Missouri Family Development Training and Credentialing Program (FDC)

Evaluation of a training program for family service

workers

Conference Presentation and St. Louis Focus Group Research: Megan McCarthy, MSW CandidateGeorge Warren Brown School of Social WorkWashington University in St. Louis

Principal Investigator: Deborah B. Smith, Ph.D.Director, Family Studies ProgramUniversity of Missouri- Kansas City

St. Louis Evaluation

MO FDC is currently being evaluated throughout the state by the University of Missouri- Kansas City.

A separate evaluation study was conducted by this author at the St. Louis agency that facilitates the FDC program for the city.

Study Goals

Evaluate effectiveness for the St. Louis agency.

Test the hypothesis: “the FDC training program improves

confidence, efficacy, and assertiveness amongst participants and affects workers’ perception of the communication with client family members.”

Theoretical Background Freudenberg (1974) coins the term burnout.

Maslach (1996) defines the term: “Burnout is a psychological syndrome of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment that can occur among individuals who work with other people in some capacity” (p. 192).

Research shows that emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and decreased personal accomplishment correlate positively with low job satisfaction.

The consequences of burnout in human service professionals can include decreased work effectiveness, absenteeism, physical symptoms, drug and alcohol abuse, insomnia, interpersonal problems, and job turnover.

Shapiro found that higher amounts of professional reading correlated significantly with higher levels of job satisfaction. Additionally, professionals who attended more trainings scored significantly higher on the self-actualization factor of the job satisfaction questionnaire.

Research finds significant associations between an impaired sense of accomplishment with clients and higher levels of burnout.

Methods Convenience sample of former FDC

participants. Subjects worked at a variety of social

service agencies in St. Louis, including the Division of Family Services, YWCA, Head Start, battered women’s shelters, and community organizations

Focus groups were conducted with FDC program participants and two questionnaires (demographics, job satisfaction, and facilitator evaluation) administered.

Methods, cont.

Based on New York State evaluation, Focus group questions asked about three concepts: Assertiveness and Confidence of

workers Perceptions of effectiveness with

clients Empowerment of workers

Methods, cont.

Sub-topics explored included: Self care and stress Communication with clients Setting limits and boundaries What worked and didn’t work about

the facilitation style, content, etc.

Important Definitions Confidence: a feeling of being sure about

oneself and comfortable in one’s environment.

Efficacy: a feeling of being capable of creating change and of being useful and helpful to clients.

Assertiveness: behavior that clearly states one’s needs and wants without aggression or submission.

Study participants were familiar with these definitions as they are addressed in the training program content.

Demographics

Participants were primarily African American females, with one Caucasian female and one Native American male.

Most workers held a bachelor’s degree and had work experience in the field.

Some workers were instructed to take this training by their employer, others had to persuade their employer to let them participate.

Results, Participants Report: new ability to set limits with clients, let go,

and step back from clients’ successes and failures.

new ability to let clients set their own goals and ability to partner with clients instead of taking over.

new ability to take care of themselves and avoid burnout.

new ability to focus on strengths with clients.

Participants Report: increased skill in communication. new feeling of respect from coworkers,

supervisors, and colleagues. being more organized and focused in

their work, as well as having more tools at their disposal for working with clients (e.g. the Family Development Plan form).

Participants attributed all of these changes to the FDC Program.

Results Participants overall satisfaction with the

FDC program was rated as good, with one person rating it as excellent and one rating it as average.

Colleges graduates rated their satisfaction with the FDC training higher than those without college degrees.

Seven of the eight participants found the training either very useful or somewhat useful.

Significance of the Findings: Results do indicate a link between

feelings of effectiveness, empowerment, and confidence among workers and their participation in the FDC program.

FDC may increase job satisfaction and/or lower worker turnover.

Significance of these findings is limited by the small sample size. An experimental pre and post survey is underway.

Possible Benefits for Organizations:

Workers who feel effective, empowered, and confident experience more satisfaction in their professional lives.

Training programs can increase these positive feelings and reduce turnover.

Particularly for social service workers, who may experience higher levels of burnout, training and support is a must!

Future Research

The Family Studies Program of the University of Missouri- Kansas City, led by Dr. Deborah Smith, is investigating the link between the FDC program and job satisfaction, as well as evaluating the overall effectiveness of the entire MO FDC Program.

Contact Information Principal Investigator:

Deborah B. Smith, Ph.D.Director, UMKC Family Studies Program

www.umkc.edu/mofdc or Google keyword “family development”familystudies@umkc.edu(816) 235-2298

Conference Presenter, focus group researcher, & St. Louis contact:Megan McCarthy, MSW Candidatemmccarthy@gwbmail.wustl.edu(314) 762-9296