Date of Conferral
2022
Degree
Doctor of Social Work (DSW)
School
Social Work
Advisor
Jaegoo Lee
Abstract
Supervision is a field standard in which experienced social workers assist other social workers by modeling practical skills and teaching self-care standards. However, an agency's culture has the potential to negatively affect a supervisor’s ability to model self-care to social workers in a mental health setting, which can in turn increase the risk of burnout and the potential for harm to the agency including decreased employee retention, decreased employee satisfaction, and lower quality client care. The purpose of this project was to explore how agency culture affected a supervisor’s ability to model necessary self-care techniques to social work professionals. Another aim was to identify supervisors’ opinions on the effects this modeling has on employee burnout, employee retention and satisfaction, and client care. A systems theory framework was used. The research question concerned how social work supervisors describe the effect agency culture has on the ability of supervisors to model necessary self-care techniques in a mental health treatment setting. The generic qualitative research design included interviews with 10 social work supervisors in a mental health setting. Thematic coding was used to identify common themes including direct communication, indirect communication, schedule limitations, and productivity requirements. The study furthers understanding of the role of agency culture in mental health settings. The potential implications for social work practice and positive social change include a decreased risk of burnout and an improvement in client care.
Recommended Citation
Godsby, Lacey Maxwell, "The Impact of Agency Culture on a Supervisor's Modeling of Self-Care to Social Workers" (2022). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 13377.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/13377
