The assessment of staff satisfaction as compared to client satisfaction in two department of social service residential treatment facilities

Summary

This exploratory study looked at the rate of staff satisfaction as compared to client satisfaction in a residential treatment facility. Research has shown that staff who have negative attitudes, and are not satisfied with their positions, transport those negative feelings onto the clients they are serving (Balfour & Neff, 1993), While some turnover is healthy for any organization in that it brings in fresh ideas and expertise, the high rates of turnover in the residential treatment field have grave implications for the quality, consistency, and stability of services provided to the vulnerable populations who are residents of these facilities (Powell & York, 1992; Regehr, Leslie, Howe & Chau, 2000; Todd & Deery‐Schmitt, 1996). Questions to be addressed for this study are: Does the level of job satisfaction affect the quality of care the client is receiving? How can agencies provide better care for their staff in order to pro‐vide care for their clients? Can burnout be prevented? The authors believe that the instrument can be used to help other organizations assess level of burnout among their staff members.

Keywords:

• Staff satisfaction
• client satisfaction
• residential treatment
• staff burnout