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Nonprofit organizations operating in civil society have become the main channel for social service provision in most neoliberal welfare economies. Social service nonprofits (SSNs) deliver essential services mainly to vulnerable and marginalized populations. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, SSNs have been at the frontline of dealing with its socioeconomic consequences. This paper focuses on the activities and responses to the crisis of SSNs in Israel. Interviews with SSN directors (N = 17) show that they dealt with growing demands for services due to the social implications of the pandemic, along with operational difficulties, such as deterioration in clients' condition, disruption in service continuity, and reduced funding and staff. Next to these difficulties, the findings highlighted the social innovations adopted by SSNs to maintain service provision, such as implementing remote service technologies, forming collaborations, and recruiting volunteers. Implications for the social services and policies are presented and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Incivility within social work education reflects patterns seen across higher education and within society. Previous work has found that social work faculty are reluctant to report incivility and have limited confidence in their ability to address it effectively. In order to address potential solutions, this paper uses qualitative data (n = 164) drawn from a larger survey of social work faculty in the United States. The exploratory analysis focuses on strategies social work faculty use when experiencing incivility and bullying themselves, and methods recommended by social work faculty to confront incivility administratively and systemically within the social work academy. Responses were coded into four themes: values-based responses, leadership/institutional responses, individual and faculty level responses, and faculty disengagement. These themes suggest opportunities and recommendations to move toward a civil social work academy. Academic faculty expect institutional leadership to have the skills to acknowledge and address incidents of incivility in the workplace. Social work faculty suggest a combination of values-based responses that tie workplace behavior and culture to professional values, institutional responses that support accountability and formal recognition for prosocial behavior, and establishing and maintaining positive relationships in the workplace. Social work faculty acknowledge and affirm the individual ethical mandate to address injurious workplace behavior and challenge institutional systems and patterns that reinforce workplace incivility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The literature on the collaboration between businesses and Social Service Nonprofits (SSNs) emphasizes the importance of strategic management, based on joint governance and rational decision-making. This article presents a multiple case study analysis of four cross-sector collaborations, between for-profit business organizations and SSNs. The study examined the dynamics of interorganizational collaborations and their management in different stages of the collaboration. Data were collected from 36 in-depth interviews with key players from both organization types. The findings revealed that collaborations were based mainly on non-systematic decision-making and sporadic oral communication, with high participant turnover. Strategic planning was mostly absent, as were attempts to institutionalize administrative processes and procedures, form a new type of governance, and conclude formal agreements. An "organized anarchy" model is proposed to analyze the relations between the organizations and their operations during the collaboration period. Implications for future business-SSN collaborations and for collaboration management are presented and discussed. The study focuses on the inter-organizational dynamics of business-SSN collaboration, and sheds light on the patterns of inconsistency, ephemerality, and randomness that characterize them, using the "organized anarchy" theoretical model. The findings highlight the potential costs of these detected patterns, which might pose a threat to collaboration sustainability and hence to its outcomes, due to instability, participant turn over and lack of appropriate knowledge and training. Next to the potential costs, the findings also highlight the potential benefits of these patterns as they allow for agility, for making quick changes in response to challenges posed by changes in the environment, and for greater creativity and faster reaction to changing needs of the partner organizations, their service-users and staff. The study provides practical suggestions to enhance sustainability of business-SSN collaboration: Appropriate preparation, socialization, orientation and training of the parties to the collaboration, and strategic management of collaboration which includes joint governance mechanisms and frequent communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leaders are coping with multiple challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic and both individual and organizational resilience are critical to successfully manage this turbulent change. This qualitative study employed focus groups and online surveys to explore 25 directors' and managers' experience coping with the pandemic, along with organizational supports and resources, in three mental health/addiction agencies in Canada. Thematic data analysis revealed multiple individual and organizational challenges and opportunities, resilience factors, and supports. These results expand empirical research on resilience factors during turbulent change and are relevant for leaders coping with future crises. Leaders faced multiple individual challenges, including uncertainty, vulnerability, and fear, heavy workloads and difficult decisions, fatigue and stress; these may serve as a caution for future leaders facing unprecedented changes in human services. Organizational challenges included strained internal/external relationships, social isolation, difficulty balancing client/staff safety and service standards; they illustrate the struggle for leaders to balance competing organizational agendas during trying times. Opportunities included risk-taking and adaptability to rapid changes, innovation and creative solutions, internal/external collaboration with partners, leadership development and succession planning for longer-term sustainability. Leaders' individual resilience factors included development of enhanced self-confidence, collaboration, communication and problem-solving skills, compassion and empathy, humility, gratitude, hardiness, perseverance, and patience. Organizational resilience and sustainability can be nurtured through emotional connection and support, organizational culture and teamwork, clear communication, shared decision-making, clear values and mission, and work-home life balance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People experiencing homelessness are at increased risk of exposure to traumatic events, and face higher rates of suicidal ideation, traumatic brain injury, domestic