Supervision – Solution-Focused Skills and Practice for Agencies

supervision solution focused agencies course

Supervision – Solution-Focused Skills and Practice for Agencies

Live online course

12 CE Credit/Clock Hours

The most effective way to learn solution-focused professional skills is to have intensive guided practice. This course provides participants with practice opportunities to demonstrate solution-focused supervision in transdisciplinary contexts. Participants will learn to apply solution-focused supervision within a variety of clinical contexts. Participants will learn to formulate solution-focused supervision questions to foster confidence and competence on the part of their supervisee that focuses on improving client outcomes. Participants will engage in video case discussions, break-out sessions, group exercises, and role-plays. Participants will be expected to provide a summary of written clinical practice exercises provided throughout the course. The course includes six bi-monthly group sessions (two hours each, 12 hours total) with live interactive teaching under the guidance of an expert solution-focused practitioner.  This course requires completion of BASIC – Solution-Focused Skills and Practice for Agencies.

Last Updated: December 2022

Target Audience: Social workers, psychologists, mental health counselors, educators, and medical professionals;  appropriate for intermediate and advanced levels of knowledge. This course provides participants with practice opportunities to apply Solution-Focused supervision in transdisciplinary settings. This course provides opportunities for participants to observe video examples, engage in break-out sessions, group exercises, and role-plays and share successes and challenges in applying solution-focused practice.

Learning Objectives

After completing the course, you will be able to:

  1. Describe Solution-focused assumptions when working in the supervisory role.
  2. Summarize solution-focused tasks in the supervisory and consultant role.
  3. Apply the three phases of solution-focused supervision.
  4. Give examples of solution-focused skills to activate the supervisee’s agency and resources.
  5. Demonstrate solution-focused skills to activate relationship resources within the supervisee’s social context and work setting.
  6. Illustrate skills that facilitate goal negotiation with the supervisee and consultant. 
  7. Summarize client-focused supervision, including presenting a case with a search for client-based solutions. 
  8. Integrate solution-focused feedback during supervision and consultation. 
  9. Apply solution-focused supervision and consultation to your work setting and particular practice area. 

Course Assessment

Participants will be assessed in the following manner:

  • Class Participation: Participants are invited to clarify things they do not understand, pose questions, offer ideas, and broaden perspectives. 
  • Produce a summary of written clinical practice exercises provided throughout the course
  • Present an example of how solution-focused supervision practices are integrated into your area of practice. 

Continuing Education

12 CE Credit/Clock Hours are available for this live course.

Participants should check with their professional licensing boards to ensure that a specific course will be accepted toward their continuing education requirements.

To receive continuing education hours, the participant must attend the entire online presentation, engage in all activities, and complete the course evaluation.

Upon successfully completing the course, participants will be given instructions on downloading and printing their Certificates of Completion.

Policy Information

For More Information

Pricing varies according to agency needs. Please contact us and consider scheduling a pre-training agency consultation.

Instructors and Authors

Anne Bodmer Lutz, B.S.N., M.D. is the Director of the Institute for Solution Focused Therapy. She was trained by the founders of Solution-Focused Brief therapy, Insoo Kim Berg and Steve de Shazer. She is a board-certified adult, child and adolescent psychiatrist, an assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Massachusetts in Worcester MA, and was a nurse before becoming a physician. Anne has a private practice in West Boylston Massachusetts where she integrates solution-focused practices in her treatment of children and families. She provides direct clinical supervision, teaching, and training to medical students and psychiatric residents, workshops for community-based treatment organizations, agency based training and coaching in Solution-Focused Therapy. She has worked for many years integrating solution-focused practices in community mental health, residential treatment and with adolescents and families coping with substance use and co-occurring disorders.

Anne is the author of Learning Solution-Focused Therapy: An Illustrated Guide (2014, American Psychiatric Press) which includes over 30 videos and many case examples focusing on “how to” implement this approach, along with numerous articles, and chapters in books. She received a Massachusetts Course of Distinction award in 2016 for the online and blended learning course entitled “Solution-Focused Fundamentals and Practice.”

Anne Bodmer Lutz, MD indicates that she has no conflicts of interest associated with this course.

Want More Information about Arranging Live Synchronous Training for Your Agency Staff?

The Institute for Solution-Focused Therapy provides customized staff training designed to address the unique needs and goals of mental health, human service, medical, and educational organizations. If you are interested in scheduling a time to discuss staff training options for your workplace, simply fill out and return this short form and our Director Dr. Anne Lutz will contact you to set up a Zoom consultation.

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