Women Social Workers in Corrections Essay Example

of burnout and its associated factors. The absence of consensus on the definition and standardized unit of measurement further complicates this delicate subject.

According to a study by Garner, Knight, and Simpson (2007), burnout in corrections-based drug treatment staff is more prevalent among younger members. The study interviewed two social workers in their twenties who were found to be susceptible to early career burnout. Additionally, Koeske and Kelly (1995) observed that professional over-involvement contributes to burnout. They discovered that helping professionals who are excessively involved experience a decrease in job satisfaction due to the strain it causes. In this particular study, two older social workers mentioned instances in their careers when they had to be on-call 24/7, 365 days a year. It is worth noting that all of the social workers interviewed worked with clients dealing with drug addiction and chemical dependency.

A literature review conducted by Acker (1999) reveals that these clients struggle to maintain the therapeutic relationship due to their regressive and inappropriate behavior. This limitation in engaging these clients in treatment is supported by the findings of Cancro (1983) and Coyle (1978).

In relation to my burnout, Keinan and Malach-Pines (2007) propose potential sources based on their research on prison personnel. They suggest that correctional officers (COs) spend more time with inmates, exposing them to higher levels of aggression, violence, demands, and manipulative behavior. Moreover, COs experience greater workload, working more shifts and constantly being "on guard," all contributing to significant stress.

In community corrections, staff are expected to endure verbal assaults and threats of violence without any means of defense except telephones and lockable doors. Bahner and Berkel explain why the interviewed social workers still

remain in the profession. According to their research, social workers with agreeable personalities are less likely to dehumanize their clients. "Those with a high level of agreeableness have been described as selflessly compassionate and helpful to others" (Costa ; McRae, 1991) (Bahner and Berkel, 2007). Moreover, the interviewed social workers mentioned having a strong support system.

The extent to which people around the individual worker provide support by being good listeners or by being people the worker can rely on when help is needed is known as social support (Um and Harrison, 1998). In 2002, Ross et. al. conducted research on the need for students of social work to become more acclimatized to the subject due to the nature of burnout in social work. They found that students preparing for the helping fields need more curricular and applied exposure to the characteristics of professional burnout and effective coping strategies before entering the workplace (Ross et.).

According to Al. (2002), the purpose of this research is to provide students with necessary exposure. The main data source for this essay includes interviews conducted with four social workers from two different age groups - two in their twenties and two over the age of forty. This enabled a comparison between their responses to open-ended, structured interview questions. Initially, the data was planned to be collected from co-workers at the halfway house where I used to work.

After resigning from my position at a company due to personal reasons, I needed to locate another group of individuals to participate in my study. To achieve this, I conducted interviews with social workers employed at two different county social service offices. These social workers

all possessed experience dealing with clients who repeatedly faced difficulties, which I defined as failure. In order to gather diverse perspectives, I compared their experiences to my own encounters as an outsider working with similar clients. The interviews were structured and involved asking open-ended questions designed to uncover the emotional experiences of the social workers regarding their clients' failures, how they strike a balance between work and personal life, and what drives them to continue in their professions. The questions encompassed various subjects such as the most fulfilling aspect of their work and how they view client recidivism as either resulting from personal failure, system failure, or individual failure. It is worth mentioning that this essay adopts an emotive style.

Through analyzing the feelings and reactions of social workers, I have had an opportunity to reassess my own understanding of failure and burnout. This essay aims to combine the experiences of social workers and myself in order to assess the challenges of working with criminals. The objective of this research is to offer aspiring social work students insight into a contributing factor for burnout: failure. Working as a social worker in the criminal justice sector is a demanding occupation, and I greatly admire how these professionals handle their clients daily.

Four social workers were asked what motivates them to pursue this line of work. Their responses varied. One younger social worker shared that they chose social work as a career path during high school because they possess good listening skills and believed they could succeed in this field. In contrast, a more experienced social worker stated that working alongside compassionate, intelligent, and morally upright colleagues makes social

work an excellent profession. Additional reasons mentioned by the social workers included finding fulfillment in working with specific clients and the excitement of encountering unexpected situations inherent to their job.

