Social Work is a decidedly complex field that is all at once populated by mission-driven professionals that derive insurmountable energy and passion from front line work. Moreover, the path to a social work leadership role is hardly a direct line. Clinical talent and skillsets do not always transfer to one’s leadership role. Thus, emerging and even tenured social work supervisors and leaders must build new muscles in order to effectively lead teams while also promoting high-quality care. This training is designed to provide social work supervisors and leaders with impactful content, strategic frameworks, and associated leadership skills that also stay true to social work leadership core values.

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This workshop examines the pervasive yet frequently overlooked challenge of secondary traumatic stress (STS) among clinical social work supervisors, emphasizing strategies for personal prevention and management. Supervisors often experience cumulative exposure to trauma through their supervisees, heightening their own risk for emotional depletion, reduced empathy, and burnout. This session will provide an evidence-informed framework for recognizing early indicators of STS and implementing individualized approaches to mitigate its impact. Through exploration of reflective practice, boundary setting, emotional regulation, and sustainable self-care, participants will develop tools to strengthen personal resilience and professional longevity. The workshop underscores that tending to one’s own well-being is not only an ethical responsibility but also foundational to effective leadership and the maintenance of high standards in trauma-informed clinical supervision.

Statement of Rationale: The management of ethics, boundaries and confidentiality is especially critical for human service professionals and is in a constant state of change. This workshop will address the unique issues encountered during the provision of social services including the emergence of artificial intelligence, managed care, dramatic federal policy changes, workforce challenges, and the ethical implications.

Social workers today face unprecedented challenges: a youth mental health crisis amid provider shortages, rapid advances in artificial intelligence, and shifting demographic and policy landscapes that strain the social safety net. This workshop will examine how these emerging issues intersect with social work ethics and boundaries. Together we will explore critical questions: How can we support youth mental health with declining resources? Is Artificial Intelligence a useful tool to increase productivity and efficiency or a new threat to youth and our profession? What is the role of social workers in responding to anti-DEI policies and other harms to vulnerable groups that our profession is committed to serving? Participants will leave with practical strategies for ethical decision-making and upholding professional boundaries in an era of uncertainty and change.