Child Welfare Social Workers Research Articles

Immigrant social worker practice: An ecological perspective on strengths and challenges

In response to the needs of growing immigrant populations in the United States, social service agencies are developing culturally appropriate interventions and recruiting bilingual and bicultural practitioners. While few studies have explored social work practices with immigrant children and families in the child welfare field, very little is known about the experiences, perceptions, and practices of child welfare social workers who are immigrants themselves. This study applies the socioecological framework to identify strengths and challenges among immigrant social workers at different system levels. Fourteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with ethnic Chinese immigrant social workers who work or have worked in a family supportive service program in New York City. Findings from this study reveal that, at the individual level, immigrant social workers expressed the following advantages: 1) engaging families through emotional connections, 2) being a role model for families, 3) performing as a mediator between parents and children, and 4) being open-minded to different cultures. They also experienced challenges such as 1) unfamiliarity with Chinese subcultures, 2) power imbalance with clients, and 3) clients' resistance. At the agency and community levels, immigrant social workers were likely to 1) provide culturally appropriate services and 2) become a cultural broker for colleagues within the agency and for other professionals in the larger community. Particularly, immigrant social workers were building a community with available and accessible services for diverse groups. But they encountered agency and community discrimination and/or exploitation and felt insecure about their jobs due to their immigration status. Implications for practice and future research were discussed in order to improve professional development and working environments of immigrant social workers, as well as to enhance the quality of service delivery to immigrant children and families.

Social Worker Perceptions of Marijuana Use versus Opiate Use Among Pregnant Women

The aim of this literature review is to determine child welfare social worker’s perceptions of pregnant women who use marijuana versus pregnant women who use opiates. Differences in risk perception will be assessed and compared based on age, gender, ethnicity, education level, place of employment, level of income, and history of substance use. The study is important because there is a gap in the literature when it comes to comparing child welfare social worker’s perceptions of pregnant women’s use of marijuana to pregnant women’s use of opiates, and the referral to services and treatment differences.

Enhancing the practice of immigrant child welfare social workers in the United States

Responding to the needs of growing immigrant populations, many US social service sectors have recruited bilingual and bicultural practitioners, including immigrants. However, little is known about the immigrant social workers. This article explores the practice context of immigrant child welfare social workers in the United States. First, acculturation theory is applied to frame the experiences of US immigrants. Second, we explore professional development of practitioners working with immigrant families. Third, we discuss the intersectionality connecting immigration and social work professionalization. We conclude that the immigration and acculturation experiences of immigrant social workers are unique strengths for working with immigrant populations.

Comparing Risk-Averse and Risk-Friendly Practitioners in Child Welfare Decision-Making: A Mixed Methods Study

Variable decisions are a persistent problem in child welfare decision-making. This article reports on the findings of a study of variability drivers in Aotearoa New Zealand. Using a mixed methods ecological approach, it compares ‘risk-averse’ and ‘risk friendly’ practitioners (n = 67 child welfare social workers). The study found the risk-averse group contained more non-governmental child welfare workers, but there were no other demographic differences. Risk-averse respondents were more certain of their conclusions even when little information was provided, and rated the children’s safety lower. The risk-averse group estimated more harm to children over time, if there was no intervention. Both groups described risk and safety factors similarly, but despite this shared knowledge base, risk and safety level perceptions still differed. When explaining problem causes the risk-averse group focused on the past trauma histories of parents, whereas the risk-friendly group focused more on issues in the present. This pattern suggests practitioners conceptualise the meaning and weighting of risk factors differently, with some having a ‘developmental lifespan- futurist’ orientation as opposed to a ‘welfare/needs-presentist’ orientation. Implications for practice are discussed.

Transnational social workers in statutory child welfare: A scoping review

Internationally, child welfare services experience chronic workforce shortages and high rates of staff turnover. One strategy adopted to fill critical workforce gaps is the international recruitment of social workers. Child welfare employers in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom have a shared tradition of recruiting transnational social workers to address ongoing labour shortages in the Northern and Southern Hemisphere. This raises questions about the impact of this practice for those migrating social workers and about practice with indigenous populations. This paper scoped publications to identify emerging themes about social work movement between these countries, with a focus on knowledge that can prepare transnational social workers for the unique Australian context, including working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. The review found that international recruitment to statutory child welfare in Australia is not well researched, with limited evidence about the profile of recruits, the effectiveness of this strategy and retention rates. The demographics and experiences of overseas qualified social workers in child welfare over the past 40years in the various Australian jurisdictions remain relatively unknown. There are major gaps in knowledge about the ways international recruitment affects outcomes for children, and their families, in Australia's statutory child welfare services delivery.