Having worked with criminal clients for a while, I always found the answer to be quite amusing. Their behavior no longer surprised me. The clients are unquestionably the most important aspect of this profession, and in community corrections, social workers often see their clients as the most marginalized members of society. When asked if there was a point at which they would give up on a client, the general response was yes. While the individual answers differed, the common thread among all of them was that it stemmed from the client's resistance to change.

A social worker once recounted a challenging case that made them question their commitment to a client. The case involved an experienced social worker supporting a family whose children had been taken away due to accusations of drug abuse. Both parents faced legal charges, while the children were aged six months and ten years. Fortunately, the mother was eventually freed, leading to the family's joyful reunion.

Approximately three years later, the children have returned once again. The mother showed impressive parenting skills in my observation. She effectively redirected her children's behavior and remained aware of their whereabouts and activities even when they were in different rooms. Throughout the reunification process, she excelled at engaging all the kids when we brought them to her home. I closely observed her and found that her parenting abilities were among the best I had seen.

Unfortunately, her drug addiction proved insurmountable, leading to the termination of her parental rights.

Consequently, these children will now be made available for adoption.

Unfortunately, it is disheartening to acknowledge that the mother's parenting rights have been permanently revoked, despite this being done in the best interest of the children. It saddens me to contemplate that if she were to be released and have additional children, those children would probably be removed from her care due to previous involuntary terminations. Consequently, if we were granted custody of any of her future children, we would promptly terminate her rights without offering any assistance or direction. This circumstance greatly saddens me as I once held a favorable opinion of this mother.

One of the most challenging aspects of my work in social work is developing a strong connection with a parent and genuinely liking them, only to realize they are unable to change. Despite offering a variety of experiences, some satisfying and others less so, the field of social work has its difficulties. Two social workers were interviewed - one young and one older - both agreeing that witnessing clients undergo transformation is the most fulfilling part of their job. The younger social worker finds satisfaction in having conversations where individuals finally have breakthroughs and recognize the need for change in their lives. Similarly, the older social worker shares this sentiment, noting that initially clients may exhibit unfriendliness and resistance but after participating in different treatment or therapy programs for about a year, they become completely transformed – which becomes the highlight of their work.

Each social worker had a different response when asked about the most unpleasant part of their work. One social worker mentioned how they disliked terminating parental rights and informing

children aged 10-13 that they can no longer go home because their parents haven't changed. This suggests that change is a crucial aspect of the social work career, with seeing change being one of the most pleasant experiences and not seeing change being one of the most unpleasant. Disappointment from clients is something that every social worker in community corrections faces, and it happens frequently. Out of the four social workers interviewed, only one remembered losing their first client to revocation, and this memory seemed very fresh in their mind.

"I had to speak with her probation officer, as I was present during her arrest. I believe that she may have benefited from it, as staying at home was not conducive to her improvement. She was not grasping the policies and rules, and staying at home was not helping her. Sometimes, revisiting treatment or returning to jail can serve as a wake-up call for individuals. Personally, I believed it was necessary."

Although asked about their most disappointing client encounters, all participants readily recalled a dreadful story. Notably, three of the four stories shared a common theme: the client's resistance to change. A young social worker recounted an incident similar to this: 'He flatly refused to comply with his obligations... he behaved deceitfully and engaged in inappropriate behavior... failing to show up at agreed-upon locations... lacking commitment to his own recovery. I was unable to convince him to alter his mindset. I felt powerless and incredibly frustrated. It was evident that he had no desire whatsoever to make any alterations.'

He was determined to do things his way and he never tried to hide it or mislead

me; he simply wanted to remain authentic. This disappointed me because I questioned why I couldn't compel him to conform to societal expectations. Like a younger social worker highlighting the lack of progress in her client's narrative, an older social worker recounts an anecdote about an abusive relationship that she was unable to alter:

"I recall collaborating with someone who was caught up in a highly severe domestic violence situation. He had even been incarcerated for drug-related offenses and domestic violence, among other transgressions, and their children were removed from their residence for approximately eight months until they could receive therapy and demonstrate stability."

