Transcript Slide 1
SUSTAINING THE CLINICAL SOCIAL WORK WORKFORCE The role of professional recognition Kim Sherriffs Oosthuysen PhD Candidate, University of Queensland The issues What is clinical social work and how does it fit within the broader profession? Why are clinical social workers vulnerable? What do they teach us about recognition in a professional context? Elements of Clinical Social Work Personinenvironment Specialist competencies Shares broader profession’s values Umbrella term Clinical Social Work Range of theories Specialist social workers Therapeutic services Range of methods Many fields but shared interests Counsellors Family Therapists Availability of accredited advanced training Quality specialist CPE opportunities Selfemployed Standardized specialist supervision guidelines Psychotherapists Interdisciplinary representation Mental Health Workers Policy level advocacy Shared representation CLINICAL SOCIAL WORK BOARD OF PRACTICE Counsellors Family Therapists Selfemployed Psychotherapists Mental Health Workers Australian Clinical Social Workers Mostly female and older Between 1-7 different titles used Split between social work and generic titles Mixed association membership = more involved with other Informal route to specialisation Clinical Social Work Predominantly employees Split between fulland part-timers Mostly AASW members Why are they vulnerable? Informal route Routes to specialisation • vulnerable to skill/expertise challenges Formal route Generic Formal route • Few social work specific advanced training programs available • Non-social work specific training dilutes social work identity & values “There is little provision within our existing social work undergraduate and postgraduate structures to allow for this specialisation, even though there is a need . . .for specialisation in Clinical Social Work. . . . . .This is not adequate, nor does it assist in developing an effective and confident professional identity.” (Carrasco, 2007) Why are they vulnerable? Informal route Routes to specialisation • vulnerable to skill/expertise challenges Formal route Generic Formal route • Few social work specific advanced training programs available • Non-social work specific training dilutes social work identity & values PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION SEEKING STATUS AND POWER ACCURATELY IDENTIFIED and VALUED AS WORTHWHILE Levels of Professional Recognition Policy recognition (legislative) Intraprofessional recognition (within the profession) Inter-disciplinary recognition (by allied professionals) Reliable Recognition Scale Intraprofessional recognition Interdisciplinary recognition (within the profession) (by allied professionals) α = 0.87 α = 0.87 Policy recognition (legislative) α = 0.93 Intra-professional valuing Affective commitment (want to be part) Intra-professional recognition (within profession) Intention to leave the profession SUMMARY Clinical social workers specialise in providing therapeutic services – 24% of AASW membership Clinical Social Work Board of Practice Vulnerable to skill and expertise challenges Limited social work specific post-graduate options Impacts acquisition of social work values, professional identity formation and socialisation into the profession Recognition = accurately identified and valued Three distinct levels of recognition – reliable instrument Feeling valued by peers is key to WANTING to be part of the profession and not intending to leave First empirical evidence that intra-professional devaluing is detrimental to the broader profession Thank you . . . For more information, contact Kim at [email protected]