Investigating Supervision and Leadership Practices to Strengthen EBP Implementation in the Child Welfare System: A Case Study Analysis

Abstract

Effective delivery of evidence-based practices (EBPs) depends on strong supervision and leadership. This case study analysis examined how supervisors contended with barriers and facilitators of implementation of R3, a supervisor-focused strategy to improve caseworker interactions with families in the child welfare system. A stratified random sample of supervisors, those with higher scores on the Implementation Leadership Scale ( n = 10) versus those with lower scores ( n = 10), who participated in multiple interviews, allowed for analysis over the course of implementation. Findings demonstrate the importance of strong supervisor leadership, high-quality supervision, and coaching engagement to overcoming implementation barriers. Strong supervisor leadership may facilitate an efficient transition of support from external coaches to supervision practices.