The Center for Child and Family Studies is partnering with the South Carolina Department of Social Services to facilitate the Leadership Academy for Supervisors (LAS). Recognizing that supervisors are key players in improving child welfare outcomes, South Carolina is one of a handful of states to offer this rigorous, state-of-the-art leadership training.

The LAS was developed by the National Child Welfare Workforce Institute. It is an online training curriculum that uses a strengths-based model to develop leadership competencies across all child welfare program areas. Learning modules include:

•    Foundations of Leadership
•    Leading in Context: Building Collaboratives
•    Leading People: Workforce Development
•    Leading for Results: Accountability
•    Leading Systems Change: Goal-Setting

Supervisors can complete the LAS at their own pace. The online training requires 35 hours to complete and includes worksheets and reflective exercises. Periodic face-to-face meetings called Learning Networks supplement the online learning and help build a supportive peer community of supervisors across counties.

Good supervision is a key factor in reducing staff turnover, setting organizational climate and culture, and improving outcomes for children, youth, and families. This initiative supports supervisors as leaders of practice change. As part of the curriculum, each participant identifies a change initiative to implement while learning about managing change in an organization. 

During the course, supervisors gain greater awareness of their own strengths and challenges. The training enables them to enhance teamwork, communication, and collaboration within their units as well as with service providers. Enhanced teamwork and collaboration result in positive outcomes for children and families.

Supervisors and program coordinators in Aiken, Greenville, Oconee, and Spartanburg counties are the first training cohort for this initiative; over time, this training will be available to child welfare supervisors across the state.