Job-strain and well-being among Finnish social workers: exploring the differences in occupational well-being between child protection social workers and social workers without duties in child protection

ABSTRACTWork-related mental distress and its impact on employees’ working life is a mounting issue among Finnish social workers. This article focuses on identifying the factors associated with child welfare social workers’ occupational well-being. The occupational well-being of Finnish child welfare social workers (N = 364) and social workers whose duties do not include child protection work (N = 524) was explored and compared with each other using t-test statistics and logistic regression analysis. The data, collected in 2014/2015, were obtained from an ongoing longitudinal cohort study on work-related well-being among Finnish public sector employees. A multi-dimensional and holistic approach to occupational well-being was used as the outline for the analysis and comparison of the two groups. Child protection social workers reported higher levels of burnout and secondary traumatic stress than social workers without child protection duties. Despite these burdens, both groups showed a similar level of general health, compassion satisfaction and overall occupational well-being. Individual and organizational factors associated with high occupational well-being were identified. Supervision was found to be an important supporting element. This study identified multiple determinants related to social workers’ occupational well-being, comprising positive and negative elements with regard to organizational and individual factors.

What social workers talk about when they talk about child care proceedings in the District Court in Ireland

AbstractCourt proceedings are a fundamental and increasingly time‐consuming aspect of social work practice. However, to date, there is a relatively modest body of literature considering the experiences of social workers in instituting child care proceedings and giving evidence in court. This paper draws on data gathered as part of an in‐depth qualitative study of professional experiences of District Court child care proceedings in Ireland and presents findings regarding the experiences of social workers in bringing court applications for child protection orders. It seeks to answer 2 key questions: First, how do child protection and welfare social workers experience the adversarial nature of child care proceedings in the District Court? Second, what are the views of child protection and welfare social workers on the strengths and weaknesses of child care proceedings as a decision‐making model for children and young people? The main findings are that social workers expressed significant reservations about the predominantly adversarial model that currently operates in Irish child care proceedings and about the level of respect that social workers are afforded within the operation of the system.

A Professional Role in Transition: Swedish Child Welfare Social Workers’ Descriptions of Their Work in 2003 and 2014

This study is based on a follow-up in 2014 of a survey conducted in 2003 among Swedish child welfare social workers. The same questionnaire used in 2003 (n = 309) was distributed to social workers ...

Where the need is greatest: a comparison of the perceived working conditions of social workers in Swedish metropolitan low,- middle-and high-income areas in 2003 and 2014

This study is the third in a series of studies comparing the development of the working conditions of child welfare social workers in Sweden during the last decade. The same questionnaire was distributed in 2014 (n = 349) to the social workers handling investigations of children and youth who were working with the same types of tasks in the districts previously investigated in 2003 (n = 309). The questionnaire (QPS Nordic) contained questions about their job content, role conflicts, demands, organisational climate, job satisfaction and intention to leave the workplace or change profession. The aim of the present study was to analyse this development in relation to the low-income, middle-income and high-income districts where the social workers were employed. The results reveal two different patterns. The first concerns the social workers’ perception of their work tasks where the situation seems to have deteriorated in all three income areas but more so in the low income areas. Furthermore, the social workers’ intention to leave the workplace and health problems had increased overall, but were more pronounced in the low income areas. The second pattern concerns the differences in the social workers’ perception of their workplace in terms of support, leadership and organisational climate. In the low-income areas the social workers today are significantly less satisfied with how their organisations function than their colleagues were in 2003, whereas the social workers in the other areas today seem significantly more satisfied than in 2003. The consequences of these changes and their probable background are discussed.

Job Expectations and Career Goals of Title IV-E Child Welfare Social Workers with Varying Levels of Work Experience: How Do They Differ?

