Commitment to Work in Child Welfare

1. Commitment to Work in Child Welfare Kathleen Coulborn Faller, Phd, Robert M. Ortega, Phd & Marguerite Grabarek, M.S.W., M.A.University of MichiganSchool of Social Work 17th National Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect Marriott Marquis, Atlanta Georgia April 3, 2009 The University of Michigan - SSW R&R Project

2. Acknowledgements • Co-Principal Investigators Frank Vandervort, J.D. and John Tropman, M.S.W., Ph.D. • Research Consultant Siri Jayaratne, M.S.W., Ph.D. • Research Assistant Claudette Grinnell-Davis, M.S.W. • Project Coordinator Maria Hayes, B.A. • Michigan Department of Human Services • The R&R grant was supported by the U.S. Department of Human Services, Administration on Children, Youth, and Families, Discretionary Programs, Child Welfare Training Grant, Award # 90CT0115 The University of Michigan - SSW R&R Project

3. Session Agenda • Case Example – Rita • Study Background • Commitment Defined • Results • Exit Interviews of Workers of Color • Implications The University of Michigan - SSW R&R Project

4. Case Example - Rita Please watch the video… • What examples of the lack of worker commitment does Rita describe? • How has the worker’s lack of commitment impacted Rita? The University of Michigan - SSW R&R Project

5. Study Background • Status of agency at time of study • Director change • Name change – FIA to DHS • Hiring Freeze, Early Retirement and Turnover • About DHS and Child Welfare • Demography The University of Michigan - SSW R&R Project

6. Study Background (cont.) • The R&R Project – over view • Study Methods • Focus Groups • Exit Interviews • Training Evaluations • Longitudinal Survey The University of Michigan - SSW R&R Project

7. Longitudinal Survey • Total sample: N=651entering positions 2004-2007 • Represents about a third of the state workforce. • 327 (50.2%) Michigan Department of Human Services (M-DHS) new hire child welfare caseworkers, • 191 (29.3%), M-DHS lateral transfer child welfare caseworkers, and • 134 (20.6%) private agency child welfare new hires The University of Michigan - SSW R&R Project

8. Research Questions • What benefits (vs. costs) are there in remaining employed in child welfare? • What is the relationship between intent to stay (commitment) and workforce turnover? • What are the enduring qualities of child welfare work that sustains a steady, stable workforce? The University of Michigan - SSW R&R Project

9. Conceptualizing Commitment • Epistemological Differences: • Psychological: (affective) “attachment” • Interpersonal / Inter-professional: relational • Soci-structural: (normative) obligation; (continuance) absence of alternatives • In Organizational Literature • To the Organization • To the Profession The University of Michigan - SSW R&R Project

10. Commitment defined • Commitment refers to the act of binding oneself to a decision or course of action and continuing in that course of action, rooted in intrapersonal, dyadic or extra-dyadic forces. • This definition recognizes commitment as a complex phenomenon denoting internal, social and structural conditions, and the integration of these conditions, to explain not only the decision but the continuation of that decision. • For the current study we are differentiating commitment to the specific agency (DHS) from commitment to the child welfare profession. The University of Michigan - SSW R&R Project

11. R&R Commitment Study of New Workers • Examined commitment to the agency andchild welfare at 2 and 5 years using a Likert scale (1-7). • Predictors of commitment included: • Social demographic variables ( i.e., race, gender, education, public versus private agency) • Reasons for applying (Top three reasons) The University of Michigan - SSW R&R Project

12. Reason for Working at Agency • Why did you choose to work for your agency? [Please check no more than THREE reasons] • Agency offers good job security • Agency offers good pay • Agency offers good benefits • Always wanted to work for this agency • It was the only job available • My personal / family situation does not allow me to move • I have heard good things about the work of this agency • Gives me an opportunity to help children • Gives me an opportunity to help families • Agency offers good opportunities for advancement • Agency offers job variety, e.g. protect. Services, foster home licensing, etc. • Current job is a stepping stone to go work for DHS The University of Michigan - SSW R&R Project

