An Exploration of Supervisor's and Manager's Responses to Child Welfare Reform

Abstract

This mixed methods study attempts to identify stress in child welfare supervisors and managers in light of recent changes in practice and increased demands on child welfare services. The quantitative component of this study revealed high rates of exposure to critical events and high levels of accountability. In the end, 48.7% of managers and supervisors fell in the high or severe range of post-traumatic symptoms on the Impact of Event Scale. The qualitative component underscored the stressors associated with high staff turnover, increased accountability and the pressure to support staff in light of these factors. A concerning outcome was the risk that highly skilled and experienced leaders in child welfare are giving up.