IV-E or not IV-E, that is the question: comparisons of BSW Child Welfare Scholars and matched trainee confidence and retention

ABSTRACT

Our longitudinal study examined the effectiveness of BSW IVE Scholar training (n = 52) compared with a matched cohort (n = 57) of traditionally trained employees. The BSW IV-E Scholars felt significantly more prepared than their traditionally-trained coworkers. BSW IV-E Scholars were significantly more likely to be retained in the first five years of employment than the matched cohort trainees. The study lends strong support for the retention and preparation advantages of BSW Title IV-E training over traditional employee training. This is important given the significant investment of training dollars for IV-E at the Federal, state, and local levels.

KEYWORDS:

• Title IV-E Child Welfare Education
• workforce development
• retention
• child welfare
• competency
• BSW education

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Greta Yoder Slater

Greta Yoder Slater is an associate professor and Title IV-E Coordinator in the Department of Social Work at Ball State University, where she has worked since 2004. She earned a BS from Manchester University, MSW from the University of Kentucky, MPA from Ball State University, and PhD from Indiana University. She has been the PI on several grants through SAMHSA, CSWE, and Indiana Campus Compact. Her research interests have focused on selfcare, workforce development, engaging undergraduate students in research, suicide, and post-traumatic growth. She is a licensed clinical social worker who has mainly practiced in public child welfare and community mental health settings.

Marissa O’Neill

Marissa O’Neill, MSW, PhD, is an assistant professor in social work at Humboldt State University. Dr. O'Neill earned her BSW from Bemidji State University, Bemidji, Minnesota, MSW from University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minnesota and her PhD from Arizona State University Phoenix, Arizona. Her research focuses on social work student success. This includes former students working in child welfare, self-care, and college student basic needs.

Lisa E. McGuire

Lisa E. McGuire is Professor and Department Head of Social Work at James Madison University. She previously served as the BSW Program Coordinator (IUPUI campus) and Principal Investigator for the Title IVE partnership at Indiana University School of Social Work. She earned her Ph.D. from Case Western Reserve University, MSW from Indiana University and BA from Butler University. Her research interests focus on child welfare, public housing, interprofessional education, reflective learning, and pedagogies of engagement.

Elizabeth Dickerson

Elizabeth Dickerson is the Marion County West Local Office Director for the Indiana Department of Child Services, where she has worked since 2006. She earned a BSW from Anderson University, Anderson, Indiana and an MA in Leadership from Indiana Wesleyan University, in Marion, IN. Her research has focused on the role of emotional intelligence in child welfare supervision. She has also taught as an adjunct instructor in child welfare practice for Title IV-E students in social work.