Masters Thesis

Title IV-E: Preparing Participants to Cope with Work Related Stress and Burnout

This study is a qualitative phenomenological study that focused on exploring the experiences of Title IV-E participants of how well the Title IV-E program prepared them to cope with work related stress and burn out. Psychological stress and coping theory framework was used to understand how work related stress can result in burn out in child welfare social workers. The sample included four master’s level Title IV-E recipients who were currently employed in the field of child welfare. Participants were asked to describe how well they believed the Title IV-E program prepared them to cope with stress and burn out in a career in child welfare. Participants expressed that overall, the Title IV-E program did a good job in preparing them, however, the program could not fully prepare them for a career in child welfare. The findings of this study were organized in to five themes: seminars, mentors, real life exposure, field placement, and workplace setting. The data suggest that participants valued having seminars on work relates stress and self-care, having the IV-E staff serve as mentors, as well as working in agencies that promoted self-care. This article discusses implications for the Title IV-E program to provide seminars and mentorship opportunities. The implications are a result of the data collected in this study.

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