Examining Strategies among Veterans Affairs Outpatient Social Workers to Facilitate Job Retention and Emotional Well-Being during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The social work profession is dealing with an increased rate of turnover, due largely in part to the pandemic. A recent study showed that U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) inpatient social workers utilized strategies of "emotional preparedness" to retain their job during the pandemic. The aim of this current study is to explore if outpatient social workers utilized similar strategies for their own job retention. There may be differences in the strategies utilized because outpatient and inpatient social workers tend to work in different environments. In this qualitative study, authors conducted interviews with (N = 13) outpatient social workers from a VA site in the Southwestern region of the United States. Findings were analyzed thematically. Authors conducted open coding and applied a priori themes/strategies from extant research among VA inpatient social workers. Most of the a priori themes/strategies were prevalent among outpatient social workers, and two emerging themes were (1) acknowledging shared trauma and (2) human connection to overcome isolation. Strategies of emotional preparedness should be implemented on a grander scale to facilitate job retention since there is an expected deficit in the social work workforce until at least 2030.

Implementing psychological support for health and social care staff affected by the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative exploration of staff well-being hubs ('Resilience Hubs') using normalisation process theory.

OBJECTIVES: Evaluate the implementation of Hubs providing access to psychological support for health and social care keyworkers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. DESIGN: Qualitative interviews informed by normalisation process theory to understand how the Hub model became embedded into normal practice, and factors that disrupted normalisation of this approach. SETTING: Three Resilience Hubs in the North of England. PARTICIPANTS: Hub staff, keyworkers who accessed Hub support (Hub clients), keyworkers who had not accessed a Hub, and wider stakeholders involved in the provision of staff support within the health and care system (N=63). RESULTS: Hubs were generally seen as an effective way of supporting keyworkers, and Hub clients typically described very positive experiences. Flexibility and adaptability to local needs were strongly valued. Keyworkers accessed support when they understood the offer, valuing a confidential service that was separate from their organisation. Confusion about how Hubs differed from other support prevented some from enrolling. Beliefs about job roles, unsupportive managers, negative workplace cultures and systemic issues prevented keyworkers from valuing mental health support. Lack of support from managers discouraged keyworker engagement with Hubs. Black, Asian and minority ethnic keyworkers impacted by racism felt that the Hubs did not always meet their needs. CONCLUSIONS: Hubs were seen as a valuable, responsive and distinct part of the health and care system. Findings highlight the importance of improving promotion and accessibility of Hubs, and continuation of confidential Hub support. Policy implications for the wider health and care sector include the central importance of genuine promotion of and value placed on mental health support by health and social care management, and the creation of psychologically safe work environments. Diversity and cultural competency training is needed to better reach under-represented communities. Findings are consistent with the international literature, therefore, likely to have applicability outside of the current context.

Need for social work interventions in the emergency department.

This paper reports findings from a qualitative study conducted on the Need for Social work interventions in the Emergency Department (ED) at a large tertiary care center in India. The emergency department is an important social work intervention point for individuals with various psychiatric, medical, and social needs who have little or no additional interaction with social services. Social workers are specially trained to understand the impact of social factors on health outcomes and provide interventions that address social barriers to improving health and accessing community resources; social workers are well prepared to provide services in the emergency department. However, limited research is available to understand the impact of psychosocial services in the emergency department. We aimed to identify areas which require integrated social work services and coordination to address the psychosocial issues within the ED. Interviews with 10 healthcare workers are analyzed thematically. Recurring themes throughout the interviews confirm the need for providing social work interventions to ensure the medical, psychological, and social care needs in the emergency department.

Social Workers' Experiences of Support in the Workplace during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

This qualitative study included in-depth semistructured interviews with 17 social workers from across the state of Texas that took place during the summer of 2021. The purpose of this study was to describe social workers' experiences of workplace support during the COVID-19 pandemic and provide implications for how to improve support in the workplace. The interviews were analyzed using a phenomenological approach to describe the main themes of the participants' experiences. The findings combined with current literature suggest that following the pandemic and in the case of similar prolonged disasters organizational leaders should consider supporting their social work staff by clearly communicating protocol changes, providing more autonomy and flexible work arrangements, increasing time off and financial support, and providing tangible assistance such as technological support. Leaders should also consider their social work staff's emotional well-being following the pandemic by providing therapeutic resources and bonding opportunities for staff to promote a more resilient team-like culture in the workplace.

