared to contribute to the dichotomy, which in part was related to the infrequency of interactions among professional groups, rather than differences in theoretical orientation. Despite the conflicts among disciplines, striking similarities were reported by participants within different groups when describing features of positive relationships. This research, which appeared to be the first study of clinical supervision and training with multidisciplinary professionals in a child- and family-centered program, included discussions of research design problems, elements to include in designing and implementing supervision and training programs and recommendations for further research.
Subject Area
Educational psychology|Clinical psychology|Social psychology
Recommended Citation
Schultz, Michael John, "Clinical supervision and training with multidisciplinary staff in a day treatment program for emotionally troubled children and their families" (1991). Doctoral Dissertations Available from Proquest. AAI9120935.
https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations/AAI9120935