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Supervisor Training

New Supervisor Training

Curriculum for the upcoming New Supervisor Training is now complete, and the Training Academy is moving through the final stages of preparation to launch this new course! Our trainers are currently learning the curriculum and preparing to lead practice sessions of this course in August and September. A Pilot will take place in November at our Roseville Learning Center with learners who are being invited from a broad range of agencies and expertise, and who can best represent the spectrum of needs to review this course.

Evaluations of this pilot will follow, allowing us to adjust and improve the next phase of training, which will open for registration in early 2026. The first offering of New Supervisor Training at this point will also be considered a Pilot, and will be open to supervisors of child protection workers throughout the state. Data from that cohort will also be collected and may lead to additional updates. Starting in 2026, New Supervisor Training will be required for county and tribal child welfare supervisors, and supervisors at private agencies providing out-of-home placement services for children involved in Minnesota's county and tribal child welfare system (Laws of Minnesota 2019, 1st Special Session, Chapter 9, Article 1, Section 37). Certification for supervisors is in development.

New Supervisor Training is designed to equip emerging leaders with the knowledge, values, and practical skills needed to guide, direct, and support employees. Effective supervision requires supervisors to actively balance the administrative, educational, and supportive functions, while also reacting to immediate demands. This balanced approach ensures the comprehensive development of supervisees and the overall success of the work. This approach is based on Kadushin’s Model of Child Welfare Supervision (Kadushin, Alfred. Supervision in Social Work).

New Supervisor Training will be comprised of two courses:

  • Orientation to New Supervisor Training (CWTA X300) - This self-paced training will take approximately 5.5 hours to complete, and will include an Introduction to Approaches to Supervision; Values & Vision; Safety Practice Profiles for Supervisors; and Development of Cultural Practice for New Supervisors. Learners will also take the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) Assessment and a debrief session with a Qualified Administrator.
  • New Supervisor Training (CWTA X310) - This course will be cohort-based, so supervisors will stay with the same group of learners throughout.
    • Session 1: Supportive Supervision (3-day, instructor-led, 19.5 hours)
    • Session 2: Educational Supervision (3-day, instructor-led, 19.5 hours)
    • Session 3: Administrative Supervision: (self-paced, 5.5 hours)
    • Session 4: Administrative Supervision and Simulation: (instructor-led and simulation, 6.5 hours)

Throughout 2026, this course will be offered—but not required—for supervisors who have been in their current role for one to three years. We recognize the launch of this training has taken longer than anticipated, and we want to ensure as many supervisors as possible have the opportunity to participate.

Participation will be required for child protection supervisors in their first year on the job. Beginning in 2027, New Supervisor Training will be limited to supervisors within their first year of appointment.

Supervisor Coaching is also in development. More information about that will be shared later this year.

Registration for New Supervisor Training should be available in our Training Catalog by the first quarter of 2026. The Training Academy will continue to share more information as it becomes available. If you have questions, contact us anytime.