The Professional Identity of Social Workers in Mental Health Services: A Scoping Review.

Recent research into the role of mental health social work has identified a need for increased critical engagement with accounts of professional role and identity. Notably, a number of studies have found that social workers struggle to articulate their role within mental health teams and services. This study aimed to identify the ways in which social workers in mental health settings defined their professional identity and role. An international scoping review utilizing Arksey and O'Malley's method was conducted, identifying 35 papers published between 1997 and 2022. A thematic analysis grouped the findings into three predominant themes: (i) distinct social work approaches to mental health, (ii) organizational negotiations for mental health social workers, and (iii) professional negotiations for mental health social workers. These thematic findings are discussed in relation to existing research and critical perspectives, with particular emphasis on accounts of the bureaucratic and ideological functioning of professionalism in mental health services, as well as the global direction of mental health policy. This review finds that mental health social work embodies a coherent identity that aligns with international mental health policy agendas but faces significant challenges in developing and expressing this identity within mental health services.

Race and COVID-19 among Social Workers in Health Settings: Physical, Mental Health, Personal Protective Equipment, and Financial Stressors.

Social work is an essential workforce integral to the United States' public health infrastructure and response to COVID-19. To understand stressors among frontline social workers during COVID-19, a cross-sectional study of U.S-based social workers (N = 1,407) in health settings was collected (in June through August 2020). Differences in outcome domains (health, mental health, personal protective equipment [PPE] access, financial stress) were examined by workers' demographics and setting. Ordinal logistic, multinomial, and linear regressions were conducted. Participants reported moderate or severe physical (57.3 percent) and mental (58.3 percent) health concerns; 39.3 percent expressed PPE access concerns. Social workers of color were more likely to report significantly higher levels of concern across all domains. Those identifying as Black, American Indian/Alaska Native (AIAN), Asian American/Pacific Islander (AAPI), multiracial, or Hispanic/Latinx were over 50 percent more likely to experience either moderate or severe physical health concerns, 60 percent more likely to report severe mental health concerns, and over 30 percent more likely to report moderate PPE access concerns. The linear regression model was significantly associated with higher levels of financial stress for social workers of color. COVID-19 has exposed racial and social injustices that that hold true for social workers in health settings. Improved social systems are critical not just for those impacted by COVID-19, but also for the protection and sustainability of the current and future workforce responding to COVID-19.

Supervision Effects on Negative Affect and Psychological Distress: Evidence from Social Workers in China.

Supervision is an imperative practice within the social work field. It provides social workers with support systems, ensures that social workers are adhering to professional standards, and protects clients. Research has also shown that quality supervision can improve social workers' professional capacity and reduce work stress. However, most of this research has been confined to social workers' experiences within Western countries and has been largely qualitative in nature. Thus, this study aims to examine the experience of 489 social workers based in Guangzhou, China to understand how supervision affects their negative affect and psychological distress. The findings indicate that supervision not only reduces negative affect and psychological distress amongst Chinese social workers, but also is especially effective for social workers with high job demands. When job demands are high, social workers who receive both individual and group supervision also appear to have lower negative affect and psychological distress as compared to social workers who only receive individual supervision. These findings emphasize the significance of supervision as a buffer factor to reduce negative affect and psychological distress amongst Chinese social workers who face high job demands.

"A breath of fresh air": mindfulness training for early-career mental health social workers in Israel during COVID-19.

The present study examined the effectiveness of participation in a mindfulness group for Israeli early career social workers during the COVID-19 period. Eleven participants conducting fieldwork in a mental health rehabilitation center were interviewed. The participants described a variety of benefits from their mindfulness training, in three main areas: (1) Personal: applying mindfulness in their daily life; (2) Family: improved work-life balance and family relationships; and (3) Professional: applying mindfulness in their work with mental health clients. Mental support and self-care tools provided to early-career social workers were perceived by the participants as helping them overcome uncertainty, fatigue, and overwork.

Social workers' experiences of psychological consultation on high risk youth: Helpful, unhelpful, and mediating elements.

