F25-2005 Leading by Example: Navigating the Internal Work of Being a Social Work Supervisor
Total Credits: 3 Supervision CEs
- Bundle(s):
- Fall 2025 Supervision Workshops | Fall 2025 Evening Series
- Categories:
- 2000 Supervision | 600 Leadership and Management | Evening
- Instructor:
- Lee Westgate, MSW, MBA, LCSW-C
- Course Levels:
- Intermediate
- Duration:
- 3 Hours 15 Minutes
- Target Audience:
- Social Workers, LCPCs, and Psychologists
Description
Social work is a decidedly complex field that is populated by mission-driven professionals that derive insurmountable energy and passion from frontline work. The path to this work is deeply personal and is often described as an inexplicable calling and compulsion to serve with compassion and humility. While there may be an intrinsic culture and tradition to proverbial trench work, the ambiguous elements of our discipline can obscure our invaluable skill-sets—particularly skill sets that are transferable to leadership. Furthermore, professional migration into leadership roles is profoundly difficult. This is in part due to the perceived divergence from direct client/community contact to administrative roles that may feel at odds with client centricity. Navigating the path of leadership is marked by an endless array of internal work around key issues, such as exercising power and authority, building new teams, professional gatekeeping, and prioritization of client needs. These are often the unseen and yet pronounced tensions that create strife and struggles for social work leaders and their teams. This training will address the unseen challenges, tactics for the internal work, and will offer recommendations for how we can collectively grow and nurture our social work leaders as they attempt to navigate the ever-changing landscape of service.
This workshop is in accordance with and compliance with the NASW Standards with a focus on service, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity, competence, and social workers’ ethical responsibilities to clients, to colleagues, in practice settings, as professionals, to the social work profession, to the broader society.
This workshop is in compliance with the Maryland Board of Social Work Examiners’ COMAR 10.42.03.06.A(5) and with the District of Columbia Board of Social Work 17-70-7008.4.
Maryland: This workshop meets the Supervision CE license renewal requirement for the Maryland Board of Social Work Examiners’.
Instructor
Lee Westgate, MSW, MBA, LCSW-C Related Seminars and Products
Lee Westgate, MSW, MBA, LCSW-C (he/him/his) is a social work advocate with extensive professional experience in social work policy, practice, research, and education. He is a Board-approved clinical supervisor in the state of Maryland, has held numerous organizational leadership roles, and has served as an educational consultant to a variety of associations and organizational clientele. He has served as a medical social worker in the fields of oncology, critical care, as well as in integrated behavioral health settings. Mr. Westgate has participated in a CSWE-sponsored National Trauma Task Force workgroup that focused on the intersection of ethics and trauma-informed practice, and he was awarded an immersion fellowship through Boston University to study addiction and behavioral health. He has participated in the AIDS Education and Training Center on behalf of the University of Maryland School of Social Work and participated in the MidAtlantic AIDS Education and Training Workgroup on COVID and HIV. Mr. Westgate continues to serve as a faculty member and instructor at the University of Maryland School of Social Work. His scholarship includes integrated behavioral health, working with individuals with chronic and life-threatening illness, healthcare and social policy, and health equity. He has received numerous recognitions and awards, including induction into the National Academies of Practice (NAP) as a Social Work Fellow, the Alumni of the Year Award, Energizer Faculty Award, Camara Jones Faculty Award, Innovation in Social Work Award, and Exemplary Faculty Member of the Year Award, along with the Dean’s Teaching Award for several consecutive semesters. He has been published in The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare, The New Social Worker, The Journal of Employee Assistance, Infusion Magazine, Provider Magazine, and Social Work Today.
