Children and Youth Services Review 99 (2019) 240–245

Contents lists available at ScienceDirect

Children and Youth Services Review

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/childyouth

Examining the self-care practices of child welfare workers: A national

perspective
⁎
J. Jay Millera, , Jessica Donohue-Diohb, Chunling Niuc, Erlene Grise-Owensd,
Zuzana Poklembovae
a
Self-Care Lab, College of Social Work, University of Kentucky, USA
b
Department of Social Work, Campbellsville University, USA
c
College of Social Work, University of Kentucky, USA
d
The Wellness Group, ETC, USA
e
Institute of Educology and Social Work, University of Prešov, Slovakia

A BS T R ACT

Despite the importance of self-care to social workers, in general, and those employed in child welfare contexts, specifically, few studies have explicitly examined this
area of inquiry. This research brief explores the personal and professional of social workers employed in child welfare (N = 623) in the United States (U.S.). Overall,
findings indicate that participants engage in minimal amounts of self-care. Analyses revealed significant differences in self-care by Race, Education Level, Licensing
Status, Marital Status, Supervision Status, Professional Organization Membership, and Financial Status, respectively. Findings indicate the need for more explicit attention
to education and training related to self-care, and more organizational supports for child welfare workers.
Despite the importance of self-care to child welfare workers, few studies have explicitly examined this area of inquiry (Bloomquist, Wood, Friedmeyer-Trainor, &
Kim, 2015; Grise-Owens, Miller, & Eaves, 2016; Lee & Miller, 2013; Miller, Donohue-Dioh, Niu, & Shalash, 2018; Newell, 2018). This research brief explores the
personal and professional of child welfare workers employed in child welfare (N = 623) in the United States (U.S.). After pithily examining relevant background
information, this brief will explicate findings from this study and discuss salient implications derived from the data.

1. Background Specifically, these authors reported that child welfare workers develop
issues such as poor sleep hygiene, diet, fatigue, and substance misuse as
1.1. Workplace challenges and consequences a result of problematic employment circumstances. Lee et al. (2017)
made similar assertions. Child welfare workers may also experience
The challenges facing the contemporary child welfare workforce are burnout that can get worse over time (Savicki & Cooley, 1994; Sprang,
complex and well-documented. Collectively, evidence suggest that child Craig, & Clark, 2011), emotional exhaustion and depersonalization
welfare workers experience inordinately high caseloads (Blome & Steib, (Lizano & Barak, 2015; Travis, Lizano, & Mor Barak, 2016), compassion
2014; Kim, Ji, & Kao, 2011), experience high-levels of posttraumatic fatigue and vicarious trauma (Tavormina & Clossey, 2015), and low
stress (Rhee, Ko, & Han, 2013; Salloum, Kondrat, Johnco, & Olson, perceptions of personal accomplishment (Kim et al., 2011), among
2015), and experience work-family/work-life conflict (Wu, Rusyidi, others. Indubitably, these consequences can negatively affect services
Claiborne, & Mccarthy, 2013), when compared to other social service proffered to children and families involved in child welfare systems.
providers. Additionally, Miller et al. (2016) suggested that child welfare
workers are disproportionately impacted by cumbersome bureaucratic 1.2. Self-care as a response
and uncertain political processes. Perhaps most alarming, child welfare
workers also experience inadequate supports in dealing with proble- Despite the paucity of research related to self-care, there is ample
matic employment circumstances (Lee, Pang, Lee, & Melby, 2017; evidence to suggest that adroitly engaging in self-care practices can
Lizano & Barak, 2015). assuage many of the previously discussed conditions (e.g., burnout,
There are a plethora of deleterious consequences associated with stress, vicarious trauma, etc.). In fact, Harrison and Westwood (2009)
these challenges. Griffiths, Royse, and Walker (2018) concluded that aptly suggested that self-care can be a protective factor against the
many of these consequences fall into four broad-based categories: un- consequences of problematic employment circumstances. Butler,
healthy habits, mental health, physical health, and work-life balance. Carello, and Maguin (2016) and Coleman, Martensen, Scott, and

⁎
Corresponding author.
E-mail address: [email protected] (J.J. Miller).

