Self-Care Practices of Self-Identified Social Workers: Findings from a National Study

Social Work ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 65 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jay J Miller ◽  
Erlene Grise-Owens ◽  
Larry Owens ◽  
Nada Shalash ◽  
Molly Bode
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Secondary Trauma ◽  
Self Care ◽  
The United States ◽  
Workplace Stress ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
National Study ◽  
Care Practices

Abstract Self-care can be an important tool in assuaging professional burnout, workplace stress, vicarious or secondary trauma, and other deleterious employment circumstances. Despite this importance, few studies have examined self-care among social work practitioners. This exploratory study examined the self-care practices of self-identified social workers (N = 2,934) throughout the United States. Primary data were collected with an electronic survey. Data indicate that social workers in the sample engage in moderate self-care practices. Analyses revealed group differences in self-care by several variables including geographic locale of participants’ primary place of employment, race, educational level, and social work licensing status, among others. Significant predictors of self-care included perceived health status (self-report), education level, being a supervisor, and financial status. Overall, findings from this study indicate the need for a systemic response to improving self-care practices among social workers.

Assessing The “Millennial Self-Care Obsession” Among Social Workers: #NotSoMuch

2020 ◽  
pp. 146801732095435
Author(s):  
J Jay Miller ◽  
Erlene Grise-Owens
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Generational Differences ◽  
Life Support ◽  
Self Care ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
The United States ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Professional Support ◽  
Care Practices

Summary Despite the importance of self-care to social work practice, misnomers about the construct persist. One misperception is that millennials are overly focused on self-care and engage in high-levels of self-care, to the detriment of performing work duties. This study examined the self-care practices of social work practitioners (N = 3079) in the United States. Researcher investigated self-care practices across five domains: Professional Support, Professional Development, Life Support, Cognitive Awareness, and Daily Balance. Findings Overall, data suggest that social workers in all generations engaged in moderate amounts of self-care. Analyses revealed that millennials engaged in significantly fewer self-care practices related to Professional Support and Daily Balance, when compared to Generation X and Baby-boomer participants. While not statistically significant, millennials scored lower across all other self-care domains. Applications This is the first known study to explicitly investigate generational differences in self-care within any professional discipline. Within the next five years, millennials will make up nearly 75% of the world’s workforce. Findings from this research suggest the need to reshape prevailing anecdotes about self-care and millennials. Further, data offer insights to organizations looking to better support social workers of all generations in engaging in self-care.

Development and Initial Validation of the Self-Care Practices Scale

Social Work ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 65 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-28
Author(s):  
Jacquelyn J Lee ◽  
Shari E Miller ◽  
Brian E Bride
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Construct Validity ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Self Care ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
The Self ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Care Practice ◽  
Care Practices

Abstract Self-care is regarded as essential for effective social work practice, offsetting occupational stress and promoting well-being and resiliency among practitioners. However, the literature reveals a notable absence of psychometrically sound instruments to measure self-care. The purpose of the present study was to describe the development, refinement, and construct validity of the Self-Care Practices Scale (SCPS). The piloted version of the SCPS is a 38-item instrument designed to measure frequency of engagement in personal and professional self-care practices. Data were collected through mailed surveys from a random sample of master’s-level clinical social workers and members of the National Association of Social Workers (N = 492). Analysis supports the construct validity of an 18-item SCPS with two subscales that demonstrate strong internal validity. The SCPS is useful for social work educators, practitioners, and administrators to ascertain frequency of self-care practice and build a stronger culture of self-care. The role of SCPS in future research is discussed.

scholarly journals Examining Self-Care Among Individuals Employed in Social Work Capacities

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 1250-1266 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Jay Miller ◽  
Joann Lianekhammy ◽  
Erlene Grise-Owens
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Self Care ◽  
The United States ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Significant Group ◽  
Ethical Commitment ◽  
The Social ◽  
Professional Self ◽  
Care Practices

Increasingly, the social work profession recognizes the need for more attention to self-care. Concomitantly, this growing awareness and ethical commitment is fostering a burgeoning self-care movement. However, despite recognition about the importance of self-care, there is a paucity of research that explicitly examines self-care practices among social workers. This cross-sectional study examined the self-care practices of individuals employed in social work capacities (n=1,011) in one southeastern state in the United States. Findings suggest that participants in the sample engaged in personal and professional self-care practices only moderately. Further, data suggest significant group differences in the practice of self-care, by relationship status, educational attainment, health status, and current financial situation, respectively. Overall, results indicate self-care as a potential area of improvement for participants in this study, in general, and perhaps for individuals employed in social work contexts, more generally.

