Declassification of professional social workers: A personnel issue facing the human services
The author discusses the issue of declassification of professional social work positions within public service agencies. The manner in which declassification is occurring, the reasons for it, and some strategies to block the trend are presented. An underlying theme of the paper is that the core issue in declassificalion of professional social work positions is the profession's inability to define clearly its domain of expertise. From a personnel standpoint this relates to issues of job analysis and evaluation and the inability of professionals to establish the fact that their contribution to a social service agency is unique, and by implication superior, to that offered by individuals possessing different qualifications and/or experience.
A Follow-Up of a Title IV-E Program's Graduates' Retention Rates in a Public Child Welfare Agency
Abstract Objective: Examine retention rates of a Title IV-E program's graduates in a public child welfare agency. Method:The sample consisted of all workers (N = 266) hired between June 1994 and June 1997. Subjects were followed until 12/31/99 in order to ascertain employment status. Data for study were abstracted from agency personnel files. Findings:Title IV-E trained social workers had longer periods of tenure than non-IV-E trained employees (p < .057). Other predictors that were significant or approaching significance included Spanish speaking (p < .007), having an MSW (p < .0245), being rehired by the agency (p < .052), and being promoted to social from Income Maintenance (p < .061). Conclusions:The retention finding is encouraging because it may mean child welfare agencies may improve their human capital through programs like IV-E. Recruiting Spanish speaking social workers or upgrading existing workers' language skills may increase retention in child welfare. Promoting from within coupled with upgrading skills through training programs like IV-E may also be a solution to the staffing crisis.
In Defense of Social Work: An Examination of Stress in the Profession
are many reasons for this phenomenon. In part, it relates to the profession's young history, to its ambiguous position in society, and to its multiple purposes and functions. Social work, operating in the vortex of social change, seeks to move, modify, and to "mop up" the residue of social change. In more elegant and "scientific" language, social work activities consist of provision of resources, restoration of functioning and prevention of dysfunction, and promotion of social well-being.2 These are formidable goals and expectations. Criticism comes from both within and without the profession. Social work, more than older, socially valued, and traditional professions, is on the firing lines.3 Pot shots, such as Marion Sanders' article in Harper's Magazine,4" may irritate, amuse, or concern. Bigger blasts of censure are often fired by allied and related disciplines. For exam-