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2019.02.009
Received 1 August 2018; Received in revised form 4 February 2019; Accepted 5 February 2019
Available online 05 February 2019
0190-7409/ © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
J.J. Miller et al. Children and Youth Services Review 99 (2019) 240–245

Indelicato (2016) asserted that lower self-care among practitioners is Table 1

related to higher levels of professional burnout. In one of the few stu- Demographic characteristics of participants (N = 623).
dies to explicitly investigate of self-care practices of child welfare
N %
workers, Salloum et al. (2015) postulated that participants who en-
gaged in self-care experienced higher levels of compassion satisfaction. Gender
Alkema, Linton, and Davies (2008) reached similar conclusions among Male 59 9.5
Female 539 86.5
hospice workers. Additional benefits associated with self-care include Other 25 4.0
improved professional efficacy (e.g., Barnett, Baker, Elman, & Race/Ethnic Background
Schoener, 2007; Bradley, Whisenhunt, Adamson, & Kress, 2013; Sanso White non-Hispanic 518 83.1
et al., 2015), and professionalism (Asuero et al., 2014), lower work- Black non-Hispanic 54 8.7
place turnover (Bressi & Vaden, 2017), and help practitioners cope with Hispanic 38 6.1
Other 13 2.1
stress and vicarious trauma (Dattilio, 2015; Dombo & Gray, 2013),
Sex Orientation
among other positive effects. Heterosexual 483 77.5
Other (Gay or Lesbian; Bisexual) 140 22.5
2. Study aims Current Relationship Status
Married 276 44.3
Partnered 65 10.4
The overarching purpose of this study was to investigate the per- Widowed 1 0.2
sonal and professional self-care practices of a national sample of child Divorced 53 8.5
welfare workers. To this end, this examination was guided by two re- Separated 2 0.3
search queries: (1) How often do child welfare workers engage in per- Never married 226 36.3
Highest Academic Degree
sonal and professional self-care practices, respectively; and, (2) Are
Bachelor's 163 26.2
there demographic/professional variables that impact the frequency of Master's 424 68.1
self-care practices? Doctorate 36 5.8
Employer Type
3. Methodology Non-Profit 542 87.0
For Profit 81 13.0
Members of Professional Organization(s)
3.1. Protocol and sampling Yes 211 33.9
No 412 66.1
This brief is part of a larger study that examined wellness among Supervise Other Child Welfare Workers
Yes 68 10.9
social work practitioners. In terms of sampling, researchers utilized an
No 555 89.1
electronic survey to collect primary data from social workers. Health Status
Invitations were sent to entities/organizations known to employ social Excellent 53 8.5
workers. As well, the survey invitation was posted to a variety of social Very Good 197 31.6
media platforms. Potential participants were asked to forward the Good 281 45.1
Fair 81 13.0
survey invitation to other social workers in their network. Thus, accu- Poor 11 1.8
rately calculating a response rate is not possible. All data were collected Current financial situation
and managed via an online survey platform. All data related to this I cannot make ends meet. 41 6.6
study was collected during the first quarter of 2018. I have just enough money to make ends meet. 199 31.9
I have enough money, with a little left over. 299 48.0
All participants who completed the survey were offered a chance to I always have money left over. 84 13.5
enter an incentive drawing for a $500 cash card. The incentive survey Work Focus
was disconnected from the survey used to collect primary data related Mostly micro-level work 222 35.6
to the study. As such, participants could not be linked to their survey Mostly mezzo-level work 206 33.1
responses. These procedures were reviewed and approved by a Mostly macro-level work 55 8.8
My work is spread equally across more than one area 140 22.5
University Institutional Review Board (IRB).
Current License Status
Currently Have a social work 388 62.3
3.2. Measure Have previously had social work license 1 0.2
Never Had a LSW license 234 37.6
To collect primary data related to the aim of this study, researchers
utilized the Self-Care Practice Scale (SCPS; Lee, Bride, & Miller, 2016).
SCPS is an 18 (e.g., nine items for personal self-care and nine items for scores (0–72). For all three, higher scores indicate more frequency in
professional self-care) item measure designed to measure the frequency self-care practices. For this study, measures for personal (Cronbach's
that one engages in self-care practices. For the purpose of this study, Alpha = 0.81), professional (Cronbach's Alpha = 0.78), and
total (Cronbach's Alpha = 0.86) self-care displayed high internal
professional self-care was defined as “the process of purposeful engage-
ment in practices that promote effective and appropriate use of the self con- sistency. In addition to the SCPS, the instrument did contain a
in the professional role within the context of sustaining holistic health number of items designed to capture data necessary to describing the
and well-being” (Lee & Miller, 2013, p. 98). Examples of professional sample (e.g., race, age, time in the profession, etc.). Inclusion of these
self-care items include: I seek out professional development opportunities items were based on previous works related to self-care.
and I take vacations. Personal self-care was defined as “a process of
purposeful engagement in practices that promote holistic health and 4. Findings
well-being of the self” (Lee & Miller, 2013, p. 98). Examples of personal
self-care items include: I get adequate sleep for my body and I spend 4.1. Participants
quality time with people I care about.
Items for the SCPS are assessed via a five-point Likert scale ranging Descriptive statistics for participants are presented in Table 1. A
from 0 (never) to 4 (very often). The measure produces three scores: a total of 623 (N = 623) child welfare workers from 41 states took part in
personal self-care score (0–36) a professional self-care score (0–36), and this study. The sample was overwhelmingly female (86.5%), of white,
a total score comprised of the sum of personal and professional self-care non-Hispanic racial/ethnic background (83.1%), and in their early-mid

