Professionalizing child welfare: An evaluation of a clinical consultation model for supervisors

This article describes a clinical consultation model that was developed and tested with child welfare supervisors in a large urban municipality over a 3-year period. Carried out within the framework of an existing university–child welfare partnership, the project involved faculty from six schools of social work and a large child welfare system. The evaluation methodology included a pre–post self-assessment measure, a consumer satisfaction questionnaire, and follow-up at 3- and 15-month post-program participation. Findings revealed significant increases in scores on the self-assessment scale from years 1 (the pilot study) to 2. Fidelity of the intervention was consistent across years 2 and 3, with statistically significant changes in self-assessment scores in each year as well. This consultation program offers one tool for professional development that links faculty from schools of social work with MSW-level supervisors in the field, and yields encouraging results for professional decision-making in the provision of direct service. The model is transferable to other large cities and to many state-wide child welfare systems with comparable numbers of staff and clients.