Future proofing child protection social work

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 202-210 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Shemmings
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Compassion Fatigue ◽  
Child Protection ◽  
Secondary Trauma ◽  
Working Alliances ◽  
Helping Relationships ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Personal Skills ◽  
Lasting Change

Purpose How might the profession of child protection social work be “future proofed”, i.e. remain intact and of value beyond its present existence? The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach This is a discussion/“think piece” paper, in which the author argues that foregrounding the art and science of helping relationships is a way forward. Recognising and promoting the centrality of helping relationships is the direction in which the author believes (or is it hopes?) social work should head, because “more of the same” is not, in the author’s view, possible to sustain for much longer. Treading the well-worn but pot-holed path of box-ticking, endless risk assessment and perfunctory statutory visiting is likely to lead to continuing problems retaining social workers and, for those who do stay, increased burnout, compassion fatigue and secondary trauma, each of which interrupts or delays the development of working alliances with family members. Findings Growing reliance on thresholds and checklists to assess risk has served to increase referrals. As a result, social workers spend much of their time on triaging and filtering rather than working with the children and families that most need help and protection. Further, it is not what is in the practitioner’s toolkit that matters: rather, it is a defined set of personal skills and qualities that tips the balance to achieve lasting change. Thus, in order to “future proof” social work, we would do well to deepen our understanding of how helping relationships can lead to lasting change. Supporting social workers in this work is not just the responsibility of individual practitioners and their professional bodies, action also needs to be taken at governmental and managerial levels. Originality/value This is a discussion/“think piece”.

The Development and Initial Validation of the Empathy Scale for Social Workers

2011 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 174-185 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steve King ◽  
Michael J. Holosko
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Empirical Evaluation ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Master Of Social Work ◽  
Initial Validation ◽  
Social Work Practitioners ◽  
Student Training ◽  
Empathy Scale ◽  
Work Knowledge

Empathy is a core principle essential to social work. Despite this emphasis, minimal empirical research of empathy has been undertaken by social work researchers. The purpose of this study was to develop and initially validate the Empathy Scale for Social Workers (ESSW). The ESSW is a 41-item self-report inventory designed to assess empathy in social work practitioners. The sample ( N = 271) consisted of social workers who had attained the Master of Social Work (MSW) degree. Findings revealed promising psychometric properties for the ESSW, and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) demonstrated content, construct, and factorial validity. Results were encouraging and they lay the ground work for the continued development of the ESSW. This scale addresses a gap in social work knowledge regarding the empirical evaluation of empathy. Results have implications for social work as the scale may be used to assess student training needs and/or as a screening tool for social work supervisors and practitioners.

Beyond the Code of Ethics, Part II: Dual Relationships Revisited

2002 ◽  
Vol 83 (5) ◽  
pp. 483-492 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sophie Freud ◽  
Stefan Krug
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Code Of Ethics ◽  
Legal Protection ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
The United States ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Dual Relationships ◽  
Social Work Educators ◽  
Social Work Practitioners

The authors, both social work educators, serve on an ethics call line committee that provides insights on how the provisions of the (United States) National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics (NASW, 1996) interface with the ethical dilemmas encountered by the social work community. In this paper, the authors highlight aspects of social work practice that they consider ethical, yet not easily accommodated by the provisions of the current Code. They also question the 1996 introduction of the concept of dual relationships into the Code and suggest that the Code adopt the less ambiguous term of boundary violations. Also recognized by the authors is the need for clear boundaries for the protection of clients against temptations that might arise in a fiduciary relationship, and for the legal protection of social workers. But, the authors argue, social work practitioners in certain settings, with particular populations, and in certain roles, inevitably face multiple relationships as an integral aspect of their work. The authors conclude that social work's adoption of the psychoanalytic constrains of anonymity, neutrality, and abstinence has detoured the profession from its original double focus on individuals and their society.