24
1
Table 2.1
Group comparison results for child welfare workers' personal self-care scores (N = 623).

Variables df Effect Size Personal self-care

F p SE CI 95%

⁎⁎
Race (White vs. Non-White) 1, 609 0.254 1.499 0.002 0.491 [0.57, 2.50]
⁎⁎
Degrees (Masters vs. Others) 1, 609 0.262 0.870 0.001 0.376 [0.48, 1.96]
⁎⁎⁎
Marital status (Married vs. Not Married) 1, 609 0.308 3.157 < 0.001 0.354 [0.65, 2.04]
⁎⁎⁎
Financial status 3, 606 0.063 15.619 < 0.001 0.655 [−6.36, −2.94]
⁎
Professional organization membership 1, 609 0.216 7.084 0.036 0.388 [0.05, 1.58]
⁎⁎⁎
Current licensed in social work 1, 608 0.537 1.134 < 0.001 0.357 [1.66, 3.07]
⁎⁎⁎
Supervise other workers 1, 609 0.501 0.149 < 0.001 0.568 [2.40, 4.63]

⁎
p < 0.05.
⁎⁎
p < 0.01.
⁎⁎⁎
p < 0.001.
30s (M = 33.55; SD = 9.12). On average, participants participants with master's degrees (M = 21.45, SD = 4.39) scored
reported working 41.79 (SD = 9.41) hours per week and had been significantly higher
practicing in a child welfare context for 8.84 (SD = 8.23) years. than those who did not have master's degrees (M = 20.24, SD =
4.30).
Overall, this sample does appear to be somewhat similar to more
general child welfare po- pulations in terms of gender and race (e.g.,
Department for Professional Employees, 2010). However, the sample
does appear to be more edu- cated than general child welfare worker
populations.

4.2. Self-care practices

Overall, the mean personal, professional, and total self-care scores

were 21.06 (SD = 4.40), 21.47 (SD = 4.08), and 42.43 (SD =
7.63), respectively.

