Innovations in the Management of Child Protection Workers: Building Worker Resilience (Practice Update) (Column‪)‬

Taking children away from their parents is risky business. Child protective services (CPS) workers are charged with monumental tasks and ever-increasing caseloads. As a countywide CPS supervisor in New Mexico, I shared the pain of one caseworker who experienced daily stress, knowing that her sibling set of three young children had been moved 13 times within two years. Despite the enormous importance of CPS work, it is consistently regarded as one of the least desirable jobs in any community. Nevertheless, I learned as a CPS social worker and then CPS supervisor that progressive, outcome-oriented management strategies have a major and positive impact on the CPS work environment, and on the quality of services delivered to abused children. The purpose of this article is to share these management strategies. In an attempt to be as realistic and practice-oriented as possible, the discussion includes the benefits derived and problems encountered with each strategy. It is no coincidence that I felt comfortable writing this article only after resigning from my position as CPS supervisor. Many of the management strategies discussed in this column are in direct violation of state policy.