Agenda & Learning Objectives
AGENDA:
5:50 PM – 6:00 PM Log On
6:00 PM – 7:45 PM
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Welcome & Program Introduction
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Opening reflective exercise
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Discuss the context of social work leadership
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Identify the core functions of social work supervisors
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Reflect upon leadership theories and frameworks
7:45 PM – 8:00 PM Break
8:00 PM – 9:15 PM
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Identify key challenges associated with leadership
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Conduct reflective small group exercises
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Conduct group exercise debrief
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Summarize and conclude session
9:15 PM Adjournment
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Upon the completion of this workshop, participants will be able to:
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Understand the context of social work leadership coupled with the complexities of today’s work.
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Review the essential tasks of social work supervisors.
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Conceptualize and effectively respond to the common pitfalls and crucible moments of emerging leaders.
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Build supervisory and leadership skills to remain grounded in practice, to nurture teams, and to prioritize the care of those who depend on us.
Bibliography & References
BIBLIOGRAPHY & REFERENCES
Castelli, P, (2023). The Burden Of Leadership: Addressing Loneliness. Forbes. Retrieved from: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2023/05/03/the-burden-of-leadership-addressing-loneliness/?sh=4f623d82232b
Center for Creative Leadership (2023). The Core Leadership Skills You Need in Every Role. Retrieved from: https://www.ccl.org/articles/leading-effectively-articles/fundamental-4-core-leadership-skills-for-every-career-stage/
Herrenkohl, T. I., Mersky, J. P., & Topitzes, J. (2019). Applied and Translational Research on Trauma-Responsive Programs and Policy: Introduction to a Special Issue of the American Journal of Community Psychology. Am J Community Psychol, 64(3-4), 281-285. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajcp.12402
Lencioni, P. M. (2016). The ideal team player. John Wiley & Sons. Chicago. Lencioni, Patrick M. 2016. The Ideal Team Player. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.
National Association of Social Workers (n.d.) Best Practice Standards in Social Work Supervision, NASW Association of Social Work Boards. Retrieved from: https://www.socialworkers.org/Practice/NASW-Practice-Standards-Guidelines/Best-Practice-Standards-in-Social-Work-Supervision
National Association of Social Workers. (n.d.). NASW code of ethics. Retrieved April 24, 2023, from https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics/Code-of-Ethics-English
Palmer, P. J. (2004). A hidden wholeness: the journey toward an undivided life: welcoming the soul and weaving community in a wounded world. San Francisco, CA, Jossey-Bass. Palmer, Parker J.
Peng, A. C., Schaubroeck, J. M., Kim, D., & Zeng, W. (2023). How Is Leadership Maintained? A Longitudinal Mediation Model Linking Informal Leadership to Upward Voice Through Peer Advice Seeking. Journal of Applied Psychology, 108(5), 794–808. https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0001058
Scott, K. (2017). Radical candor: be a kick-ass boss without losing your humanity. First edition. New York, St. Martin's Press.
Vides, B., Middleton, J., Edwards, E. E., McCorkle, D., Crosby, S., Loftis, B. A., & Goggin, R. (2022). The Trauma Resilient Communities (TRC) Model: A Theoretical Framework for Disrupting Structural Violence and Healing Communities. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 31(8), 1052–1070. https://doi.org/10.1080/10926771.2022.2112344
Relevant NASW Ethical Codes:
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3.01 Supervision and Consultation
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3.07 Administration
Course Completion & CE Information
Category I Maryland BSWE Requirement
The Office of Continuing Professional Education at the University of Maryland School of Social Work is authorized by the Board of Social Work Examiners in Maryland to sponsor social work continuing education programs. This workshop qualifies for 3 Category I Continuing Education Units for supervision. The Office of Continuing Professional Education is also authorized by the Maryland Board of Psychologists and the Maryland Board of Professional Counselors to sponsor Category A continuing professional education.
ASWB Information
University of Maryland School of Social Work Office of Continuing Professional Education, #1611, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 2/11/2024-2/11/2027.
To receive ACE credit, full attendance is required; no partial credits will be given for partial attendance.
Certificate Access
To access the evaluation and certificate, click on the orange certificate button in your CPE account. Once you complete the evaluation, access to the certificate will be available.
