CSWE Child Welfare Symposium-2003 1 Workforce Retention Workforce Retention Research in New York Research in New York State State New York State Social Work Education Consortium
Feb 22, 2016
CSWE Child Welfare Symposium-20031
Child Welfare Workforce Child Welfare Workforce Retention Research in New Retention Research in New York StateYork State
New York State Social Work Education Consortium
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Study Team MembersStudy Team Members
Social Work Education ConsortiumNYS Office of Children and Family Services
NYS Deans AssociationCommissioners
UniversityFaculty and Students
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Project HistoryProject HistoryOCFS Turnover SurveyCommissioners in counties with turnover
over 25% meetCommissioners request a studyConsortium agrees to lead the study
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Study Objectives 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
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County CharacteristicsCounty CharacteristicsPopulation: 31,582 - 1,419,369FY 2000 Child Abuse Reports: 400 -
8,569Indicated Reports: 78 - 2,820Workforce size: 18 - 279Beginning Salary: $23,446 - $35,805Average salary: $25,595 - $43,639
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Participatory (Action) ResearchParticipatory (Action) Research
11 schools of participatory researchEach 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
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Study ApproachStudy ApproachValue the expertise and contributions of
faculty, county commissioners, state policy and program staff, and students
Respect, trust, and communicate
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Process Process Research team meetingsOngoing and regular feed back from all
partners Consensus building
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ProcessProcessTravel to counties to present the survey in
personTravel to counties to present and discuss
initial findingsMeetings with commissioners to plan next
steps of the study
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Benefits of the processBenefits of the processCommissioners feel ownership of the
study findingsCommissioners are committed to future
steps
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Challenges of the processChallenges of the processTimeTruly incorporating participants views
resulted in scientific compromisesUncertain implications of team-member
turnover
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DemographicsDemographics696 child welfare workers in all participating counties
409 child welfare workers participated in the study
59% of workers participated in the study
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Race of ParticipantsRace of Participants African American 3.0%
Hispanic 2.3 %
American Indian 0.3 %
2 or More Races 1.5 %
Pacific Islander 0.3%Asian 0.5%Caucasian 91.3%
Other 1.0%
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Gender of ParticipantsGender of Participants
Female81.9%
Male18.1%
Female Male
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Age of ParticipantsAge 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
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Age Brackets of Supervisors and WorkersAge Brackets of Supervisors and Workers
7.4
29.725.926.5
32.1
22.9
30.9
19
3.7 205
101520253035
Perc
ent
22-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60-69
Supervisors (n= 81) Workers (n = 306)
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Years in Child WelfareYears in Child Welfare
Mean number of years is 8.5Half 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 5.8Time in Child Welfare ranged from 1 month to 40 years
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Average Years in Child WelfareAverage Years in Child Welfare
Average Years
15.5
6.58.4
4.2 3.2 3.4
15.3
5.47.4
02468
1012141618
Supervisors Workers All
Num
ber o
f Yea
rs
Child Welfare Current job Current agency
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Median Years in Child WelfareMedian Years in Child Welfare
Median Years
13.5
4.5 5.82.2 2.0 2.0
14.3
3.4 4.702468
10121416
Supervisors Workers All
Num
ber o
f Yea
rs
Child Welfare Current job Current agency
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Annual Salary RangeAnnual Salary Range * * 2 participants reported a salary of less than $20,000.2 participants reported a salary of less than $20,000.
Annual Participant Salary*
20.9
18.4
6.6
00
1.3
16.4
54.1
28.3
11.5
25.2
32.3
18.112.5
53.3
0102030405060
20,001 - 25,000
25,001 - 30,000
30,001 - 35,000
35,001 - 45,000
45,001 +
Salary
Perc
ent
All Non, Small or Med. SMSA Large SMSA
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Satisfaction with Salary Satisfaction with Salary and Benefitsand Benefits
Participant Satisfaction of Salary and Benefits
22.2
45.1
20
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Satisfied with Salary Satisfied with Benefits Satisfied with PromotionOpportunities
Perc
ent
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Annual Household IncomeAnnual Household Income 15.4% of participants in all counties combined hold more than one job 15.4% of participants in all counties combined hold more than one job
Household Income - All Counties
27.227.224.2
17
4.4
05
1015202530
15,001 - 25,000
25,001 - 35,000
35,001 - 50,000
50,001 - 70,000
70,001 +
Income
Perc
ent
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Child Caseload SizeChild 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.
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Child Caseload Size of WorkersChild Caseload Size of Workers
6 4.9
0.41.81.8
8.1
15.5
2.10.4
4.2 3.23.5
2421.6
1.4 1.1
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
0
1-10
11-2
0
21-3
0
31-4
0
41-5
0
51-6
0
61-7
0
71-8
0
81-9
0
91-1
00
101-
125
126-
150
151-
200
201-
300
301-
1700
perc
ent o
f Res
pond
ents
All Counties
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Caseload SizeCaseload Size
42.630
0
10
20
30
40
50
# of
Chi
ldre
n
Average number Median number
Number of Children in the Caseloads of Workers
All
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Foster Families and Biological Parents Foster Families and Biological Parents in Caseloads of all participantsin Caseloads of all participants
7
37.9
0
20
40
Aver
age
num
ber
# of Foster families # of Biological Parents
All Counties
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Supervisor Task BreakdownSupervisor Task Breakdown
Supervision45.3%
paperwork29.9%
Management8.0%
Community Action3.0%
Direct Service8.4%
other2.3%
court3.0%
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Worker Task BreakdownWorker Task Breakdown
paperwork44.1% Supervision
7.4%
Management4.1%
Community Action3.2%
Direct Service30.3%
other3.4%court
7.4%
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Task Breakdown for Workers and Task Breakdown for Workers and Supervisors in All CountiesSupervisors in All Counties
Supervision15.6%
Direct Service25.8%
Management5.0%
paperwork40.6%
Community Action3.1%
other3.3%court
6.6%
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Work ExperienceWork Experience
59
5
42
14
51
6
23
0102030405060
Perc
ent
CPSCourt
Prevention
Adoption
Foster Care
Family Preservation
Other*
Percentage of Respondents with any Experience in Child Welfare Units
*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.
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Casework as a ChoiceCasework as a Choice
1925
72 72
0
20
40
60
80
Perc
ent o
f Par
ticip
ants
1st careerchoice
1st full-timejob
step up from lastjob
would makesame choice
All
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Organizational and Organizational and Supervisory Factors Supervisory Factors
Associated with RetentionAssociated with Retention
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Clarity & Coherence of Practice
Life Work Fit
Goal Attainment, Job Satisfaction & Efficacy
Job Supports & Relationships
Technology, Training & Record Keeping
Salaries & Benefits
Organizational FactorsOrganizational Factors
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Supervisor Support
Supervisor Competence
Supervisory FactorsSupervisory Factors
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Logistic Regression ModelsLogistic 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.
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Analysis continuedAnalysis continuedA 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
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RecommendationsRecommendationsOrganizational 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.