ABSTRACTA comparison of three groups of Title IV-E child welfare workers revealed significant differences among all groups on job expectations and career goals. New workers reported most positive expectations for their jobs, and greatest interest in child welfare careers and in pursuing educational goals. Seasoned workers expressed least positive expectations and least interest in future child welfare careers and educational goals. Findings may assist universities in student selection and curriculum. Child welfare agencies may benefit in areas of recruitment, training, and policies. Realistic job previews might moderate high expectations for new workers and reduce unmet expectations for experienced workers.

Child Welfare Social Workers and Open Adoption Myths

ABSTRACTOpen adoption can have positive effects on the psychological well-being of adopted children. This study's purpose was to explore child welfare social workers' open adoption attitudes and their agreement with open adoption myths in predicting the relationship with their levels of openness toward open adoption. This study showed that open adoption attitudes, open adoption myths, and area of practice have an association with the levels of openness toward open adoption in a group of child welfare social workers. This information could be beneficial to policy makers and professionals who may be interested in increasing the facilitation of open adoption.

Teaching Motivational Interviewing to Child Welfare Social Work Students Using Live Supervision and Standardized Clients: A Randomized Controlled Trial

AbstractObjective: Motivational interviewing (MI) has demonstrated effectiveness with varied populations; however, methods of training students in MI vary. The present study tests the efficacy of a brief experiential training approach used to teach MI to child welfare social work students. We hypothesized that students exposed to the experimental training would demonstrate more MI adherent behaviors, experience less decay in skills at follow-up, and report higher levels of self-efficacy and positive attitude toward using MI. Method: Using a randomized controlled trial design, 54 students were assigned to either live supervision (LS) training with standardized clients (SC) or teaching-as-usual (TAU) online self-study. Students were assessed at 4 time points through self-reports and SC interviews. Audiotapes of interviews were coded using the Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity coding system to determine MI skills, adherent behaviors, and proficiency level. Results: No significant demographic diff...

The multi-local residency of children seen through case descriptions of Finnish child welfare social workers

ABSTRACTThe organisation of the daily lives of children encountered in Finnish child welfare work is approached here in the light of multi-local residency. Conceptually the focus will be on children’s residential changes or moves. It is an explorative pilot study in the context of municipal in-home child welfare social work, attempting to establish the existence of the phenomenon. The data consist of case descriptions of child clients drawn up by social workers. The data are analysed by the causes and the nature of the residential changes. As a result, the multiple changes and their accumulation in the lives of the child clients of child welfare are remarkable. In-home child welfare interventions themselves also produce children’s multi-local residency. Gathering the research data and discussing the results were a momentous experience for many of the social workers. Home-based child welfare work rarely examines the child’s housing history as a lifelong continuum. More often, the focus is on the current moment or recent events. Mapping a geography of well-being on the basis of children’s housing and relationships to places deserves elaboration as a tool for social work with children.

Child welfare workers and social justice: Mending the disconnect

While professional social workers are clearly obligated to pursue social justice, controversies abound surrounding what that means in theory and practice. Perhaps nowhere are the paradoxes inherent in practice for social justice seen in sharper contrast than in the field of child welfare. Intended to protect the rights of children, child welfare systems themselves have been characterized as instruments of oppression. This article hopes to enrich that discourse through an examination of how these issues are conceptualized and acted upon by front-line child welfare social workers. Through in-depth interviews with 25 child welfare workers, and 3 focus groups, in two Canadian provinces, and employing grounded theory strategies for data collection and analysis, we have explored understandings of the social justice mandate and how it is expressed in practice. Participants in this study conceptualized social justice in terms of both wider societal goals of fairness and equality, and of the quality of interactions and relationships between social workers and those with whom they work; conceptual emphasis on one or the other of these we found to be associated with differences in practice. We reflect on the implications of each of these emphases for effectiveness in advancing social justice aims in the child welfare context, and make recommendations regarding a grounding for educators and practitioners in theoretical orientations that includes attention to the linkages between macro and micro opportunities to advance social justice.