4.2.1. Relationships for continuous variables

Correlation analyses between the personal self-care scores and
various continuous demographic variables produced significant rela-
tions with Years of Practice in Child Welfare Work (r =
0.326,
p < 0.001), Number of Hours Worked Per Week (r = −0.348,
p < 0.001), and Health Status (r = 0.526, p < 0.001). Similarly, sig-
nificant correlations were also found between the professional self-care
scores Years of Practice in Child Welfare Work (r = 0.122, p =
0.005),
Number of Hours Worked Per Week (r = −0.351, p < 0.001), and
Health Status (r = 0.307, p < 0.001). In summary, the healthier one
reported being and the longer they had been working, the more self-
care practices they engaged in. Additionally, the more hours one
worked per week, the fewer self-care practices they engaged in.

4.2.2. Group differences

Researchers initiated one-way analyses of variances (ANOVAs) (or
independent samples t-tests for dichotomous variables) to investigate
differences between key variables with appropriate sample sizes at each
level on the dependent variables including personal and professional
self-care scores, respectively. Where appropriate, robust nonparametric
equivalents were employed. Significant findings were confirmed by
both parametric and non-parametric analyses. Significant differences in
mean self-care scores were found for key variables Race, Highest
Academic Degree, Licensing Status, Marital Status, Supervision Status,
Professional Organization Membership, and Financial Status.
Analyses revealed significant group differences by race [F(1,
609) = 1.499, p = 0.002, Cohen's d = 0.254]. Specifically,
participants who identified as White, Non-Hispanic (M = 21.29, SD
= 4.24) en- gaged in significantly higher personal self-care
practices than those from all other race/ethnic groups.
Data also revealed significant group differences by highest academic
degree for both personal [F(1, 609) = 0.87, p = 0.001,
Cohen's
d = 0.262] and professional self-care [F(1, 617) = 15.27, p <
0.001, Cohen's d = 0.36]. In terms of personal self-care,
Likewise, master's degree holders (M = 21.87, SD = 4.34)
reported engaging in significantly higher professional self-care
practices than
other degree holders (M = 20.62, SD =
3.31).
Significant cross-group differences were also detected based on
participants' current social work license status for both personal self-
care scores [F(1, 608) = 1.134, p < 0.001, Cohen's d = 0.537]
and professional self-care scores [F(1, 616) = 11.22, p < 0.001,
Cohen's d = 0.389]. Please note that due to the fact that only one case
reported “I have had a social work license in the past”, this subcategory
was not included in the statistical analyses.
For personal self-care practices, individuals who held a social work
license at the time they took the survey (M = 21.91, SD = 4.36)
re- ported significantly higher personal self-care practices than those
who
did not hold a license (M = 19.55, SD = 4.06). A similar pattern
held
true for professional self-care. Social work license holders (M = 22.03,
SD = 4.37) engaged in significantly higher self-care than those without
a license (M = 20.57, SD = 3.33).
Independent samples t-tests were conducted to compare the parti-
cipants' mean personal and professional self-care scores by Current
Relationship Status (“Married” vs. “Not Married”) and Supervision Status
(“Supervise Other Workers” vs. “No Supervision Duties”). Significant dif-
ferences were found by Current Relationship Status for both personal [F
(1, 609) = 3.157, p < 0.001, Cohen's d = 0.308] and professional
self- care [F(1, 617) = 0.494, p < 0.001, Cohen's d = 0.333].
Specifically,
those who were married (M = 21.81, SD = 4.29) and had to
supervise
other child welfare workers (M = 24.21, SD = 4.03) scored
sig- nificantly higher in mean personal self-care scores than those who
were
not married (M = 20.46, SD = 4.39) and did not have any
supervision
duties (M = 20.70, SD = 4.29), respectively. Similarly, when
com- paring professional self-care scores, those who were
married (M = 22.23, SD = 4.11) and had to supervise other child
welfare workers (M = 24.46, SD = 4.54) also scored significantly
higher in
mean personal self-care scores than those who were not married
(M = 20.88, SD = 3.96) and did not have any supervision
duties
(M = 21.11, SD = 3.87), respectively. Tables 2.1 and 2.2
summarize results by group difference.
Lastly, analyses revealed significant differences in self-care practices
by Financial Situation. As a part of the survey, respondents were asked to
select the response that best described their current financial situation:
“I cannot make ends meet,” “I have just enough money to make ends meet,”
“I have enough money, with a little left over,” or “I always have enough
money left over.” A robust, alternative one-way ANOVA (Brown-
Forsythe test) was used to compare mean personal and professional self-
care scores between the different financial status and was found to be
statistically significant for both personal [F(3, 606) = 15.619,
2
p < 0.001, η = 0.063] and professional self-care [F(3, 618) =
24.323,
p < 0.001, η2 = 0.117]. Games-Howell tests revealed significantly
lower mean personal self-care scores for those who indicated: “I cannot
make ends meet” (M = 17.68, SD = 2.66) than those who noted “I
al- ways have money left over” (M = 22.33, SD = 4.65), “I have just
enough
Table 2.2
Group comparison results for child welfare workers' professional self-care scores (N = 623).
Variables df Effect Size Professional self-care

