Wednesday, January 28, 2015

SCEP Assessment Plan Blog Post (Group)


Social Worker Burnout & the Importance of Self Care 

Assessment Plan

1. Recruitment process utilized in inviting individual to participate in the assessment

Our group will be utilizing the classes we are involved with at the University of Utah Masters of Social Work Program to deliver and collect assessments of  our target population. Each member of the group will invite classmates to participate in a five-minute survey before class.  Each person who agrees to participate in the survey will be receiving a small token of appreciation, in the form of a candy bar, as an incentive to participate in the research.

2. Approximate number of people to include in the assessment:

We have the goal of assessing 70 to 105 individuals who are enrolled in either the University of Utah Masters of Social Work two year or advanced standing program.  Each group member will be distributing and collecting ten to fifteen surveys each. 

3. Approximate number of focus group/interviews/ surveys to be conducted:

Surveys will be the type of assessment being used to collect informational data on social worker burn out among the masters of social work cohort. There will be between 70 and 105 surveys distributed and collected.

4. Time and location of the assessment:

The assessment will be distributed and collected between Thursdays and Fridays at the University of Utah College of Social Work Building. Time will vary depending on class meeting times.

5. Roles and responsibilities of persons planning and facilitating the assessment (including data collection and analysis plan):

We have a subgroup that has dedicated their time to researching different existing surveys that are similar to the questions we are hoping to have answered. This group is currently putting together a survey made up of an array of different assessments that have shown to be useful. Another subgroup will be working on translating and analyzing the data we have found after we have collected the target amount. The analysis will show trends and needs among the masters of social work cohort. It is the role of the person administering the survey to speak with each professor prior to class to gain permission to hand out the assessment tool.

Semi-Structured Assessment Plan

1. Introductory Verbal Script with purpose and procedures of assessment.

For our Macro project we are attempting to assess self-care practices among graduate level social work students at the University of Utah. This survey is intended to provide us with quantitative data reflecting the awareness of, current practice of, and need for self-care. No personal identifying information is needed. All information will be used solely for the above mentioned purpose. This is a voluntary survey and participation is greatly appreciated. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns contact Daniel Henderson u0358875@utah.edu.

2. Discussion of Informed Consent

Our survey is voluntary. Individuals will be made aware that the survey is optional and no penalty will be implemented if students choose to not participate. Members of our group will express gratitude and appreciation for participant’s involvement and time. Members of our group will read the verbal script which encompasses purpose and procedure of the assessment.

3. List of Questions to be Asked:  

Here a link to the PDF of questions our group will be asking:


4. Wrap Up:

In conducting our research we hope to discover the burnout prevalence among MSW students in the University of Utah College of Social Work. After analyzing our findings we hope to have a better look at the depth of burnout our fellow students are facing and use this data to help future students recognize the importance of self-care in the social work profession. Our group has been researching different ways individuals can engage in self-care that are at no cost and can be done simply on a break, at home, or during a commute. We hope to include these resources in our final project.