Mutual Help Staff Groups to Manage Work Stress

Abstract

Abstract Staff burnout is an increasing problem in social service agencies. A staff training and research project was conducted to assess the value of small staff groups to increase job satisfaction among group members. The author trained staff from a child protective agency in New Jersey to become leaders of staff groups. A standardized Job Descriptive Index (JDI) was administered to the experimental group (four groups) and a comparison control group that measured five dimensions of job satisfaction (the work itself, coworkers, supervisors, pay, promotion). After 20 weeks of group meetings the JDI was taken again together with the Maslach Burnout Inventory. There were no statistically significant differences on any of the five sub-scales although the experimental group demonstrated slight trends toward increased satisfaction with co-workers and supervisors. In responses to open-ended questions about the values or limitations of the group experience, the experimental group was extremely positive about the group experience. The group leaders also reported high attendance, low drop-out, and increased group cohesiveness. The training of the group leaders included a practice framework that emphasized the following areas of group leader and member collaborative activity: 1. Orientation/structuring: clarifying purposes, roles, tasks. 2. Social/emotional: giving and receiving support and recognition. 3. Cognitive/conceptual: analyzing practice and work problems, use of a problem solving approach. 4. Task/action: using group for constructive agency change.