NCWWI Traineeships: A National Cross-Site Evaluation of Child Welfare Stipend Programs for Ethnically Diverse Students

The task of recruiting and retaining ethnically diverse, qualified, and committed social workers in child welfare is challenging. Federal funding supporting BSW and MSW education has been a catalyst for university–agency partnerships across the country. An important goal of these partnerships is to prepare social work students with the knowledge, skills, and competencies for effective child welfare practice. The National Child Welfare Workforce Institute’s innovative child welfare traineeships program prepares students from 12 social work programs around the country. This study focused on diversity, competency attainment, and readiness for the job. Results showed that programs recruited ethnically diverse students, and after receiving child welfare–specific content and hands-on experiences in the field, students felt competent and prepared for child welfare work.

Preparing Social Work Students for Rural Child Welfare Practice: Emerging Curriculum Competencies

Multiple issues that are unique to child welfare social work practice in rural areas markedly affect workforce recruitment and retention, yet little attention is given to the proficiencies needed to equip emerging social workers for this growing area of the field. Curriculum content is needed that provides students with the opportunity to master the skills needed to thrive as child welfare social workers in rural areas. Using an evidence-based practice critical thinking model as a guide, a systematic review of literature and documents addresses many of the competencies needed to prepare social work students for child welfare practice in rural areas. These competencies are identified. Suggestions for integration into the social work curriculum are offered.

Street-Level Strategies of Child Welfare Social Workers in Flanders: The Use of Electronic Client Records in Practice.

The use of information and communication technology (ICT) in child welfare services has increased significantly during the last decades, and so have the possibilities to process health data. Parton (2009) states that this evolution has led to a shift in the nature of social work itself: from ‘the social’ to ‘the informational’. It is claimed that social workers primarily are becoming information processors concerned with the gathering, sharing and monitoring of information, instead of being focused on the relational dimensions of their work. However, social workers have considerable discretion concerning the way they use ICT. In this paper, we investigate (i) the street-level strategies social workers develop regarding ICT and (ii) how these relate to a narrative social work approach. To illustrate this, an evaluation of Charlotte was conducted, a client registration system that is used by social workers in child welfare services in Flanders, Belgium. Based on fifteen interviews, we find that social workers develop various strategies regarding Charlotte to preserve a relational and narrative work approach. These strategies not only result in a gap between ICT policy and the execution of that policy in practice, but also decrease the extent to which accountability can be realised via registration data.

A Validation Study of the Revised Personal Safety Decision Scale

Objective: The purpose of this study is to examine the reliability and validity of an 11-item Personal Safety Decision Scale (PSDS) in a sample of child welfare workers. Methods: Data were derived from a larger cross-sectional online survey to a random stratified sample of 477 public child welfare workers in a mid-Atlantic State. An exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were used to examine the construct validity of the revised scale. Results: Results indicated the presence of a two-factor structure in PSDS. CFA resulted in a revised 7-item, two-factor structure. The revised PSDS internal consistency reliability was .78. Conclusions: A valid and reliable measure can be useful for assessing the level of perceived home visit risks that child welfare social workers may experience. The scale can be used to explore the risk and protective factors and worker behaviors that surround workers’ safety concerns.

Partnerships in Social Work Education

Historically, society has associated a visit from a child protection worker with the removal of children. In Canada in the 1960s, Aboriginal children were removed from their communities in alarming numbers and were referred to as the “sixties scoop.” This may in part explain the difficulty in recruiting Aboriginal social workers into child welfare practice. This reality prompted the development of a post–bachelor degree certificate aimed at increasing the number of Aboriginal child welfare social workers in northern British Columbia. The results discussed in this article stem from three certificate cohorts and highlight the development of new partnerships and students’ experiences. Two years following the completion of the third cohort, nearly 80% of the students recruited were still employed in the North.

Group Therapy at a Prison for Women: A Therapist's Perspective

A wide range of issues are explored that are identified by incarcerated mothers during their participation in a Family Reunification Group at a prison for women. They include concerns regarding parent–child visits; lack of communication by child welfare social workers, attorneys, foster parents, and other caregivers; the Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA); lack of finances; past and present unresolved trauma issues; and the absence of notification of scheduled court hearings. This article also provides an in-depth look at how a group therapist established a therapeutic alliance with varied women in the group over a period of 5 years (2008–2013) and maintained a sense of professional self in this controlled setting. Finally, the implications for clinical social work practice and social work education are presented. Confidentiality is ensured with the use of de-identified case composite clinical material.