Exploring child welfare worker wellbeing, organizational social context, and staff recommendations for change: a mixed method case study

ABSTRACT

Unpacking evidence-based practice in social work education: a scoping review Child welfare workers are the link between families and the system and are tasked with assessing and mitigating child maltreatment. While US-based research suggests that organizations are prime for child welfare workers to experience poor overall wellbeing, there is a dearth of research in Canada. This mixed method case study explored workers’ levels of burnout, secondary trauma, and compassion satisfaction, and the organizational social context. Qualitative recommendations to promote wellbeing include, Help us help families, Listen to me and appreciate me, Give us time to breathe, Give me my independence, We want to connect, and We are fighting the system.

KEYWORDS:

• Child welfare workers
• wellbeing
• organizational social context
• burnout
• secondary traumatic stress

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Kristen Lwin

Kristen Lwin is an Assistant Professor in the School of Social Work at the University of Windsor.

Xiaohong Shi

Xiaohong Shi is a PhD student in the School of Social Work at the University of Windsor.

Rachel Jewell

Rachel Jewell is a PhD candidate in the School of Social Work at the University of Windsor.

Stacey Lock

Stacey Lock is a PhD student in the School of Social Work at the University of Windsor.

Holly Stack-Cutler

Holly Stack-Cutler is a Quality Assurance Specialist at the Windsor-Essex Children’s Aid Society

Derrick Drouillard

Derrick Drouillard is the Executive Director at the Windsor-Essex Children’s Aid Society.