Journey of Change and Back: A Case Study of a Reconstituted Social Work Service

ABSTRACT

As a result of Total Quality Management and Reengineering principles during the VA's “Journey of Change” in the mid-1990s many hospital social work departments were re-organized under umbrella-care lines. Outcome studies of this movement have focused primarily on patient services. This study focused on the service providers' (including social workers) point of view and their satisfaction with the change in service structure. Data gathering consisted of a master thesis project by one of the co-authors, an administrative in-house survey of staff satisfaction, a qualitative presentation of staff concerns, and the perspective of the administrator who took the decision.

KEYWORDS:

• Social work management
• reengineering
• hospital reengineering
• restructuring
• organizational change
• job satisfaction
• morale
• total quality management
• Veterans Adminstration
• satisfaction survey
• action research
• hospital social work
• hospital social workers

The authors thank the Chief of Staff who provided the management perspective and acknowledge the support of Angie Varela, PhD, of the University of Puerto Rico Graduate School of Social Work who directed the master thesis project described in this publication. The authors also thank the following San Juan social work staff who in one way or the other made this happen: Edna Tizol, MSW; Fortunato Rosado, MSW; LuzEnid Del Valle, MSW; Sonia Adrover, MSW; Liduvina Pereira, MSW; and Krimhilda Lopez, MSW.

The authors acknowledge the support from the VA in providing the resources and time to carry out these studies. They are grateful to the Research and Development (R&D) Committee and the American Federation of Government Employees Union at San Juan for authorizing the surveys.

Notes

Carrion, C.D., Garcia, J.A. & Vazquez, K.M (2003). “Nuevos procesos de gerencia: la percepción de los profesionales sobre las fortalezas y limitaciones sobre la integración de servicios de salud mental en el Hospital de Veteranos de San Juan, Puerto Rico a mayo de 2003.” [New management processes: the perception by professionals of the strengths and limitations of the integration of mental health services at the Veterans Hospital in San Juan, Puerto Rico, May 2003.] Unpublished Master's Thesis, Graduate Program of Social Work, University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus.