This summary synthesizes findings from a single research study, Examining associations between child welfare workforce well-being and utilization of casework skills with children and families.
What can we learn from this study?
Employee wellness is emerging as a central component of workforce effectiveness, especially in high-pressure professions like child welfare. While research regarding workforce burnout and stress within child welfare has been well-documented, the effects of caseworkers’ psychological well-being on their day-to-day practices with children and families have not been widely examined. This study helps bridge that gap by exploring the direct association between three workforce wellness measures — compassion satisfaction (sense of fulfillment), burnout, and secondary traumatic stress — and caseworkers’ use of strengths-based core skills.
Study details
- Population: 786 direct service child welfare workers and supervisors in a Midwestern state.
- Data sources: Self-reported statewide online surveys, sub-study of a five-year study.
- Methodology: Repeated cross-sectional design, multivariate regression.
- Dates: November 2020 and January 2022.
Citation: Clark, S.L., Miller, B., Akin, B.A., Barney, R.K., Grube, W., McArthur, V.,…Mitchell, J. (2024). Examining associations between child welfare workforce well-being and utilization of casework skills with children and families. Child Abuse & Neglect, 155, 106964. doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2024.106964
What are the critical findings?
This study focused on three caseworker core skills: 1) parent/youth engagement, 2) safety/risk assessment, and 3) relative/kin connections.
Findings indicate that each of the three core skills are impacted by most or all of the three caseworker wellness measures:
- Higher compassion satisfaction was consistently and significantly associated with increased utilization of all three casework skills, with its strongest association to safety/risk assessment.
- Higher levels of burnout were significantly associated with decreased use of all three evaluated casework skills.
- Secondary traumatic stress was weakly associated and negatively associated with workers’ utilization of parent/youth engagement and safety/risk assessment, but had no significant association with relative/kin connection skills.
Why is this important to our work?
While workforce well-being in child welfare has been largely studied through the lens of worker retention, this study is among the first to link caseworker wellness directly to the quality of professional practice. The findings indicate that high compassion satisfaction is a powerful driver in quality service delivery for children and families. To improve outcomes within the workforce and for children and families, child protection agencies must proactively place staff well-being and wellness as an organizational priority, specifically by reducing caseloads, stress, and burnout; supporting flexible scheduling; and increasing funding for competitive wages and ongoing professional development. By supporting the wellness of agency staff, the child welfare system is better positioned to protect the safety and well-being of the children and families it serves.
Casey Family Programs consults with individuals and teams across the country to compile research, experiences, and insights about approaches that can safely reduce the need for foster care and ensure the well-being of children and families. We share this information broadly to help child welfare leaders and their partners tackle similar issues in their own communities. For questions about this resource, or if you have other child welfare information needs, please email kmresources@casey.org.