13. Reason for Working in Child Welfare • Why did you choose to work in child welfare? [Please check no more than THREE reasons] • Always wanted to help children • Always wanted to help families • My personal experiences • I feel working with children is my calling • Not satisfied with my initial career choice • It was the only job available • I was encouraged by others • I wanted to improve the quality of child welfare services • Child welfare work is consistent with my training • Other ______________________________ The University of Michigan - SSW R&R Project

14. Commitment measure • On the scale below, check the box which best describes your degree of commitment for remaining with your agency for at least 2 years more. • How about remaining with your agency for the next 5 years? • On the scale below, check the box which best describes your degree of commitment for remaining in the field of child welfare for at least 2 years more. • How about remaining in the field of child welfare for the next 5 years? 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Not committed Highly at all Committed The University of Michigan - SSW R&R Project

15. Comparison Groups:“Leavers” versus “Stayers”* • Modeling Commitment – 2-Years, 5-Years • Demographic characteristics (Race, gender, Education) • Worker Type • Supervision • Reasons – Agency, Profession * Leavers and Stayers refers to employment status for newly hired workers during the 5 year study period The University of Michigan - SSW R&R Project

16. New worker sample N=460 • Gender • Female=378; 82.2% • Male=76; 16.5% • Race • White=275; 59.8% • Worker of color=163; 35.4% • Education • Bachelors degree=320; 70.5% • Masters degree=133; 18.9% The University of Michigan - SSW R&R Project

17. New worker sample • Agency type • Public=327; 71.1% • Private=133; 28.9% • Job description • CPS=206; 44.8% • Foster care=217; 47.2% • Leavers/stayers (data missing on 38) • Left=78; 18.5% Stay=344; 81.5% • Left • Public=58; 17.7% (NS) • Private=20; 21.1% The University of Michigan - SSW R&R Project

18. Commitment @ Baseline x Work Status The University of Michigan - SSW R&R Project

19. Commitment to Agency for at Least 2 years The University of Michigan - SSW R&R Project

20. Commitment to Agency for at Least 5 years The University of Michigan - SSW R&R Project

21. Commitment to Child Welfare for at Least 2 Years The University of Michigan - SSW R&R Project

22. Commitment to Child Welfare for at Least 5 Years The University of Michigan - SSW R&R Project

23. Predictors of Leaving The University of Michigan - SSW R&R Project

24. Exit Interview Results • Why did you leave your job? “This job was too emotionally draining. It was very stressful working in foster care and it affected me. There were nights I couldn’t sleep because I thought about my caseload. It was hard working with children when they were always down because they got disappointments all the time. It was hard working with biological parents that didn’t want them.” “I got tired of making recommendations and having nobody follow through on them… I thought it was wrong that we could not follow up with clients once their case was closed… I felt like ___ had a job description for me that I did not follow. Most of the time I could not provide the services they wanted me to; it was written on paper to look good.” “Management was horrible; supervision was horrible; agency climate and high stress; bad reputation about minority foster parents not treated the same… it was harder for minorities to be licensed or adoptive parents…” The University of Michigan - SSW R&R Project

25. Exit Interview Results • What would have kept you on your job? “Nothing… this job took away my peace of mind and split my spirit in half.. I couldn’t smile anymore. Nothing made me happy… I went over and above and they did not appreciate what I was doing.” “Us workers feel like management doesn’t care if we stay or go… makes you have no loyalty if you’re treated badly” “If I was able to do the work without feeling pressure to finish the paperwork that was not realistically possible. My reports were always longer and I was criticized for it… If my values matched the work environment… I couldn’t work at a place where the family was not a priority and where families were disrespected…” “A different supervisor.” The University of Michigan - SSW R&R Project

26. Implications • Commitment is vital to clients in the child welfare system. • Need to develop better strategies for retaining professionals of color. • Private agency staff are more unstable than public agency staff—why? • Supervision matters! The University of Michigan - SSW R&R Project