Social Work Commons^™

Adjustments To Social Work Practice During The Covid-19 Adjustments To Social Work Practice During The Covid-19 Pandemic In North Carolina: Effects On Burnout And Commitment Pandemic In North Carolina: Effects On Burnout And Commitment, Aaron Brown, Jayme E. Walters, Aubrey E. Jones, Lara Cates

Social Work Faculty Publications

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for social workers in the U.S. and abroad has increased. There is demand for more social workers in North Carolina due to ongoing and increasing mental health, substance use disorder, and child welfare needs. COVID-19 has taken a toll on the personal and professional lives of social workers, and research is needed to understand the pandemic’s effects on burnout and commitment among social workers. The present study sought to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the personal and professional lives of social workers practicing in North Carolina and to determine how …

A Phenomenological Study On The Contributors Of Compassion Fatigue With Substance Use Disorder Counselors During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Jennifer A. Galvano

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This phenomenological study aimed to understand the experience of compassion fatigue in substance use counselors in Western New York during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many studies have reviewed burnout, compassion fatigue, and secondary trauma and have discussed the outcomes of their unmanaged effects on healthcare professionals. Few have focused directly on the impact that key contributors of compassion fatigue have on substance abuse disorder (SUD) counselors. This qualitative study is designed to support substance abuse counselors’ mental health and well-being. Counselors are exposed to clashing situations such as turnover, larger caseloads, client trauma, regulations, lack of training, lack of understanding of …

Oncology Healthcare Professionals’ Mental Health During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Leeat Granek, Ora Nakash

School for Social Work: Faculty Publications

The paper begins by reviewing the literature on oncology healthcare professionals’ (HCP) mental health. We summarize and present the current data on HCP mental health in order to understand the baseline state of oncology HCPs’ mental health status prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. At each juncture, we will discuss the implications of these mental health variables on the personal lives of HCPs, the healthcare system, and patient care. We follow by reviewing the literature on these parameters during the COVID-19 pandemic in order to better understand the impact of COVID-19 on the overall mental health of HCPs working in oncology. …

Political Skill, Megan Paul

Umbrella Summaries

What is political skill? Political skill refers to “the ability to effectively understand others at work, and to use such knowledge to influence others to act in ways that enhance one’s personal and/or organizational objectives” (Ahearn et al., 2004, p. 311). Unlike organizational politics, which involve selfserving and detrimental behavior, political skill involves positive, sincere, and effective influence (Ferris et al., 2005). The primary measure of political skill is the 18-item Political Skill Inventory, which assesses political skill through four factors: social astuteness, interpersonal influence, networking ability, and apparent sincerity. Example items from each factor, respectively, include “I always seem …

The Journey Towards Equilibrium: A Phenomenological Study Of The Master Of Social Work (Msw) Student Experience And Interrole Conflict, Nikol Downing

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the phenomenon of interrole conflict for master level social work (MSW) students in the United States. The two theories guiding this study are role theory and theory of self-care. Role theory allowed a framework for what interrole conflict is and how it impacts individuals who experience it. Understanding role conflict aided in understanding the experience of MSW students during their academic journey. Theory of self- care allowed a framework for understanding how self-care can combat some of the negative results of interrole conflict such as burnout or secondary traumatic stress. This …

Secondary Traumatic Stress, Burnout And Resilience In The Child Welfare Workforce: Early Results From Nebraska’S Randomized Controlled Trial Of Resilience Alliance, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development

Other QIC-WD Products

A 2018 needs assessment indicated that more than 50% of the child welfare workforce in Nebraska was experiencing elevated secondary traumatic stress (STS). STS refers to the experience of people – generally professionals– who are exposed to others’ traumatic events as part of their work. As a result of this exposure, these professionals can develop their own traumatic symptoms and reactions such as sleeplessness and anxiety. The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Division of Children and Family Services (DCFS) in partnership with the Quality Improvement Center for Workforce Development (QIC-WD) implemented CFS Strong, a multi-phased workforce intervention …

Compassion Fatigue In Students Completing Fieldwork, Darcy Walker

Honors Projects

This project was completed for students who are entering or actively completing fieldwork in the helping professions. It includes a pamphlet, annotated bibliography, and reflective essay. The pamphlet includes information on the signs of secondary traumatic stress, burnout, and compassion fatigue, as well as ways to prevent and combat them. The annotated bibliography summarizes and analyzes the importance of the sources used to complete the pamphlet. The reflective essay is an honest account of the author's own struggles with secondary traumatic stress and burnout, and the process of combating them while simultaneously completing this project.

