The Reflective Interaction Observation Scale (RIOS™) was developed as a research tool to identify the extent to which a supervisory session demonstrates a reflective process grounded in infant and early childhood mental health (IECMH) principles and practice. It is aligned with the competencies of the Endorsement for Culturally Sensitive,…

This article offers excerpts from a live, reflective supervision between supervisor (Deborah Weatherston) and supervisee (Faith Eidson) and is followed by their intimate exploration of the process. In revisiting the supervision, they share personal and professional observations that reveal their vulnerabilities and their strengths. They identify…

Reflective supervision/consultation (RSC) is a relationship-based form of professional development for the infant and early childhood mental health (IECMH) workforce. A critical context for effective RSC is the quality of the reflective alliance between supervisor and supervisee. Their "way of being" together is inclusive of safe,…

Reflective supervision is best practice within the infant and early childhood field. Reflective supervisors and supervisees work together to develop a shared space within which both can express their emotional response to work with very young children, caregivers, and families. Supporting professionals using reflective supervision requires a…

Successful implementation of a reflective supervision (RS) model in an agency or system requires careful attention to the learning needs of supervisees. Although supervisors and managers typically receive orientation and training to help them understand and implement RS, their staff rarely do. In this article, the authors explore supervisees'…

This issue of the "ZERO TO THREE" journal provides a snapshot of the current state of measurement of reflective supervision within the infant-family field. In this article, the authors introduce the issue by providing a brief history of the development of reflective supervision in the field of infant mental health, with a specific focus…

Program leaders and supervisors have an ethical obligation to actively endeavor (a) to deepen their capacity to create safe and inclusive spaces for reflection and inquiry and (b) to intentionally acknowledge how topics of diversity, equity, and inclusion arise in themselves, their communities, their staff, their supervisees, and their clients.…

Building professional relationships and collaboration are key components to providing effective quality services to infants, toddlers and families involved in the child welfare system. However, it seems many programs and systems continue to work independently of each other, perhaps to the detriment of our most vulnerable children and families.…

The need to build an evidence base for reflective supervision (RS) is threefold: (1) to determine the elements of a supervision session that make it reflective, (2) to demonstrate that change occurs within the supervisee, and (3) to demonstrate that having staff members participate in RS enhances positive program (or client) outcomes. This article…

Reflective supervision is increasingly mandated in evidence-based infant and early childhood programs and is, therefore, experiencing rapid expansion across the United States. The growing interest in reflective supervision has led to new questions about how to train, support, and gauge the competency of supervisors who are supporting and educating…

The complex concepts of ethics, diversity-informed practice, and reflective supervision intersect. In this article, the Diversity-Informed Tenets for Work With Infants, Children and Families (Irving Harris Foundation, 2018) provide a framework to explore the process of reflective supervision. The author uses a vignette to illustrate the…

As the field of infant and early childhood mental health (IECMH) continues to grow and professionals realize the value of reflective supervision/consultation (RS/C), the need for equitable access to quality RS/C expands. One way that providers of RS/C have increased access to RS/C is through virtual technology. The growth of virtual RS/C requires…

Infant and early childhood mental health (IECMH) practitioners working with infants and young children and their caregivers who are impacted by the trauma of separation, loss, and unpredictable reunification require access to reflective supervision/consultation (RS/C) to mitigate vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue, and to ensure thoughtful…

The Reflective Interaction Observation Scale (RIOS) describes and operationalizes the nature of the interactions between a supervisor and supervisee(s) during reflective supervision. Developed in collaboration among researchers and clinicians from the University of Minnesota, the Minnesota Association for Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health,…

On a summer afternoon in early August 2017, representatives from 20 states came to together on the campus of Saint John's University in Collegeville, MN, for 2nd Annual Alliance Reflective Supervision/ Consultation (RS/C) Symposium. The 128 participants represented a very diverse group of professionals: supervisors and staff from infant and early…