Culture of support needed for social workers

The discussion around how to break stigmas and support the well-being of an organization’s workforce is being redefined. Workers seek more flexible environments that foster a healthy organizational culture, promote quality of life, and provide growth opportunities. Staff performance is decisive for an organization, hence the importance of developing programs that promote the well-being of workers. It helps reduce healthcare costs, reduce absenteeism, improve retention, reduce stress, increase creativity, and foster a sense of belonging.

For years, there has been talk about the shortage of human capital in the country, and today, we bring to attention the effect that this has had on the Administration of Families and Children of the Department of the Family (ADFAN). Child welfare social workers are exposed to high levels of stress as they work with families who have suffered traumatic circumstances. They may experience compassion fatigue and secondary traumatic stress. In addition, the scarcity of resources has brought work overload, greater pressure from supervisors, and scrutiny from public opinion.

In response to this reality, evidence-based practices propose a three-dimensional framework of well-being adapted for child and family social workers. The first dimension is physical well-being, focusing on workplace safety, physical health, and secondary traumatic stress. Research indicates that these social workers are more prone to weight gain, blood pressure problems, and headaches, among other conditions. They are concerned about their safety, as they are exposed to high-risk environments for physical and psychological violence.

The second dimension is psychological well-being, related to job satisfaction, stress, and exhaustion. It is recommended to seek an environment that encourages productivity, without retaliation for making mistakes or expressing oneself, and stimulates creativity. The third dimension is social well-being, which promotes support and accompaniment among colleagues and supervisors.

Various organizations are adopting wellness programs based on mindfulness, which effectively promotes skills to reduce stress in emotionally charged jobs. Mindfulness is the practice of staying in the present moment, noticing when attention wanders, and returning it to the task at hand. It is accepting what is perceived, whether breathing, the sound of a clock, the taste of a cup of coffee, or even unpleasant thoughts or emotions.

The Department of the Family began to develop this culture of well-being through the strategic plan to implement the Families First Puerto Rico project. For this purpose, it has launched the Wellbeing and Mindfulness Program, a workshop to promote well-being and self-care practices at an individual and organizational level. It is offered in small groups to provide a space where participants can self-evaluate, express themselves about situations that make them uncomfortable, exchange perspectives, and look for alternatives to deal with work and life situations. They practice mindfulness strategies, learn to regulate emotions, cultivate compassion, and explore ways to perceive adverse events.

These programs seek to serve all the staff of an organization and develop a culture that protects their health and well-being. They must provide healthy environments like shared and rest spaces, physical activity, and nutrition initiatives. Also, self-care and group and individual support programs based on trauma management must be developed.

Organizations and individuals should advocate for innovative regulations that promote health care and occupational safety. The goal is to develop a culture encouraging workers to seek help without fear of being stigmatized or penalized. Taking care of these workers is vitally important to them, but it is also essential for the families and children those workers serve. This approach will allow them to serve you with compassion, dedication, and dignity at a critical moment in their lives.

Authored by: Yashira Arroyo, clinical psychologist and leader of Grupo Nexos, Inc. wellness programs