Improving Recruitment & Retention in Public Child Welfare – Some Lessons Learned

University of Iowa and

Iowa Department of Human Services

December 4, 2008

Background

Collaboration between the University of Iowa School of Social Work and the Iowa Department of Human Services

One of 8 projects funded by the Children’s Bureau under the priority area of developing training to improve Recruitment and Retention in public child welfare agencies.

Child Welfare Workforce Challenges

Long-standing high turnover rates & inability to fill vacant positions in child welfare agencies

Demographic workforce changes: aging workforce, younger workers with different values (work/life balance), loss of rural workforce

Demographic population changes: migration of diverse populations into formerly homogeneous communities

Child Welfare Workforce Research

Key factors associated with retention Supervision Service orientation/mission/caring Workload Organizational support Coworker support Promotional opportunities Organizational climate Social work education

University of Iowa’s Project

Retention in the public child welfare agency through statewide supervisor training

Recruitment through development of child welfare specialization at UI School of Social work

Impact of Supervision

Supervision plays an important role in enhancing child welfare workers’ job satisfaction, commitment, and retention (Rycraft, 1994; Landsman, 2001, 2008; Dickinson & Perry, 2002; U.S. GAO, 2003).

Supervisors have key role in training/mentoring child welfare workers (Gleeson, 1992; Curry et al., 2005)

Impact of Supervision

Supervisors can help mediate effects of stressful working conditions and job demands (Mor Barak, Nissley,& Levin, 2001)

Perception that supervisors provide opportunities to develop skills results in increased organizational citizenship behaviors and improved performance (Hopkins, 2002)

Impact of Social Work Education

Some evidence from research that Title IV-E MSW trained workers more likely to stay in child welfare (Dickinson & Perry, 2002; Jones, 2002; Robin & Hollister, 2002)

Some evidence from research that Title IV-E trained social workers have stronger knowledge/skills (Fox et al., 2000; Gansle & Ellett, 2002; Hopkins, Mudrick, & Rudolph, 1999)

Mixed research evidence on impact of having a social work degree on retention

Recruitment

Need: 9% of DHS employees hold the MSW degree; 47% hold a BSW.

University of Iowa School of Social Work did not offer specific courses to prepare students for child welfare careers

Recruitment

Focused on strengthening the School of Social Work’s curricula in child welfare

Developed child welfare field of practice for MSW and BSW students

Developed three new courses specifically focused on child welfare: Child Welfare Policy and Practice, Clinical Issues in Child Welfare; and Supervision in Child Welfare

Retention – Supervision Training

Baseline statewide employee survey Focus groups in all service areas to obtain

supervisor input Eight day supervisor training program

developed with input/involvement of IA supervisors for IA supervisors Developed model of supervision

Implemented training 2x statewide Evaluation of usefulness, knowledge gain

Lesson Learned (#1)

Seeking input from supervisors early in the process helped to increase relevance and investment

Evaluation data: between 80-98% of supervisors participated in training

Implementation

Curriculum content discussed with statewide advisory committee

Training implemented in four geographically mixed groups (per request)

Each module delivered in 1-2 days Each module field tested with 1 group, then

revised and delivered to other groups Trainings included lecture/small group

discussion/break-out workshops

Lesson Learned (#2)

Supervisors appreciated and benefitted from opportunities to interact with peers from across the state; more opportunities for peer support for supervisors are needed

Evaluation data: open-ended comments reinforced the value of opportunities for peer support

Baseline Survey

Statewide web-based survey of public child welfare employees

Administered in year 1 59% response rate Measured perceptions of the workplace,

supports and stressors, job demands, job satisfaction, commitment, intentions to stay

Organizational Commitment as Precursor to Retention

Organizational commitment:

the relative strength of the individuals’ identification with and involvement in the

employing organization.

Pathways to Organizational Commitment

Organizational Commitment

JobSatisfaction

PerceivedOrg. Support

Findings from Baseline Survey*

Service orientation

Safety

Role ambiguity

Distributive justice

Supervisor support

Communication

Workload

Promotional opp

Landsman, M.J. (2008). Pathways to organizational commitment. Administration in Social Work, 32(2), 105-132.

Organizational Commitment

JobSatisfaction

PerceivedOrg. support

Lesson Learned (#3)

Supervisor support affects both emotional satisfaction with the job and appraisal of how the organization values them and cares about them

Investing in supervisors through training and mentoring may be a fruitful strategy to improve staff commitment and retention.