Psychological consultation is a key means of informing care and practice with psychological theory and evidence. The current paper sought to investigate what elements of psychological consultation are useful for social workers when consulting on high-risk youth, due to the current gap in the literature. Seven social workers shared their experiences during one-to-one interviews. The data was analysed through thematic analysis and the emerging themes were organised into three categories: Helpful elements, such as a safe space, independent expertise, and a shared understanding; Unhelpful elements, including consultee anxiety and the unheard young person; A Mediating element in the form of feasible recommendations. The implications of these findings are discussed, as well as the limitations of this paper and recommendations for future research.

The effects of adherence to professional identity, workplace aggression, and felt accountability on child protection workers' professional quality of life.

BACKGROUND: Child protection workers (CPWs) are exposed to physical and psychological violence initiated by clients. The consequences associated with exposure to this type of trauma and others are compounded by the anxiety generated by the feelings of being accountable and the constant scrutiny and monitoring CPWs are under. Previous research suggests that acting according to one's professional values can help protect against the effects of trauma exposure and the anxiety associated with being held accountable when situations devolve into crises. METHODS AND OBJECTIVES: Using path analysis, this study sought to investigate how this complex intersection between client aggression, felt accountability, and professional identity among 310 CPWs is related to their professional quality of life (ProQol). RESULTS: Results show that adherence to professional identity was strongly and positively associated with ProQoL scores (ß = -0.42, p < .001). Felt accountability and exposure to psychological violence (but no other forms of violence) were consistently and negatively related to ProQoL scores (ß = -0.42, p < .001/ß = -0.20, p < .001). The impact of felt accountability on ProQoL scores can be partially explained by lowered adherence to professional identity. This suggests that the current way CPWs are held accountable and evaluated comes at odds with their professional values. CONCLUSION: The article ends with a discussion on how organizational changes surrounding accountability can be anxiety-inducing for some CPWs who increasingly feel overwhelmed by the complexity of their cases. Organizations must therefore reflect on how they can better embody the values of their clinicians.

Demographics, employment, and proximity to covid-19 as predictors of preparedness among Taiwanese health social workers.

COVID-19 struck the world violently and cause negative psychological consequences on health professionals. The preparedness of social workers for the pandemic is critical while facing these challenges and pressures. The study aimed to explore what are the roles of demographic, employment, and proximity to Covid-19 in predicting preparedness for the next wave of COVID among social workers in Taiwan. A total of 158 participants were conveniently sampled and multiple regression, univariate analysis, and two-way ANOVA were conducted. The results demonstrated that the demographic and employment variables significantly predicted preparedness, and there were significant differences among demographics on preparedness and an interaction effect between seniority and age. Consequently, middle-aged social workers with junior seniority years may have more difficulties in their preparation for the current situation. The implication of our findings is also discussed.

Strategies to build more effective interventions for elder abuse: a focus group study of nursing and social work professionals in Hong Kong.

BACKGROUND: One in six older adults living in communities experience abuse and neglect. Elder abuse has serious consequences for individuals, families, and society, including mortality, physical and psychological morbidities, and increased care requirements. Timely and effective interventions for elder abuse should therefore be a priority. This study used a qualitative focus group approach to address the following questions: What are the essential elements of elder abuse interventions? What can be done to improve current interventions? METHOD: The 32 participants in this focus group study included social workers, medical social workers, and nurses from seven organizations who shared their knowledge and insights. All sessions were conducted online, audio-recorded, and transcribed verbatim. Three researchers with backgrounds in social work and psychology independently coded the transcripts and agreed on the themes emerging from the focus groups. RESULTS: Based on the experiences of frontline helping professionals in Hong Kong, we highlighted the key factors for effective elder abuse intervention: 1) identification and assessment; 2) essential skills and attitudes; 3) elements of effective interventions; 4) collaborative efforts across disciplines and agencies; and 5) raising awareness among professionals and the public. CONCLUSIONS: Training can equip frontline professionals with the necessary skills to identify elder abuse cases and to assess the risk of abuse. Effective interventions should not only address clients' safety and need for tangible support but also respect their autonomy and privacy. A client-centered, strength-based approach that involves supportive peers and addresses the complex family relationships involved can be useful. Interventions should also involve cross-discipline and cross-agency collaboration.

