Social and Economic Exchange Between Social Workers and their Employers in the Context of their Sectorial Affiliation and Seniority

Abstract The purpose of the present study was to examine the association between psychological distress among social workers and their intention to leave the profession through the economic and social exchange perspective. The research sample was comprised of 380 Israeli social workers who manually filled in structured questionnaires regarding psychological distress, economic and social exchange between employees and employers in their workplace, self-defined burnout and demographic information. The data analysis showed that higher levels of psychological distress were associated with higher economic exchange and with lower social exchange, which resulted in increased intention to leave. These findings are important for understanding the process that social workers experience regarding the emergence of psychological distress and for clarifying that this process consists of two concurrent components: increasing preoccupation with economic aspects and increasing emotional distancing from the profession. On the basis of the transactional model of stress and coping and the social and economic exchange perspectives, it would be desirable to develop an organisational culture that promotes social exchange (trust, manager support, teamwork), which would allow social workers to cope with active emotional regulation and to strengthen their sense of belonging to the profession and thus reduce their intention to leave.

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Spotlight on the Clinician in the Life Participation Approach to Aphasia: Balancing Relationship-Centered Care and Professionalism

Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups ◽

10.1044/2019_persp-19-00025 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 5 (2) ◽

pp. 414-424

Author(s):

Rochelle Cohen-Schneider ◽

Melodie T. Chan ◽

Denise M. McCall ◽

Allison M. Tedesco ◽

Ann P. Abramson

Keyword(s):

Social Workers ◽

Therapeutic Relationship ◽

Interprofessional Collaboration ◽

Opportunity To Learn ◽

Subjective Experiences ◽

Speech Language Pathologists ◽

Self Disclosure ◽

Centered Care ◽

High Standards ◽

Therapeutic Encounter

Background Speech-language pathologists make clinical decisions informed by evidence-based theory and “beliefs, values and emotional experiences” ( Hinckley, 2005 , p. 265). These subjective processes, while not extensively studied, underlie the workings of the therapeutic relationship and contribute to treatment outcomes. While speech-language pathologists do not routinely pay attention to subjective experiences of the therapeutic encounter, social workers do. Thus, the field of social work makes an invaluable contribution to the knowledge and skills of speech-language pathologists. Purpose This clinical focus article focuses on the clinician's contribution to the therapeutic relationship by surfacing elements of the underlying subjective processes. Method Vignettes were gathered from clinicians in two community aphasia programs informed by the principles of the Life Participation Approach to Aphasia. Results and Discussion By reflecting on and sharing aspects of clinical encounters, clinicians reveal subjective processing occurring beneath the surface. The vignettes shed light on the following clinical behaviors: listening to the client's “whole self,” having considerations around self-disclosure, dealing with biases, recognizing and surfacing clients' identities, and fostering hope. Speech-language pathologists are given little instruction on the importance of the therapeutic relationship, how to conceptualize this relationship, and how to balance this relationship with professionalism. Interprofessional collaboration with social workers provides a rich opportunity to learn ways to form and utilize the benefits of a strong therapeutic relationship while maintaining high standards of ethical behavior. Conclusion This clinical focus article provides speech-language pathologists with the “nuts and bolts” for considering elements of the therapeutic relationship. This is an area that is gaining traction in the field of speech-language pathology and warrants further investigation.

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