1 What are the Collaborative Community Practice Groups? Facilitated large group supervision 5 – 12 participants Social workers, counsellors, youth workers Intra-agency and cross-agency participation Includes private practitioners Variety of years of experience

2 In what Ottawa settings are some of these currently working? Youth Services Bureau of Ottawa Community Resource Centres Community Health Centres Ottawa Hospital (Rehabilitation Services) Non-Profit Housing sector Private practice

3 What are some of the processes that take place in these groups? Reflecting/Outsider Witness teams (more to come on this) In response to case presentations In response to live, in-group sessions Group members present on intervention approaches Skill development exercises Guest presenters Reading discussions Planning and mounting of local conferences, plays and workshops

4 How did these groups come into being? Training, Youth Services Bureau Cross-agency CPG funded by YSB First group spawns second Invited consultations lead to formation of further groups Some groups linked to shared training; other groups start from reflecting processes and collective values/ethics

5 An Ethic of Sharing MULTIPLICITY There are many roads to Rome: diversity, generativity

6 An Ethic of Sharing EMBODIMENT Personal resonance, what struck/touched me, how it connects with my experience

7 An Ethic of Sharing TRANSPARENCY Wonderings and personal reactions shared openly in a respectful manner

8 An Ethic of Sharing CURIOUSITY Not pronouncement of truth, of what is “really” going on, not seeking final answer or solution

9 An Ethic of Sharing ACKNOWLEDGMENT AND WITNESSING Client/person sharing their work are centred

10 An Ethic of Sharing PERSON SHARING (AND CLIENTS) AS EXPERTS Person sharing (or client if live) choose what to listen to and note; they discern what is useful to them

11 An Ethic of Sharing RESPONSIVITY Members respond to each other’s reflections and unexpected perspectives/stories arise

12 An Ethic of Sharing COLLABORATIVE Members support each other (through questions) in evoking rich accounts

13 Using Reflecting Processes Reflect to client in live session Reflect for videotaped session (tape the reflections for the client(s) Reflect in response to verbal case presentation (could be taped)

14 Using Reflecting Processes “Andersen style” Focused on being responsive Co-construction of meanings Curious Tentative Generating multiple possibilities

15 Using Reflecting Processes Definitional Ceremony (White) Focused on acknowledgment “Steps” in responding Typically an interviewer Useful for centering sharer’s work

16 Using Reflecting Processes Mixing Processes: Andersen and White Acknowledgment of sharer’s work provides witnessing and creates safety Generative sharing expands therapeutic options

17 Collaborative Community Practice Groups: Challenges and Opportunities Accountability & protection of public Many workers un-supervised Peer Mentoring Learning by teaching Capitalizing on “local knowledge’ Networking Referral sources “Preview” of potential employees Co-therapy opportunities Videotaped and live sessions Reflecting team sessions outside of group meetings—reflecting team directory

18 Collaborative Community Practice Groups: Challenges and Opportunities Isolation A community of practitioners Burnout Venue to share professional stresses Professional development Continuity: ongoing learning alternative Cost effective Shared expense reduces cost per member