Key Concepts in Our Supervision Model Supervision as an intentional practice

Supervision programming Learning organization Parallel process Developmental, individualized approach Strength-based, reflective supervision Competency-based

Competencies and task analyses Cultural competence

The Learning Organization

A learning organization is: “skilled at creating, acquiring, and transferring

knowledge, and at modifying its behavior to reflect new knowledge and insights” (Garvin, 1998).

characterized by “routine examination of daily activities for opportunities to discover and disseminate knowledge that will enhance practice and services” (Cohen, 2004)

Supervisory Tools for Supporting the Learning Organization Tools for teaching

Assessing learning styles Designing in-service training

Tools for guiding workers to reflect on their practice models

Formats for investigating evidence-based practice

Tools for systematic supervision (e.g., formats for case conferences, formats for supervisory observation)

Parallel Process (Cohen, C. 2004)

Practice principle

Application in practice with families

Application in

Supervision

Application in Organization

Support and strengthen

families

Family focused assessment & family and group intervention

strategies

Team building and development of group structures of support

Networking and building intra- and inter-organizational connections

Strength-Based, Developmental Supervision Principles Each staff member, including the supervisor, is

constantly learning, adapting to changing responsibilities

Mastery proceeds developmentally Each staff member has unique contributions and

strengths A comprehensive supervision program enables the

supervisor to specifically assess and build upon staff strengths to fulfill the program’s purposes and to develop staff competence

Worker Developmental Stages

Advanced Professional

Professional

Novice

Trainee

Increasing

worker initiative

Integration of knowledge and values into practice with

families and in communities

Increasing organizational citizenship/leadership/

retention

Reflective Supervision

A supervision process that elicits from the worker their competence/capacities/

experiences encourages workers to generate solutions to their

practice dilemmas attends to the supervisor-supervisee relationship elicits worker self-reflection and critical thinking strengthens worker’s observation and listening

skills promotes worker self-efficacy

Developmental Supervision Model

Individualize supervision by: Identifying worker skill levels Identify worker preferred learning style Matching supervisory intervention to

worker skill level and learning preferences

Lesson Learned (#4)

Developing a model of supervision reinforced supervision as a model of practice

Evaluation data: pre and post-tests of knowledge demonstrated

significant increase for 87-99% of participants; supervisors increased reported use of supervision

skills over 6 month measurement intervals; Turnover data (excluding retirements) reveal that

4.3% left the agency in the first year after the project began, 4.1% in the second year. Analysis of remaining data is in progress

Competency Based

Knowledge, values and skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of the job

Competencies specified through Articulation of the practice model Task analyses (useful to move from global to

specific worker assessment; identify individual and unit strengths/resources/needs; conduct ongoing formative evaluations)

Cultural Competence

Integrated throughout curriculum Managing a diverse workforce / work

environment / recruitment Succession planning Supporting workers’ development of culturally

competent case practice Using evidence based practice for culturally

competent clinical supervision Building community relationships

Overview of Supervisory Curriculum Module I: Contemporary Child Welfare Supervisory

Practice Module II: Human Resources and Workforce

Development Module III: Case Practice Supervision Module IV: Clinical Practice Supervision Module V: Supervisors’ Role In Addressing Worker

Stress and Safety; Leading Positive Change, Public and Community Relations

Lesson Learned (#5)

Supervisors benefited from training on vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue, self-care as much for themselves as for their staff

More attention to self-care for supervisors

Next Steps

Finalizing training curriculum and tools Follow-up statewide employee survey

How did perceptions of workplace change over time?

Finishing compilation of turnover and job change data What trends were identified in turnover and job

changes over time? How are changes in perceptions of the

workplace related to retention?

Module I: Contemporary Child Welfare Supervisory Practice External forces that affect contemporary social work

supervision “Parallel practice” elements of staff supervision

Cohen, 2004 Apply elements of high performing teams to the work

unit (e.g., “a learning organization,” focus on process, relationship, integration of cultural competence)

Understand personal strengths and challenges as a child welfare supervisor

Module II: Human Resources Functions Effective staff recruitment Strategies for staff retention and development Workforce demographics Succession planning Managing staff performance issues

Module I and II Workshops

Assessing Learning Styles Managing Diversity Supervising Underperforming/Impaired

Workers Employment Interviewing for Success in

Public Child Welfare (including use of Realistic Job Previews)

Supervision of Intergenerational Dynamics

Module III: Case Practice Supervision Strength-based, reflective supervision Supervisory ethics Structured supervision program Topic-specific workshops: Professional

Writing, Safe Case Closure, Culturally Competent Practice, Developing In-Service Programs, Supervising an Impaired Worker

Multiple Methods Supervision

Group supervision Live practice oversight Focused case supervision Full case reviews Stuck case conferences Record reviews/record audits Specific clinical problems Peer consultation

Module IV: Clinical Practice Supervision Integrating knowledge into supervision

Child and adolescent development Adult and child mental health

These two units being made into “take-home” modules for supervisors

Helping workers develop and refine practice theories

Supervising effective intervention planning using evidence-based practice

Module V: Worker Stress and Safety; Leading Positive Change; Public & Community Relations

Leadership during organizational transformation – helping workers deal with change

Individual and organizational factors of resilience

Vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue Responding to critical incidents Workplace safety Strategies for promoting self care