NCJ Number
194952
Journal
Child Abuse Review Volume: 11 Issue: 1 Dated: January-February 2002 Pages: 38-50
Date Published
2002
Length
13 pages
Annotation
The article studies the relationship between the skill level of child protection workers and positive client outcomes.
Abstract
The author asserts that certain skills possessed by child protective workers impact client outcomes. As a basis for this assertion he reviews prior research concerning the relationship between worker skills and client outcomes and posits that the most effective child protection workers use collaborative problem-solving, pro-social, role clarifying, and relationship skills including empathy in developing and implementing client interventions. The goal of the article was to examine the level of utilization of these skills and the depth of the relationship between use of these skill types and positive client outcomes. The research was drawn from child protective workers and clients in the Eastern Region of the Australian State of Victoria. The author measured worker’s self reports of the use of the skills, the client’s satisfaction with worker’s performance and assessment of skill use and overall case closure. Generally use of the skills when clients responded to their use resulted in more positive outcomes. 4 tables, 23 references