Human Services

Understanding Attrition and Predicting Employment Durations of Former Staff in a Public Social Service Organization

by Scotney Evans

Published 2010 in Journal of Social Work, 10(4), 407 -435. Co-authored with Thaden, E., & Jacobs-Priebe, L.

Summary: This study examines factors related to employee attrition in a US state social service organization (SSSO)... more Summary: This study examines factors related to employee attrition in a US state social service organization (SSSO) that administers welfare, food stamps, and Medicaid.
• Findings: Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with 132 former SSSO employees. Qualitative analyses found that informants reported insufficient resources to do their jobs, inconsistent or inadequate training experiences, negative perceptions of the organizational culture and management (e.g. minimal recognition and inadequate support for professional growth or innovation), and typically positive perceptions of co-worker relationships during their tenures at the SSSO. To examine the relative impact of these factors and background variables (age, race, office location, and position) on duration of employment, a multiple linear regression was conducted. Age, office location, position, and perceptions of organizational culture significantly predicted duration of employment (F(7,123) = 24.19, p <.001, R2 = .56).
• Application: Findings suggest that organizational culture may be an important change target for retaining workers in SSSOs.

Child Protection in Texas: Caseworkers Attitudes and Perceptions Towards CPS Services

by Texas State PA Applied Research Projects

Zarate, Emilia Maria, "Child Protection in Texas: Caseworkers Attitudes and Perceptions Towards CPS Services" (2007). Applied Research Projects, Texas State University-San Marcos. Paper 210.
http://ecommons.txstate.edu/arp/210

Purpose: The purpose of this applied research project is to explore caseworkers’ attitudes and perceptions towards... more Purpose: The purpose of this applied research project is to explore caseworkers’ attitudes and perceptions towards services provided to children and families in the state of Texas. The research uses working hypotheses as the conceptual framework.

Method: Six working hypotheses were created that examine services provided by Child Protective Services (CPS). All working hypotheses and sub hypotheses were tested using group interviews. The sample size included 30 CPS caseworkers (Investigators, Family Based Safety Service workers, or Conservatorship workers). Five group interviews were conducted with 6 caseworkers in each group. The interviewees’ responses were recorded and categorized using a Likert scale, from Strongly Agree to Strongly Disagree and a Not Always response. The interviewees also gave their opinion and experiences about working for CPS.

Findings: The interviewees generally agreed that family based safety services have a positive impact on family preservation. The majority of interviewees disagreed that CPS places less emphasis on kinship care. Most interviewees agreed that foster care is fraught with safety concerns. A large number of interviewees agreed that children who are placed in institutions and group homes are there due to extreme behavioral or emotional problems and the children are often medicated, regardless of their ages. The majority of interviewees agreed that permanency planning teams act in the best interest of the families and children. Lastly, most of the interviewees disagreed that parental rights are often terminated unnecessarily.

Explaining the Factors that Affect Child Protective Service Caseworker’s Propensity to Leave Their Job

by Texas State PA Applied Research Projects

Guzman, Gabriel, "Explaining the Factors that Affect Child Protective Service Caseworker’s Propensity to Leave Their Job" (2007). Applied Research Projects, Texas State University-San Marcos. Paper 204.
http://ecommons.txstate.edu/arp/204

Around the corner: A neighborhood-based job initiative for teenagers

by Marc Tumeinski

Published in The SRV Journal, 2(1), 15-20.