Amy D. Benton

Views of Specially-trained Child Welfare Social Workers: A Qualitative Study of their Motivations, Perceptions, and Retention

This study explores the similarities and differences between those who choose to remain in public child welfare (stayers) and those who leave (leavers) in a sample of Title IV-E MSW graduates. Interview transcripts from a self-selected sample of 386 specially-trained, MSW-level child welfare workers were thematically coded to compare and contrast the motivations, perceptions and experiences of 304 stayers and 82 leavers over a 10-year data collection period. Results showed that dedication to children and families and social work values does not differ between stayers and leavers. Overall, respondents raised a central issue of disconnection between educational experiences and agency realities. While all participants acknowledged workload and stress as job challenges, stayers illustrated experiences that buffered job pressures, particularly encounters with supportive supervisors. Leavers tended not to experience these buffers, and expressed more difficulty in balancing their professional and personal lives.

Managing Nonprofit Mergers: The Challenges Facing Human Service Organizations

A growing number of nonprofit organizations are considering strategic restructuring opportunities in the form of mergers due to the current social services environment of increasing competition and decreasing resources. Mergers can be viewed negatively with the loss of an organizations identity or positively as an opportunity to survive and enhance services. Drawing on the literature from both the for-profit and the nonprofit sectors, this article examines the elements of successful mergers related to the nature of the merger process and the role of the human element in all aspects of the merger process. It concludes with recommendations for managers considering a merger and suggestions for future research.

Social Justice Through the Education of a Rural and Tribal Child Welfare Workforce

The state of California has developed an infrastructure to address the workforce development needs of public human service agencies via the Title IV-E Social Work Training program. However, a recent analysis of student retention data indicates that the current infrastructure is not adequately addressing workforce needs for the rural and remote areas of the state. This article reports on a study conducted with county, tribal, community college, and staff stakeholders to explore rural workforce needs and possible solutions. Through the needs-assessment process, a collaborative pilot project using a blended learning model has been designed and initiated. Implications for the dual goals of improving rural workforce development and addressing the core social work value, social justice, through education are discussed.

Of Quant Jocks and Qual Outsiders: Doctoral student narratives on the quest for training in qualitative research

Conceivably all doctoral students experience a degree of uncertainty and anxiety while pursuing their degree, yet the decision to use qualitative methods in a dissertation can be fraught with additional burdens. These may include identifying supplementary coursework, locating supportive faculty, and frequently justifying methodological choices. This article seeks to illuminate the experiences of qualitatively oriented social work doctoral students in the United States as they negotiate these challenges. Personal narratives of four current and recent doctoral students who have incorporated qualitative methods into their education are presented and analyzed for common themes. The themes that emerge from these narratives include early exposure to qualitative methods and a commitment to methodological pluralism, as well as experiences with encountering biases, additional costs, and the challenges of translating the methodologies of other disciplines. Recommendations are presented to encourage dialogue about qualitative research in social work doctoral education.

Sacred time: Ensuring the provision of excellent supervision

ABSTRACT In this study, the authors explore the beliefs and attitudes regarding what constitutes “excellent supervision” from the perspectives of frontline workers and supervisors employed by one voluntary services organization in Northern Ireland. Several themes emerged from focus group narratives, regardless of participants’ agency position, and a concept map provides an understanding of the relationships of the identified themes. This study reflects the important role of organizational context and culture in relation to staff’s ability to provide excellent supervision, as well as in sustaining organizational change efforts regardless of organizational setting. The potential of peer and/or group supervision to address improving staff support with limited resources is also suggested.

Somebody’s Gotta Be There for These Kids: Importance of Service Orientation for Sustaining Public Child Welfare Workers

ABSTRACT Research has long indicated that both employees’ perceptions of external support and their own dispositional factors tend to predict satisfaction, intent to stay, and retention. However, the dispositional factor of service orientation has received minimal attention in child welfare or social work research. This article furthers the research on service orientation by utilizing quantitative surveys to test relationships between service orientation and key organizational variables and then exploring qualitative results to gain a more nuanced perspective on how service orientation inhabits the work-related experiences of study participants and its relation to worker retention projections in the field of child welfare.

Intersections between Technology, Engaged Learning, and Social Capital in Social Work Education

Abstract As the use of technology becomes ubiquitous in the social environments of everyday life, it is imperative that social work educators find ways to draw on the possibilities that technology offers to provide robust, relevant, and effective social work education. Engaged learning and social capital are central to the adjustment, retention, and success of college students, including underserved populations, and that technology plays a role in these processes. However, the intersections of technology, engaged learning, and social capital have not been examined within higher education generally, nor within social work education specifically. In the current study, focus groups were conducted with social work undergraduate and graduate students for the purpose of examining these intersections. Findings indicate that engaged learning and social capital complemented each other, and both were facilitated by technology. Social media is a launching pad for learning beyond the classroom and enables new ways of sharing to create awareness. However, there also exists ambivalence about technology in social work education. Findings are discussed with regard to their implications for fostering social work students’ success.

“I was prepared for the worst I guess”: stayers’ and leavers’ perceptions of their Title IV-E education

ABSTRACT Child welfare workforces across the nation are experiencing high turnover and have for decades. The chronic cost of turnover makes efforts to increase retention crucial. The Title IV-E education stipend program is one way that many states employ to improve their child welfare worker tenure. Through qualitative interviews, this study examines Title IV-E graduates’ experiences and perceptions of preparedness for working in child welfare agencies. Examining how the responses of stayers and leavers differ and assessing similarities collectively can inform educational and agency enhancements to improve services, as well as worker competence and retention.

“Using the other side of my brain”: creativity in the research classroom

ABSTRACT The purpose of this paper is to present the outcomes of integrating student creative projects in social work research methods classes as a strategy to increase student engagement. Researchers propose that integration of literary arts into courses that students sometimes find daunting will provide an alternative to traditional modes of education, thus enhancing opportunities for student learning. Results from a qualitative classroom study will be presented to show student interpretation of their own creative projects and student evaluations of the assignment. Implications for social work education will be offered.