Despite losing everything, including their housing, the couple had to start anew after their breakup. Fortunately, things were going well as she made positive choices for her children, and eventually, they reconciled after he had been out for some time. However, the unfortunate reality was that domestic violence resurfaced once again. One would expect individuals to grow stronger and wiser from such experiences, but sadly, this was not the case.

As a cynic who maintained emotional distance from clients, I witnessed daily instances of abuse. It proved to be the most disheartening aspect of working with criminal clients. I never harbored any belief in significant change on their part; thus, it came as no surprise when transformation failed to materialize. If a client managed to remain drug-free or crime-free during our engagement with them, I assumed they had already resolved to straighten out long before we even encountered them.

Recognizing the change, or the absence of change, is once again acknowledged as a vital experience in the field of social work. The sole contrasting

reaction to the most disheartening experience of all time was a narrative of suicide. I had believed that even just one suicide out of four would indicate a glimmer of hope. The pressures faced by social workers are sufficient to prompt outsiders to question, “Why would anyone choose to pursue this occupation?” When questioned about how they managed to cope with their past encounters, a younger and an older social worker both emphasized the importance of support from their colleagues in helping them navigate through the situation.

The younger social worker mentioned that they often discuss difficult situations with their co-workers and come up with different approaches to work with the individual again. They also mentioned that the support of co-workers is helpful in dealing with these situations. Similarly, the older social worker stated that when faced with challenging situations, it is important to discuss it with co-workers and supervisors, and to leave it behind when leaving work. It is interesting to note that both social workers emphasized the importance of not taking work-related issues home with them.

Each social worker has different coping strategies outside of work, which include both physical and social forms of stress relief. Whether it's cooking, swimming, or working out, regardless of age group, these activities are always combined with spending time with friends and family. These coping strategies are vital for emotional balance between work and personal life. It is clear that volleyball or cooking cannot compare to the challenges faced while working with abused or sexually exploited children. However, these coping strategies do work for social workers. None of the social workers interviewed mentioned that their clients returning to

the system affects their personal lives. The main impact that working with these clients has on social workers' personal lives is the amount of thought given to the clients even at home.

According to one younger respondent, they occasionally think about work at home, but they don't believe it has a significant impact on their life. They do think about work and their clients a lot, even outside of working hours. An older respondent shared a similar sentiment, mentioning that although they try to put work aside and focus on other aspects of their life, it is still often the first thought in their mind the next day, even while in the shower. However, none of the respondents stated that thinking about work outside of work hours greatly affected their personal lives.

When working with clients, social workers must confront the potential for failure. The concept of failure can vary, as one individual views it as a personal weakness. Personally, in my professional life, I would consider failure as a lack of motivation to perform my job due to frustration with clients or colleagues. If I were to allow stress to reach a point where I no longer desire to fulfill my responsibilities, I believe that would signify failure.

When you lose interest in clients or no longer care about their success, or if you are simply going through the motions because you have to be present, that would be considered a failure. Conversely, two other social workers perceive failure as a result of the client's actions. It occurs when you exert more effort than the families themselves. If you establish goals during meetings and find yourself putting

in more effort than they are, then it becomes a failure.

"One might wonder if social workers can predict failure. Is there something about certain clients that indicates they are likely to fail? Each response to this question varied, but two answers suggested that the client does not feel responsible for their actions. Interestingly, this common response was given by individuals of different ages. One respondent said, 'When they refuse to take responsibility for what has happened. They always blame someone else for whatever has occurred. These individuals have a difficult time changing because they believe it's not their fault...whatever it may be.' Similarly, a younger social worker stated, 'They attribute all their problems to their current situation rather than recognizing that challenges and obstacles are a natural part of life.'"

The individuals do not recognize that they may face difficulties in life after leaving their current situation. This overly confident attitude is concerning because life is never perfect, regardless of one's circumstances. It is important for them to acknowledge and address these challenges. Each social worker in this research has unique strategies for managing clients who are more likely to fail. Despite their differences, all social workers emphasize the importance of individualized treatment. For example, when working with someone who has antisocial personality traits, one social worker advises being equally smooth in response.