F p SE CI 95%

⁎ ⁎⁎⁎
Degrees (Masters vs. Others) 1, 617 0.360 15.27 < 0.001 0.317 [0.63, 1.88]
⁎⁎ ⁎⁎⁎
Marital status (Married vs. Not Married) 1, 617 0.333 0.494 < 0.001 0.326 [0.71, 1.99]
⁎⁎⁎
Financial status 3, 618 0.117 24.323 < 0.001 0.792 [−8.52, −4.38]
⁎⁎⁎
Current licensed in social work 1, 616 0.389 11.220 < 0.001 0.312 [0.85, 2.08]
⁎⁎⁎
Supervise other workers 1, 617 0.532 2.704 < 0.001 0.507 [2.35, 4.35]

⁎
p < 0.05.
⁎⁎
p < 0.01.
⁎⁎⁎
p < 0.001.
money to make ends meet” (M = 20.47, SD = 4.37), and “I have
wellness initiatives. Miller et al. (2016) offered a mixed-method de-
enough money, with a little left over” (M = 21.57, SD = 4.25). velopment framework for such an effort. As well, organizations can
Likewise, sig- nificantly lower mean professional self-care scores were institute the use of self-care plans and accountability groups as a way to
also found for foster a culture of self-care (Grise-Owens et al., 2016). Adherence to
those who indicated: “I cannot make ends meet” (M = 17.00, SD =
3.88) self-care plans could be integrated into employee evaluations as a way
than those who noted “I always have money left over” (M = to efficiently monitor self-care.
23.45, SD = 4.68), “I have just enough money to make ends meet” (M Second, analyses revealed that self-care was significantly correlated
= 21.12, SD = 3.71), and “I have enough money, with a little left over” with several variables. For example, the more years of practice ex-
(M = 21.77, SD = 3.66). perience in child welfare, the more the participants engaged in self-
care. These findings suggest that more experienced workers may be
better positioned to engage in self-care. Future research should con-
5. Discussion and implications tinue to examine the relationship between professional experience and
self-care.
The purpose of this brief is to document an exploration into the In addition, the number of hours an individual worked per week was
personal and professional self-care practices of child welfare workers. In related to self-care. In summary, the self-care practices tended to de-
so doing, this brief addresses limitations in the current literature. To cline the more hours one worked. This finding may affirm traditional
date, few studies have explicitly examined this topic among this prac- conceptions of self-care whereby it is viewed as secondary to employ-
titioner group. The following paragraphs briefly discuss the findings ment responsibilities (Grise-Owens et al., 2016). This finding intimates
posited above, and salient implications derived from those findings. the need for child welfare workers to be more intentional about in-
First, data from the current study indicate that child welfare tegrating self-care into their daily lives.
workers only engage in modest amounts of self-care. As previously Self-care was also significantly related to participants' self-reported
discussed, the mean personal, professional, and total self-care scores health status. In essence, the healthier an individual reported them-
were 21.06 (SD = 4.40), 21.47 (SD = 4.08), and 42.43 (SD = selves to be, the more likely they were to engage in self-care. Of course,
7.63), respectively. The mean item ratings for each SCPS item was 2.35. this finding presents what may be a quintessential causality dilemma.
Based on the likert scale anchors, this mean item rating indicates that People who are healthier may be able to engage in more of the tradi-
parti- cipants only engage in self-care “sometimes.” tional self-care practices (e.g., exercising, etc.). Or, those who engage in
Given the afore-referenced challenges facing individuals employed self-care practices may view themselves as healthier. No matter, given
in child welfare, these findings are disconcerting. However, these the impact of job stresses on the health conditions of child welfare
findings are not surprising. A host of authors have avowed that par- workers (e.g., Griffiths et al., 2018), future studies should continue to