Live Interactive Webinars (Cat I) and Live Webinars (Cat II) - Allow up to 30 minutes post-training for attendance to be verified, then you will be able to access the evaluation and certificate.
In Person Trainings - Please allow five (5) business days post-training for attendance to be verified, then you will be able to access the evaluation and certificate.
Please refer to the tab "Live Interactive Webinar Policies & FAQs" for UMSSW Office of CPE policies regarding all live interactive webinar related matters. Contact our office at cpe@ssw.umaryland.edu for more information.
Evaluation
Participants will have access to the evaluation after attendance has been verified. Evaluations will be available for one (1) week after the workshop has ended.
After one (1) week, participants will no longer have access to the evaluation and will have to contact CPE about reactivation.
Target Audience
Social Workers, LCPCs, and Psychologists
We welcome anyone interested in the topic!
Live Interactive Webinar Platforms
LIVE INTERACTIVE WEBINAR PLATFORMS
The Office of Continuing Professional Education hosts Live Interactive Webinars through Zoom. This platform offers a high quality and user-friendly webinar platform for our registrants.
System Requirements:
- Operating Systems: Windows XP or higher; MacOS 9 or higher; Android 4.0 or higher.
- Internet Browser: Google Chrome; Firefox 10.0 or higher.
Our system is not compatible with the Safari web browser.
- Broadband Internet Connection: Cable, High-speed DSL and any other medium that is internet accessible.
**Please have your device charging at all times to ensure that your device does not lose power during the webinar.
Course Interaction Requirements:
To participate in Live Interactive Webinars, you MUST have a device that allows you to view the presentation on screen and hear the instructor at all times. We do not allow participants to call-in from their phones or mobile devices and solely listen to the presentation. Participation in Live Interactive Webinars is mandatory.
Our webinar policies can be found on our website by clicking here.
Webinar Policies & FAQs
Click The Link to View The Webinar Policies & FAQs
https://umbsswcpe.ce21.com/Page/live-interactive-webinar-procedures-policies-4129
Code of Conduct
The Office of Continuing Professional Education at the University of Maryland School of Social Work adheres to the NASW Code of Ethics. This policy is to ensure that the training environment for social work professionals remains respectful, productive, and conducive to learning. Disruptive behavior that interferes with the learning process, disrupts the training experience for others, or undermines the integrity of the program will not be tolerated.
Expectations for Participant Engagement:
In alignment with the NASW Code of Ethics and the University of Maryland Baltimore Code of Conduct, participants are expected to demonstrate professionalism, which includes respecting confidentiality, maintaining a collaborative and respectful tone, and contributing positively to the group dynamic. Disclosures made during the training (e.g., case studies or personal reflections) must be handled with care and in accordance with ethical and legal guidelines.
All participants in the training program are expected to:
- Engage actively in the learning process and show respect for the opinions and contributions of others.
- Demonstrate professionalism in both attitude and behavior, maintaining respect for instructors, peers, and the training environment.
- Maintain open communication by expressing concerns or disagreements constructively and respectfully.
- Follow the guidelines and expectations provided by instructors and facilitators.
- Support a collaborative learning environment where all participants feel valued and safe to contribute.
Instructors and CPE staff reserve the right to dismiss participants who do not adhere to ethical/professional principles and standards. If removed, CEs will be adjusted to reflect the time attended, unless otherwise specified.
ADA Accommodations
If you are requesting ADA accommodations, please contact our office via email at least two weeks prior to the workshop date. Requests after that date may not be fulfilled.
Our email address is cpe@ssw.umaryland.edu.
Late Fees and Refunds
The base price is $70, which includes CE credit.
Late Fee: On 11/19/25, a non-refundable late fee of $20 is added to the base price. Late fees cannot be refunded or applied to account credit.
Cancellations: **ALL cancellations will be subjected to a $35.00 administration fee.** To be eligible for a refund or CPE account credit, cancellations must be made at least 24 hours before the workshop.
For more information, please read the general policies on our website.