Self-Care in an Era of Pathos: The Effects of the Trump Presidency on the Well-Being of Social Workers

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 93-107
Author(s):  
Sharon E. Moore ◽  
A. Christson Adedoyin ◽  
Sharon D. Jones-Eversley ◽  
Carla M. Curtis
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Self Care ◽  
First Responders ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Work Environments ◽  
Review Of The Literature ◽  
Egalitarian Society

ObjectiveThe importance of self-care for social workers as first responders is underscored in light of the sociopolitical, economic, and pandemic challenges that accompanied the presidency of Donald J. Trump, the 45th president of the United States.MethodsWe conducted an extensive review of the literature on the conceptualization, dimensions, benefits, importance, and indispensability of self-care for social workers, especially in stressful socio-political and toxic work environments. Chaos theory served as the theoretical scaffold of our research.ResultsInevitably our research found that the ability of social workers to effectively serve as first responders during chaotic times depends on a proactive and consistent practice of self-care by social workers as an essential best practice.ConclusionsThe consequences of the policies of the 45th president of the United States have taken their toll on the citizenry, with the increase in stress in the nation. Undoubtedly, social workers as first responders, therapists, and educators are at the receiving end of ensuing political and socioeconomic uncertainties. We posit that for social workers to remain steadfast, unshakable, and abiding in the solemn pursuit of social justice and an egalitarian society, this is the era for social workers to embrace and persistently practice self-care.

Self-compassion among social workers

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 448-462 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Jay Miller ◽  
Jacquelyn Lee ◽  
Nada Shalash ◽  
Zuzana Poklembova
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Health Status ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Professional Organization ◽  
Relationship Status ◽  
Significant Group ◽  
Self Compassion

SummaryIn recent years, the practice of self-compassion has garnered increasing attention in the literature, yet little is known about self-compassion in the field of social work. The purpose of this cross-sectional exploratory study was to examine self-compassion among social workers (N = 1011) located in a state in the southeastern United States. Specifically, this study was guided by two distinct, yet interconnected research queries: (1) How self-compassionate are social workers and (2) what personal and professional factors contribute to self-compassion among social workers?FindingsFindings suggest social workers are fairly self-compassionate. Significant group differences in self-compassion exist by perceived health status (self-report), relationship status, social work licensing, and professional organization affiliation. Significant predictors of self-compassion included health status, educational level, and relationship status (in descending order of predictive power).ApplicationsAdept and ethical social work practice requires that practitioners engage in self-compassionate practices. This study offers pragmatic implications for social work practice, including training and apposite areas for research.

Latinos and Latinas: Practice Interventions

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carmen Ortiz Hendricks
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Ethnic Group ◽  
The United States ◽  
Institutional Barriers ◽  
English Only ◽  
Complex Population ◽  
Barriers To Service ◽  
Social Work Interventions

Latinos are a heterogeneous and highly complex population that presents the profession with one of the greatest challenges in understanding diversity and what constitutes culturally and linguistically competent social work interventions. At this point in history, Latinos are the fastest growing racial and ethnic group in the United States. This has given rise to strong anti‐immigration sentiment, English only legislation, and increased discrimination and racism, which Latino newcomers must contend with upon arrival in the United States. Social workers need to work to reduce both external and internal institutional barriers to service delivery for Latinos while responding effectively to their interpersonal and familial needs.

Eugene Kinckle Jones

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felix L. Armfield
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Social Work ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Civil Rights ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
The United States ◽  
Great Migration ◽  
Urban Centers ◽  
Urban League ◽  
The Great Migration

A leading African American intellectual of the early twentieth century, Eugene Kinckle Jones (1885–1954) was instrumental in professionalizing black social work in America. In his role as executive secretary of the National Urban League, Jones worked closely with social reformers who advocated on behalf of African Americans and against racial discrimination in the United States. Coinciding with the Great Migration of African Americans to northern urban centers, Jones' activities on behalf of the Urban League included campaigning for equal hiring practices, advocating for the inclusion of black workers in labor unions, and promoting the importance of vocational training and social work for members of the black community. Drawing on rich interviews with Jones' colleagues and associates, as well as recently opened family and Urban League papers, the book freshly examines the growth of African American communities and the new roles played by social workers. In calling attention to the need for black social workers in the midst of the Great Migration, Jones and his colleagues sought to address problems stemming from race and class conflicts from within the community. This book blends the biography of a significant black leader with an in-depth discussion of the roles of black institutions and organizations to study the evolution of African American life immediately before the civil rights era.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document