248 The Coaching Toolkit for Child Welfare Practice
Talk about confidentiality
Provide participants with the opportunity to get to know each
other. (Britton, 2009).
Online Coaching
Technological tools make long-distance coaching a viable option.
Online coaching, also known as e-mentoring or telementoring,
allows coaches and learners to meet via the use of technology such
as the internet, webinars, Skype, and/or video conferencing. Some
programs arrange two or three face-to-face meetings, including one
that acts as a kickoff event. Often the coach serves as a guide or
adviser in practice-specific areas, such as helping learners complete
a project or discussing specifics about an interaction with a client or
family. Coaching through technology is especially useful for rural
communities or when content experts live in communities removed
from participating programs. An additional benefit of online
coaching is the ability to effectively meet the development needs of
child welfare professionals in a cost-effective manner.
Coaches, Mentors, and Counselors
Formal coaching strategies have some similarities to different
counseling styles and professional mentoring programs.
Understanding the differences in these strategies will help the
agency avoid coaching pitfalls, such as coaches who step outside the
role of coaching and into the realm of counseling. All parties