You inform them about your intentions to monitor them through their probation officer or treatment provider, while also expressing agreement with their statement. You emphasize that you will thoroughly investigate everything. Another social worker takes a different approach by involving other individuals in the client's life to hold them accountable. This method may yield

varying results.

Another approach for dealing with difficult clients is to take a team approach. "We try to staff them with multiple people, so we can get a sense of what we would all like to do." Additionally, one social worker focuses on finding the client's motivation to change by addressing their past shortcomings. "I inform them that I have seen this happen in the past... I explain that I have witnessed similar situations and am confident that things will be different when they are released. I ask them what was happening in their life when they were not here, which caused the problems that led to their incarceration. I also discuss how their situation will be different upon their release and engage in a conversation to process the situation."

Sometimes they understand my perspective, while other times they do not. When it comes to lack of motivation, I often attempt to help them find solutions or discuss what might inspire them, particularly if they have loved ones whom they do not want to let down. Ultimately, my aim is to find that driving force which will enable them to make positive changes.

"It is comforting to observe that although social workers encounter clients who will inevitably experience failure during treatment, they all seem to possess a strategy for addressing a challenging recovery when the opportunity for improvement arises. Hence, when a client does fail, who should be held responsible? This question demands an answer. Community corrections programs are funded by both taxpayers and private organizations, so when these programs fail, who should be held accountable? Initially and primarily, all the social workers agree that the client

bears responsibility for their own failure. 'I believe they have acquired many necessary tools through their time served in incarceration even before they arrive at our facility. They possess ample resources both within our establishment and in the wider community through programs like AA/NA and family support. At times, however, they fail to utilize these valuable resources."

Typically, I would say that it is the client's fault for not utilizing what they have. However, both older social workers suggested that the system also plays a role in client failure. At times, there may be some system failure, like in our case where we lack resources for domestic violence victims. We have very limited services for both women and men, and there is room for improvement in that area. Ultimately, a social worker noted that all three aspects - the client, the system, and the social worker - could be held responsible for client failure. There is a possibility that it's a combination of all factors. The system is overwhelmed and sometimes releases individuals from jail who should remain incarcerated due to the presence of more serious offenders.

We have individuals with significant drug problems, engaging in activities such as selling or possessing drugs, and they are freely roaming the streets because there are others with even worse criminal histories in prison. Although I don't necessarily condone the idea of dangerous individuals being released, we need some solution to address this gap. Sometimes our clients are unwilling to rehabilitate themselves. They are willing to serve their sentence, but they have no intention of making any positive changes in their lives. They plan on returning to the same detrimental

environments, often populated by questionable individuals. They refuse to avail themselves of any support groups or resources that may exist because they have no desire to change.

That individual is the one we are discussing. None of us are flawless every single day, nor are we flawless any day. However, there are days when we are simply better equipped to cope with things. Therefore, if you (referring to a client) happen to do something today that greatly annoys me, I may express to you, "Leave, I am fed up, what you did was foolish, just go away."

The following day, I may be able to suggest, "Let's discuss and assess where that will lead you." It is a blend of various aspects. If you believe there could have been a better approach, you must not allow regret to consume you because it is in the past, it is finished. You learn from it and move forward. However, if you continuously dwell on it and think, "I am a terrible person, I should not have acted that way. Why did I do it? It was foolish," you will not succeed.

According to social workers, the client is mainly responsible for failure, but the system and social workers themselves also share some blame. However, social workers who continue in this profession can learn from failure and move on. Studies have shown that more than 50% of social workers will face burnout at some point in their careers.

Burnout is more likely to occur in the early stage of a social work career, but the exposure to stressors in this field can help alleviate this issue. This is why this paper was

written - to explore how the emotional stories and experiences of social workers can show that failure in their careers, such as client recidivism, does not define them. By realizing that failure has little or nothing to do with them, social workers can prevent emotional burnout and continue their careers despite setbacks.

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