Work Experiences Of Rural Social Workers In The United States, Jayme E. Walters, Aubrey E. Jones, Aaron R. Brown

Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology Faculty Publications

Rural social workers face unique challenges and opportunities as they seek to address the needs of rural Americans. Using social media, rural social workers in the U.S. were recruited to describe their characteristics and explore factors related to their job satisfaction, burnout, and organizational commitment. Analyses included univariate descriptive statistics, bivariate correlations, and multiple regression. The sample (N = 192) represented 146 counties in 36 states. Participants tended to be White, female, MSW-degreed direct-service providers. Participants were moderately satisfied with their organizational environments and workloads. Age, being Black, and working in settings other than child welfare were most strongly related …

Moral Injury Among Professionals In K–12 Education, Erin Sugrue

Faculty Authored Articles

This article presents the quantitative portion of a mixed methods study of moral injury among professionals in K–12 public education. Using a cross-sectional correlational survey design, 218 licensed K–12 professionals from 68 schools in one urban school district in the Midwest completed an on-line survey that included measures of moral injury and emotional and behavioral correlates. The K–12 professionals exhibited levels of moral injury similar to those experienced by military veterans. Correlational analyses found that experiences of moral injury were associated with feelings of guilt, troubled conscience, burnout, and the intention to leave one’s job. Linear regression analyses demonstrated that …

Drug Overdose Prevention: Needs Of Healthcare Professionals And First Responders, Jessica Groeneweg, Lynn Castrianno, Gaylene Armstrong, Jeanette Harder, Rachel Lubischer, Dawne Frain

Reports

Purpose and Background
The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) partnered with Support and Training for the Evaluation of Programs (STEPs) at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, Grace Abbott School of Social Work, to complete a statewide needs assessment between October 2018 and April 2019. The purpose of this needs assessment was to gauge the capacity of statewide systems in Nebraska to respond to surges or clusters of intentional, unintentional, and unknown drug overdoses, especially in high-burden areas and with a focus on opioids. The hope of the results from this needs assessment is to inform DHHS …

Use Of The Copenhagen Burnout Inventory With Social Workers: A Confirmatory Factor Analysis, Jayme E. Walters, Aaron R. Brown, Aubrey E. Jones

Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology Faculty Publications

Burnout among social workers continues to be a relevant issue as it can lead to major problems: personal health issues, service deterioration, and turnover. This study examined the use of the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory with U.S. social workers (N = 1774) in direct-service and non-direct-service roles. The CBI is a no-cost alternative to the commonly employed Maslach Burnout Inventory. Results revealed that the CBI is a suitable tool to measure burnout among social workers regardless of position. Screening, identifying sources, and action planning to reduce burnout are critical steps for organizations to ensure a quality atmosphere for employees and clients.

Rural Social Work: Recruitment, Job Satisfaction, Burnout, And Turnover, Aaron R. Brown, Jayme E. Walters, Aubrey E. Jones, Omotola Akinsola

Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology Faculty Publications

Rural agencies have unique challenges related to recruitment and retention of social workers. A systematic literature review was conducted to examine job satisfaction, burnout and turnover among rural social workers. Based on 28 included articles, results indicate: (a) rural social workers tend to be from rural areas or have completed training in rural settings; (b) poor job satisfaction predicts turnover among rural social workers; (c) rural vs. urban differences for satisfaction, burnout, intention to leave, and turnover are mixed; and (d) greater work-life balance and supervisory support increase retention among rural social workers. This study provides recommendations for informing education, …

Invest In Your Librarians: An Open Thesis To Nypl President Tony Marx, Wilfredo Rivera-Scotti

Publications and Research

An exploration of the resources required to address the issues New York City public libraries – particularly those in underserved, low-income communities – face in dealing with patrons afflicted by homelessness, mental illness and addictions.

Using a New York Public Library branch in the Bronx as a case study, there will be ample evidence indicating a lack of resources for both employees and patrons alike.

Professional Burnout: Are Social Workers As Crispy As We Think?, Paul Force-Emery Mackie

Social Work Department Publications

This presentation focuses on burnout among social workers. The presentation will include historical and empirical information, findings from current research on the topic, and suggestions for identifying and managing burnout.