A COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT MODEL FOR THE EXPANSION OF REFLECTIVE PRACTICE AND SUPERVISION:...

Area of Science:

• Infant Mental Health
• Professional Development
• Supervision Training

Background:

• Home-based services for vulnerable infants require specialized support.
• A need for enhanced reflective supervision training was identified for Infant Mental Health (IMH) specialists.
• Existing training models may not adequately address the unique demands of IMH.

Purpose of the Study:

• To pilot a professional development model for IMH specialists focused on reflective supervision.
• To evaluate the impact of the training on clinicians' reflective practice and supervisory skills.
• To assess supervisors' self-efficacy in providing reflective supervision.

Main Methods:

• A pilot professional development program was implemented for IMH community mental health specialists.
• Participants' capacity to apply reflective practice and supervisory skills was assessed.
• The frequency of clinicians' use of reflective practice and supervisors' self-efficacy were measured.
• New measures for assessing reflective practice were piloted.

Main Results:

• The professional development model was successful in increasing participants' capacity for reflective practice.
• IMH clinicians showed increased frequency in using reflective practice skills.
• Supervisors reported a greater sense of self-efficacy in their reflective supervisory tasks.
• Pilot measures for reflective practice assessment were successfully implemented.

Conclusions:

• The piloted IMH professional development model effectively enhanced reflective supervision skills.
• The training positively impacted both clinicians' practice and supervisors' confidence.
• The study contributes to the evidence base for reflective supervision in IMH and introduces new assessment tools.