"We are on the frontlines too": A qualitative content analysis of US social workers' experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Social work has been a part of the essential workforce historically and throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, yet lack recognition. This work explores the experiences and invisibility of social workers within the pandemic response. Data are drawn from a large cross-sectional survey of US-based social worker from June to August of 2020. A summative content analysis of responses to the question 'What do you wish people knew about social work during the COVID-19 pandemic' was undertaken. Participants (n = 515) were majority white (72.1%) and female (90.8%). Seven coding categories were subsequently collapsed into three domains: (1) meeting basic needs, (2) well-being (emotional distress and dual role) and (3) professional invisibility (workplace equals, physical safety, professional invisibility and organisational invisibility). Meeting social needs requires broad-based policies that strengthen the health and social safety net. Social workers have and will continue to play a critical role in the response, and recovery from COVID-19. Organisational and governmental policies must expand to increase the visibility and responsiveness to the needs of social care providers.

Resilience, perceived social support and professional quality of life among medical social workers during COVID-19 pandemic in Mainland China: A cross-sectional survey.

As COVID-19 rapidly overwhelmed the world in 2020, medical social workers have fought against the disease on the front lines as a member of medical teams, but little is known about the impact of the pandemic on their mental health. This study investigated the resilience, perceived social support and professional quality of life of medical social workers in Mainland China under the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic. An online questionnaire survey was applied to 319 respondents and the results showed that informal support was positively related with compassion satisfaction (r = 0.67, p < .01) and negatively correlated with job burnout (r = -0.51, p < .01) while formal support was positively associated with compassion satisfaction (r = 0.61, p < .01) and negatively associated with job burnout (r = -0.44. p < .01). Resilience was positively correlated with compassion satisfaction (r = 0.56, p < .01) and negatively correlated with job burnout (r = -0.49, p < .01). Nevertheless, neither perceived social support nor resilience was associated with secondary traumatic stress. The regression results further highlighted the role of informal social support on job burnout. Measures should be taken to enhance the professional quality of life for medical social workers during a public health crisis .

"We Are All Just Walking Each Other Home": Exploring the Lived Experiences of Rural Hospice Social Workers in "Companioning" the Dying.

Social workers play a critical role on the hospice team including assessing risk and safety, advocacy, grief counseling, referral and connection to resources and providing guidance through advance care planning and advance directives. However, the voice of the rural hospice social worker is often absent from research. To address this gap in the literature, this study aimed to explore lived experiences of rural hospice social workers to better understand their role and challenges. Non-experimental qualitative research design was used for this study. Data was collected through in-depth qualitative interviews. A total of 19 rural hospice social workers participated in the study. We used a phenomenological approach focusing on the common lived experiences of rural hospice social workers and thus interviews were unstructured. Field notes and data were collected until data saturation was achieved. Five main themes were identified: (1) meaning of hospice social work, (2) role of hospice social workers, (3) vulnerability and realness, (4) self-care, and (5) rural culture. Based on these findings, we identified recommendations for hospice social work practice, research and policy, in general, as well as for rural hospice social work specifically. Future research could explore lived experiences of hospice professionals or of the dying and could also explore social worker experience of resource barriers.

Genericism and managerialism: The limits to AMHP professionalisation and expertise.

The Mental Health Act as amended 2007 democratised who could qualify for the Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP) role to include not only social workers, but psychologists, occupational therapists, and nurses. The amendments raised questions on how to appropriately train AMHPs from the professional groups without social work education to have adequate skills and decision-making capacity when considering the use of compulsory powers. Essential to the AMHP role is the obligation to 'bear in mind the social perspective', which incorporates the social dimensions to a persons mental health presentation and is considered a safeguard against the erroneous detention of service users. However, despite claims to further professionalise AMHPs there has been a difficulty defining what AMHP expertise is. This paper draws upon 'theories of professionalisation' to argue that the genericism movement and the adoption of New Public Management has limited the professionalisation of AMHPs and therefore adequate implementation of 'the social perspective'.

COVID 19 pandemic: Impact of changes experienced on social workers' professional quality of life in Singapore.

COVID-19 has impacted all spheres of life massively. Among the emerging studies on the psychosocial impact of the pandemic, few studies look specifically at how social workers are impacted. To understand this gap, this study surveyed 337 social workers. The findings showed that changes experienced in the workplace were enormous and caused secondary traumatic stress while engendering compassion satisfaction among social workers, but the presence of social support moderated to keep the secondary traumatic stress at bay. Resilience mediated association between social and workplace support and compassion fatigue. Social support seemed to have the largest effect on reducing stress through resilience. Workplace support also helped mitigate burnout. In conclusion, continued social and workplace support will be key to supporting social workers during a pandemic.