violence, and sexual assault than the general population. As a result of this trauma prevalence among homeless populations, it is important that human service organizations (HSOs) integrate trauma-informed care (TIC) principles into their service delivery systems. Many HSOs who serve people experiencing homelessness, however, struggle to fully translate TIC principles into administrative practices that are felt as positive at the client level of care. This case study was conducted with focus groups of people experiencing homelessness (n = 13) to investigate the consequences of administrative practice decisions on participants' perceptions of powerlessness and the quality of care they receive from service delivery systems. Study participants repeatedly described their trauma and sense of powerlessness both while experiencing homelessness and while receiving services. Participants' discussion of the service delivery system's staff, policies, processes, and procedures hinged on whether and how they found these service delivery components to make them feel powerless and confused, or not. Study results point towards specific recommendations for how homelessness HSOs ought to implement TIC principles into the homelessness HSO service delivery context, with an emphasis on reducing clients' perceptions of powerlessness within service delivery systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic forced human services agencies to adapt quickly to the economic realities faced by their customers. For child support agencies, the pandemic raised difficult questions about how strenuously agencies should enforce child support orders during periods of economic crisis and uncertainty. Drawing on interviews with agency and court staff, this study explores staff's perceptions of pandemic-related effects on parents' abilities to work and pay, how and why enforcement practices changed during the pandemic, and changes staff expect to persist. Agency staff reported a pause on enforcement at the pandemic's outset, followed by leniency, flexibility, caution, and empathy in their practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In times of shrinking resources and fragmented societies, partnership is a value-driven social structure that should be theorized in order to be considered for implementation, effectively and sustainably. Recognizing the scarce theoretical perspectives on partnership, this article addresses the lack of an integrated universal model. It delineates the theoretical field through extensive literature review, reaffirming the critical gap in knowledge. Original qualitative research utilized an international case-study of a social partnership, and a historic investigation since its inception three decades ago. A Grounded Theory Methodology guided the systemic analysis of the empirical data, culminating in a proposed universal partnership model. The study finds mutuality to be the heart of a partnership and a differentiating criterion from other social structures. Three pillars that are grounded in mutuality sustain a partnership, and include a common ground, connection, and commitment. Further research is needed to test the proposed model on other diverse partnerships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social work professionals experience job-related stressors often associated with compromised mental health. In low-resource, conflict settings, such as the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT), structural and environmental obstacles pose additional challenges. This qualitative study identified stressors faced by 237 Palestinian social workers, current organizational strategies to reduce worker stress, and recommendations for new strategies. Content analysis identified 12 categories of stressors within five domains: role-related, interpersonal, organizational, societal, and miscellaneous. Current stress reduction efforts are perceived as ineffective, but numerous suggestions were offered for new initiatives. Implications for policy, practice, and research are discussed. Practice Points Palestinian public sector social workers face a litany of stressors at multiple levels, including role-related, interpersonal, organizational, and societal. In addition to the types of workplace stressors typically associated with social worker burnout and secondary traumatic stress, Palestinian social workers must also contend with stressors related to operating in a low-resource setting and under Israeli military occupation. While the Palestinian Ministry of Social Development is limited in its capacity to address many of the structural factors that contribute to worker stress, opportunities exist to promote worker well-being at an organizational level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As public child welfare agencies continue to experience high rates of workforce turnover and low rates of retention, employee mentoring and coaching has been forwarded as a potential mechanism to positively impact the workforce. Using a qualitative multi-method case study approach, this learning case describes an innovative statewide child welfare worker new employee mentoring program implemented by the State of Alaska Office of Children's Services. Drawn from the perspectives of key leadership, line supervisors, and other stakeholders responsible for the development of the program, results included broad support and observed supervisor and employee benefits. Implications of this learning case are relevant to both child welfare agencies as well as other social service programs considering development of mentoring programs and implementation of broad system-wide programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States causing significant disruptions in daily life including disruptions for social service and behavioral health agencies. This qualitative, phenomenological study interviewed thirty-seven directors or managers of social service or behavioral health agencies. Agency managers described challenges related to the pandemic and shut down, but they also described opportunities for innovation and change. Agency managers discussion fell into eight themes: funding, employees, space, supplies, policies/protocols, partnerships, mission, and innovation/leaning into the crisis. Implications for administrative practice and policy will be discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Child maltreatment impacts society on multiple levels, and consistent turnover in the child welfare workforce creates financial challenges and problems associated with service delivery. This study explores the qualitative survey findings from a statewide sample of child welfare administrators in one state (n = 86). When asked to provide suggestions for improving workforce retention, nine overarching themes emerged: compensation, decreased workload, organizational culture, job factors, professional development, frontline supervision, performance management, leverage external partners, and competent and engage leadership. A comparative analysis ensues, where these strategies are juxtaposed with those of frontline supervisors and frontline workers. Similarities, differences, and implications are explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]