Beyond Caseload Characteristics: Moderating Roles of Job Demand, Control, and Support in Reducing Secondary Traumatic Stress Among Child Welfare Workers

Background:

Child welfare workers are often at a greater risk of experiencing Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS) due to the nature of their work which requires ongoing interactions with children and families experiencing trauma. Current literature has consistently shown that workers’ caseload characteristics are strong risk factors that increase STS. For example, child welfare workers may experience a higher level of STS when they work with children who face more severe and complex trauma. Therefore, additional research is needed to explore effective organizational interventions to buffer the impact of risk factors on child welfare workers’ STS. Drawing on the Job Demand-Control-Support (JDCS) model, this study aims to examine the moderation effects of time pressure, job autonomy, and organizational support on the association between severe trauma caseload and STS among child welfare workers.

Methods:

We analyzed a subsample from the Comprehensive Organizational Health Assessment survey data. The selected sample consisted of 2,168 child welfare workers who had direct interactions with children and families across three states. STS was measured by 17 items that asked workers to rate intrusion, avoidance, and arousal symptoms of STS. The severity of the trauma caseload was measured by a single item that asked them to rate the extent to which their clients were traumatized. All moderators were measured using valid and reliable scales, including time pressure (5 items, α = .95), job autonomy (4 items, α = .93), and organizational support (4 items, α = .92). A PROCESS Macro version 4.2 was used to examine the hypothesized moderation effects after controlling for child welfare workers’ demographic and work-related characteristics.

Results:

Trauma caseload severity was positively associated with STS (b = .21, < .001). As hypothesized, job autonomy (b = -.11, < .001) and organizational support (b = -.15, < .001) demonstrated negative associations with STS, whereas time pressure (b = .24, < .001) showed a positive association. Furthermore, organizational support (b = -.07, p < .05) and time pressure (b = .07, p < .05) were significant moderators. The positive association between severe trauma caseload and STS decreased when child welfare workers perceived a higher level of organizational support; conversely, this relationship intensified when they experienced increased time pressure to complete their work.

Conclusion:

The current study contributes to advancing existing knowledge by demonstrating the effectiveness of the JDCS model in reducing child welfare workers’ STS. It highlights the protective roles of job autonomy and organizational support while underscoring the critical need to effectively manage time pressure in child welfare organizations. In particular, the moderating roles of organizational support and time pressure are noteworthy. Child welfare organizations can reduce the detrimental effects of severe trauma caseloads on STS by offering secondary trauma-informed support such as work-life balance, peer support, trauma-informed supervision, and employee counseling services. Furthermore, they can address time pressure through fair and equitable caseload and workload management, which takes into account both workers’ caseload characteristics as well as their capacities, skills, and experiences.