taking in self-care practices can be difficult (Cox & Steiner, 2013; Grise- investigate linkages between health and self-care among child welfare
Owens et al., 2016; Kanter & Sherman, 2017). Moreover, studies that workers.
have examined the self-care practices of health care workers (e.g., Lastly, analyses revealed several group differences in relation to
Miller, Lianekhammy, Pope, Lee, & Grise-Owens, 2017) and social self-care practices. For example, child welfare workers currently
workers in higher education (e.g., Miller, Poklembova, Grise-Owens, & holding a social work license reported engaging in higher levels of self-
Bowman, 2018) have reached similar conclusions. As well, in a study care than did those without a license. Licensing regulatory require-
that investigated the self-care practices of MSW practitioners, ments often entail ongoing professional development, such as con-
Bloomquist et al. (2015) postulated that social workers in their sample tinuing education (Miller, Deck, Grise-Owens, & Borders, 2015). And,
engaged in self-care practices on a “limited basis” (p. 292). These stu- several authors have suggested that professional development is a form
dies, as well as findings from the current study, suggest that there is of self-care. Thus, individuals holding a license may view this ongoing
room for improvement in self-care practice engagement for social development as a form of self-care. A similar dynamic (e.g., ongoing
workers, in general, and those working in child welfare contexts, spe- professional development) may also contribute to understanding group
cifically. differences by educational level. These findings suggest that individuals
The promise of improving self-care practices among child welfare should seek out ongoing professional development and child welfare
workers may be actualized in several ways. For instance, whilst seldom organizations/agencies, should look to support employees in engaging
addressed in curricula, social work educational programs can do more in ongoing professional development. This may include trainings or
to improve self-care competency among students matriculating into supported initiatives for ongoing education (e.g., stipend programs,
professional practice (e.g., Grise-Owens, Miller, Escobar-Ratliff, & etc.), among others.
George, 2017). Including self-care in educational and training en- Data also suggest that supportive personal and social networks may
deavors will not only give students the skills to engage in self-care, but impact self-care. For instance, those who were married and individuals
will convey importance associated with self-care. who reported being part of a professional member organization (e.g.,
In addition, child welfare agencies/organizations should do more to NASW) reported higher self-care practices, respectively. Several authors
support practitioners in engaging in self-care. These actions could in-
clude developing and implementing broad-based organizational
have asserted that significant relationships can offer support, profes- The self-care imperative. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 38, 603–612.
sional and otherwise, which can promote self-care (Dorociak, Rupert, Blome, W. W., & Steib, S. D. (2014). The organizational structure of child welfare: Staff
Bryant, & Zahniser, 2017). These data affirm those notions and suggest are working hard. but it is hardly working. Children and Youth Services Review, 44,
181–188.
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Social Work, 16(2), 292–311.
Significant differences were detected by financial status whereby
Bradley, N., Whisenhunt, J., Adamson, N., & Kress, V. (2013). Creative approaches for
those who were more financially stable engaged in more self-care.
promoting counselor self-care. Journal of Creativity in Mental Health, 8(4), 456–469.
