Self-designed continuing education for supervisors in community mental health

This paper describes a continuing education program designed to meet the needs and interests of supervisors working in community mental health centers. As initial group of supervisors was recruited as consultants to design all aspects of their educational experience. The group used a modified nominal group technique to develop the curriculum. Subsequently 28 trainees in three separate groups participated in the training program; they represented 20 agencies and included directors, training coordinators, supervisory staff, and direct service workers. Methods employed were satisfaction measures, content retention measures, and interviews to evaluate program impact. Participants reported that they increased their knowledge and were satisfied with training, but that the program was only modestly effective in contributing to changes in their job and agency functioning. Training was most effective with agency directors, employees of private agencies, and workers with fewer years at a given work site.