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Child Welfare Workforce Retention Research in New York State

This study by the New York State Social Work Education Consortium aims to strengthen the child welfare workforce and develop effective approaches for recruitment and retention. It involves a participatory research approach, involving various stakeholders such as researchers, county commissioners, policy and program staff, and students. The study explores county characteristics, worker demographics, job satisfaction, caseload sizes, and organizational factors associated with retention.

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Child Welfare Workforce Retention Research in New York State

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  1. Child Welfare Workforce Retention Research in New York State New York State Social Work Education Consortium CSWE Child Welfare Symposium-2003

  2. Study Team Members Commissioners Social Work Education Consortium NYS Office of Children and Family Services NYS Deans Association University Faculty and Students CSWE Child Welfare Symposium-2003

  3. Project History • OCFS Turnover Survey • Commissioners in counties with turnover over 25% meet • Commissioners request a study • Consortium agrees to lead the study CSWE Child Welfare Symposium-2003

  4. Study Objectives • Use a participatory approach to create knowledge to strengthen the child welfare workforce • Help managers develop effective approaches to recruit and retain workers CSWE Child Welfare Symposium-2003

  5. County Characteristics • Population: 31,582 - 1,419,369 • FY 2000 Child Abuse Reports: 400 - 8,569 • Indicated Reports: 78 - 2,820 • Workforce size: 18 - 279 • Beginning Salary: $23,446 - $35,805 • Average salary: $25,595 - $43,639 CSWE Child Welfare Symposium-2003

  6. Participatory (Action) Research • 11 schools of participatory research • Each is grounded in • Different traditions • Different philosophical and psychological assumptions • Different political goals (Reason and Bradbury, 2001) • In all the research process is participative, grounded in experience, action oriented CSWE Child Welfare Symposium-2003

  7. Study Approach • Value the expertise and contributions of faculty, county commissioners, state policy and program staff, and students • Respect, trust, and communicate CSWE Child Welfare Symposium-2003

  8. Process • Research team meetings • Ongoing and regular feed back from all partners • Consensus building CSWE Child Welfare Symposium-2003

  9. Process • Travel to counties to present the survey in person • Travel to counties to present and discuss initial findings • Meetings with commissioners to plan next steps of the study CSWE Child Welfare Symposium-2003

  10. Benefits of the process • Commissioners feel ownership of the study findings • Commissioners are committed to future steps CSWE Child Welfare Symposium-2003

  11. Challenges of the process • Time • Truly incorporating participants views resulted in scientific compromises • Uncertain implications of team-member turnover CSWE Child Welfare Symposium-2003

  12. 696 child welfare workers in all participating counties 409 child welfare workers participated in the study 59% of workers participated in the study Demographics CSWE Child Welfare Symposium-2003

  13. Race of Participants CSWE Child Welfare Symposium-2003

  14. Gender of Participants CSWE Child Welfare Symposium-2003

  15. Age of Participants • Average age of Participants is 39.8 years • Average age of Supervisors is 44.3 years • Average age of Workers is 38.2 years CSWE Child Welfare Symposium-2003

  16. Age Brackets of Supervisors and Workers CSWE Child Welfare Symposium-2003

  17. Years in Child Welfare • Mean number of years is 8.5 • Half of the participants have worked less than 5.8 years; half have worked more than 5.8 years. • The median number of years worked by participants is 5.8 • Time in Child Welfare ranged from 1 month to 40 years CSWE Child Welfare Symposium-2003

  18. Average Years in Child Welfare CSWE Child Welfare Symposium-2003

  19. Median Years in Child Welfare CSWE Child Welfare Symposium-2003

  20. Annual Salary Range* 2 participants reported a salary of less than $20,000. CSWE Child Welfare Symposium-2003

  21. Satisfaction with Salary and Benefits CSWE Child Welfare Symposium-2003

  22. Annual Household Income 15.4% of participants in all counties combined hold more than one job CSWE Child Welfare Symposium-2003

  23. Child Caseload Size • Workers in all counties combined reported caseloads ranging from 0 – 400. • Supervisors in all counties combined reported caseloads ranging from 0-1700. • The average number of children in caseloads of supervisors is 165. • The median number of children in caseloads of supervisors is 50. CSWE Child Welfare Symposium-2003

  24. Child Caseload Size of Workers CSWE Child Welfare Symposium-2003

  25. Caseload Size CSWE Child Welfare Symposium-2003

  26. Foster Families and Biological Parents in Caseloads of all participants CSWE Child Welfare Symposium-2003

  27. Supervisor Task Breakdown CSWE Child Welfare Symposium-2003

  28. Worker Task Breakdown CSWE Child Welfare Symposium-2003

  29. Task Breakdown for Workers and Supervisors in All Counties CSWE Child Welfare Symposium-2003

  30. Work Experience *Other category includes: adult services, youth/PINS/JD, day care, income employment, child support, emergency services, foster home finding, homeless services, intake, and out of state. CSWE Child Welfare Symposium-2003

  31. Casework as a Choice CSWE Child Welfare Symposium-2003

  32. Organizational and Supervisory Factors Associated with Retention CSWE Child Welfare Symposium-2003

  33. Organizational Factors • Clarity & Coherence of Practice • Life Work Fit • Goal Attainment, Job Satisfaction & Efficacy • Job Supports & Relationships • Technology, Training & Record Keeping • Salaries & Benefits CSWE Child Welfare Symposium-2003

  34. Supervisory Factors • Supervisor Support • Supervisor Competence CSWE Child Welfare Symposium-2003

  35. Logistic Regression Models Workers Only –with statistical significance Higher scores on all Organizational dimensions except salary & benefits reduces the likelihood of considering new job Higher Score on supervisor support reduces the likelihood of considering a new job. CSWE Child Welfare Symposium-2003

  36. Analysis continued A higher score on satisfaction with organizational dimensions consistently reduces the likelihood of considering a new job, even when controlling for salary, caseload size and paperwork A higher score on supervisor support reduces by 42% the likelihood of considering a new job even when controlling for salary, caseload size and paperwork A higher score on supervisor knowledge is not related to considering a new job (at a level of statistical significance) when accounting for salary, caseload size and paperwork CSWE Child Welfare Symposium-2003

  37. Recommendations Organizational characteristics matter to worker’s retention (even when accounting for salary, caseload size and paperwork). Supervisor Support is important. Strategies to address this are unique to each county. Interviews to get specific ideas from workers and supervisors regarding specific improvements in their county to improve retention. Survey low turnover counties to see what the differences and similarities are. CSWE Child Welfare Symposium-2003

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