Miller et al. (2017) reached a similar conclusion among a state-wide Bressi, S., & Vaden, K. (2017). Reconsidering self care. Clinical Social Work Journal, 45(1),
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Butler, L. D., Carello, J., & Maguin, E. (2016). Trauma, stress, and self-care in clinical
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workers view self-care. and administrators. Washington, DC: NASW Press.
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Findings related to this brief should be examined within the context the Self-Care Practices Scale (SCPS). (Presented (poster) Society for Social Work
of several limitations. For instance, this study was exploratory and Research 19th Annual Conference, Washington, D.C).
Lee, J. J., & Miller, S. E. (2013). A self-care framework for social workers: Building a
examined the self-care practices of self-identified child welfare workers. strong foundation for practice. Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Social
Whilst the sample is an appropriate size for this type of effort, addi- Services, 94(2), 96–103.
tional participants may have yielded alternative perspectives, and as Lee, K., Pang, Y. C., Lee, J. L., & Melby, J. N. (2017). A Study of adverse childhood
such, affected the data. In some instances, the researchers employed experiences, coping strategies, work stress, and self-care in the child welfare pro-
fession. Human Service Organizations: Management, Leadership & Governance, 41(4),
non-parametric analyses due to unequal group sizes. These limitations, 389–402.
as well as others, make it necessary to interpret findings included in this Lizano, E., & Barak, M. (2015). Job burnout and affective wellbeing: A longitudinal study
brief carefully and critically. of burnout and job satisfaction among public child welfare workers. Children and
Youth Services Review, 55, 18–28.
Miller, J., Deck, S., Grise-Owens, E., & Borders, K. (2015). Exploring graduate students'
7. Conclusion perceptions about social work licensing. Social Work Education, 34(8), 1–19.
Miller, J., Donohue-Dioh, J., Niu, C., & Shalash, N. (2018). Exploring the self-care
practices of child welfare workers: A research brief. Children and Youth Services
This brief examined the self-care practices of child welfare workers
Review, 84, 137–142.
from across the U.S. Findings suggest that self-care is an area of needed Miller, J., Grise-Owens, E., Addison, D., Marshall, M., Trabue, D., & Escobar-Ratliff, L.
improvement for participants in this study, and perhaps more generally. (2016). Planning and organizational wellness initiative at a multi-state social service
Assuredly, the challenges beleaguering the child welfare workforce will agency. Evaluation and Program Planning, 56, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
evalprogplan.2016.02.001.
persist. Thus, it is imperative that researchers, practitioners, and policy Miller, J., Lianekhammy, J., Pope, N., Lee, J., & Grise-Owens, E. (2017). Self-care among
makers continue to examine ways to assuage the consequences of de- healthcare social workers: An exploratory study. Social Work in Health Care, 56,
leterious employment challenges. Self-care is one such strategy. 865–883. https://doi.org/10.1080/00981389.2017.1371100.
Miller, J., Poklembova, Z., Grise-Owens, E., & Bowman, A. (2018). Exploring the self-care
practices of social workers in Slovakia: How do they fare? International Social Work.
Conflict of interest https://doi.org/10.1177/0020872818773150.
Newell, A. (2018). How to get back your life. Australia: Angela Newell.
Rhee, Y., Ko, Y., & Han, I. (2013). Posttraumatic growth and related factors of child
The authors on this paper report NO conflicts of interest. protective service workers. Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 25(1),
1–10.
Salloum, A., Kondrat, D., Johnco, C., & Olson, K. (2015). The role of self-care on com-
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