Child Welfare Worker Turnover

With final cuts to the Texas child welfare system still unknown, it is difficult to imagine just how far-reaching the effects will be on the overall system. It is imaginable, though, that any cuts will most likely contribute to an increase in CPS caseworker turnover rates. Turnover for fiscal year 2010 was 25.4%, a slight increase from the rate of 23.6% in 2009. Entry-level caseworkers, who represent approximately 21.7% of the DFPS workforce, had a turnover rate of 34.2% in 2010. Numerous factors can contribute to this high rate, including “high caseloads and workload, supervision quality, inadequate pay, inadequate education, preparation and training (tied to tough working conditions), lack of recognition for a job well-done, paperwork demands, chronic stress, emotional exhaustion and lack of support and liability concerns.”[1]

A 2010 qualitative study published in the journal Child Welfare[2] addressed the role of stress due to vicarious trauma in caseworker turnover. The study emphasized the effects countertransference, vicarious trauma, secondary traumatic stress, and burnout. The researchers based their work on the constructivist self-development theory (CSDT), which states that people construct their own versions of reality as they interact with their environment. The researchers found that in all focus groups all five aspects of CSDT (frame of reference, self-capacities, ego resources, psychological needs, and memory and perception) were noted to be related to disruptions. Common reports included feelings of hopelessness, an inability to communicate with loved ones, a change of reference (e.g. “I’m not the same person any more.”), depression, and a lack of support both within and outside the agency.

The researchers strongly recommended that vicarious trauma, its effects, and ways of managing it be addressed in all trainings as well as in higher education courses. Researchers further stated that agencies seeking to hire “caring workers” be honest with potential employees in discussions of working with traumatized populations. They also noted that self-care is important, and a personal responsibility of each worker to implement.

While I agree that self-care is a vital part of reducing caseworker turnover, I take exception to the idea that this is a responsibility that should be placed solely on the individual caseworker. Agency policy must support caseworkers in this task. Caps on caseloads, limited overtime hours, and accessible counseling services are examples of policies that would allow for a healthier level of self-care. As discussed in previous postings, the state of Texas had supposedly been making progress towards these types of goals. However, it is possible that any gains made in recent years will be lost if major or multiple budget cuts are implemented.

Jennifer Copeland

MSSW Candidate

University of Texas at Austin

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[1]TexProtects. (2010). Reduce CPS caseworker turnover. Retrieved from http://www.texprotects.org/site/DocServer/82nd_Reduce_CPS_Caseworker_Turnover_12-07-10.pdf?docID=2868

[2]Jankoski, J. (2010). Is vicarious trauma the culprit? A study of child welfare professionals. Child Welfare, 89(6), 105-120. Retrieved from EBSCO Academic Search Complete.