Perception of Social Workers on the Psychosocial Issues of End-Stage Renal Disease Patients during COVID-19: A Qualitative Study.

The COVID-19 pandemic has a significant impact on the routine care of patients with chronic illnesses. Patients with existing conditions such as diabetes, and cardiovascular disease are more susceptible to COVID-19 and are likely to experience more severe illnesses. COVID-19 infection leads to adverse clinical outcomes, more severe disease, higher mortality, and poor prognosis in patients with chronic kidney disease. The patient and caregiver would be in extreme distress with the fear of getting infected from the frequent exposure. The present study attempts to explore the perception of social workers on the psychosocial issues of persons with End-Stage Renal Disease during the COVID-19 pandemic period by using social cognitive theory and the social-ecological model as theoretical frameworks. Our study followed a qualitative design that employed a thematic analysis approach. We conducted in-depth telephonic interviews with six social workers in the nephrology setting. Three theme categories emerged as per data analysis. The first was the social worker's perception of psychosocial issues of patients with End-Stage Renal Disease. The second theme was related to the emerging role of the social worker and the skills acquired during this period and the third theme was the challenges experienced and the resilience of social workers in the nephrology setting. The study shows that patients are in extreme distress as they are more vulnerable to COVID-19 infection and it also highlighted the significance of social work practice in the nephrology setting.

An Exploratory Study on Mental Health and Burnout in Social Care Workers of an Emergency Shelter for Homeless Population during the COVID-19 Pandemic / Un estudio exploratorio sobre la salud mental y el agotamiento emocional en los trabajadores sociales de un albergue de emergencia para indigentes durante la pandemia del COVID-19

The aim of the current research is trying to fill in the gap that exists in regard with the lack of knowledge about the psychological status of social care professionals who worked in an emergency social service for homeless people during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study measured work sastisfaction, burnout, fatigue, depression, and anxiety symptoms in a sample of 44 Spanish social care professionals who worked in the IFEMA Pabellón 14 Social Emergency Centre for Homeless People in Madrid, Spain. The study was carried out in four measurement moments (between April and May), and results showed that, overall, workers displayed good levels of psychological adaptation to their workplace during the two months and a half that the emergency centre was running, in spite of all the uncertainty and risks existing throughout that time.

El objetivo de la presente investigación es tratar de llenar el vacío existente por la falta de conocimiento sobre el estado psicológico de los profesionales del área de atención social que trabajaban en un servicio social de emergencia para personas sin hogar durante la crisis de COVID-19. El estudio midió los síntomas de satisfacción, burnout, fatiga, depresión y ansiedad en una muestra de 44 profesionales españoles de la asistencia social que han trabajado en el Centro de Emergencias Sociales para Personas sin Hogar de IFEMA, Pabellón 14, en Madrid (España). La medición tuvo lugar en cuatro momentos (entre abril y mayo) y los resultados indicaron que, en general, los trabajadores sociales mostraron un buen nivel de adaptación psicológica a su lugar de trabajo durante los dos meses y medio que estuvo funcionando el centro de emergencias, a pesar de toda la incertidumbre y los riesgos existentes a lo largo de este tiempo.

COVID-19 and First Responder Social Workers: An Unexpected Mental Health Storm.

COVID-19 has disproportionally affected people living in poverty; new immigrants; and those living in healthcare settings (hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes), shelters, detention centers, and prisons. The pandemic has also significantly impacted social workers who face hidden mental health consequences. The resultant feelings and behaviors are similar to disaster-induced trauma, including excessive rumination, hypervigilance, exhaustion, and excessive crying as a result of the adrenaline-driven fight-or-flight response. This article aims to provide information for social workers to protect their own mental health while caring for their clients and raise awareness about social workers' needs in frontline duties. It summarizes five challenges for first responder social workers: (1) COVID-19 impacts on resource constraints, (2) employment insecurity, (3) disenfranchised guilt, (4) physical distancing and caution fatigue, and (5) managing self-care. The article offers recommendations to ameliorate distress and promote advocacy efforts for readjustment. As COVID-19 cases continue to rise, social workers who provide essential care in the field need self-assessment to better understand the impacts these challenges have on them as helpers. The article ends with recommendations to encourage social workers to apply the strengths-based approach to exemplify their professional values in times of pandemic distress.