Date of Award
1-1-1990
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Center for the Advancement of Education
Advisor
Ronald A. Newell
Committee Member
Gaspare B. Tamburello
Committee Member
Peter K. Mills
Keywords
administrative orientation, community mental health, job performance, organizational commitment, organizational goals, organizational structure, personal growth, professional commitment, professional development, professional orientation, professional roles, psychologists, social workers, staff development, staff training, survey research, treatment orientation, work experience
Abstract
The purpose of this research project was to explore psychologists and social workers' views and roles within their community mental health organization and professional organizations. The study was to address how the psychologists and social workers' adaptive skills were valued to support the organization in how this adaptation or adjustment affects the individuals' job performance.
We surveyed localized to measure respondents' commitment to community mental health organizations and to his or her profession. The data were collected through a mailed questionnaire to 185 psychologists and 125 social workers and equals to 110 Kansas community mental health organizations. Returned usable questionnaires included responses from 141 psychologists, 76%, and 166 social workers, 85%: of the psychologists, 36 had a Master of Arts(M.A.) degree; 70 had a Master of Science (M.S.) Degree; 32 had a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree, and three had a Doctor of Education (EdD) degree. One hundred two social workers had a Master of Social Work or Master of Social Welfare (MSW) degree. 2 a Doctor of philosophy, PhD degree, and 208 doctoral social worker DSW degree. 141 respondents were male and 106 were female.
The data were analyzed descriptively by computing percentages, means, and standard deviations to describe the data. T-tests and analysis of variance were used to test for agreement and for differences between groups of subjects and correlations and chi-square were used to test the relationships between groups and variables. The dependent variables were personal growth, professional orientation, treatment orientation, and administrative orientation. The independent variables were age, sex, race, marital status, academic degree held, academic concentration, job assistance, and postgraduate education values and commitments, work experience and part-time job assignments, and other measures since they were viewed as predictors of organizational orientation. As a result of this research project, the staff development plan at High Plains Mental Health Center was modified. The modified plan forms the basis for an education and training program for psychologists and social workers in order to enhance both professional development and organizational commitment. Recommendations were formulated to strengthen the education and training program at High Plains Mental Health Center.
Three null hypotheses were tested. The results revealed that there was a relationship between the agreement of professional goals and organizational goals and the level of personal conflict with the organization, that there was a relationship between promotion within the organization and an increase in organizational values and commitments, and there was no relationship between job assignment and role Concurrency.
This study supports the proposition that community mental health organizations require substantial structure and formality to perform their services and to reach their goals. Psychologists and social workers accept this idea and accommodate their professional and organizational goals to accomplish the work to be done to fulfill the organization's goals. The study results also reveal that psychologists tend to express organizational values and commitments more than social workers, so both groups indicated a role identification with their respective professions.
Some recommendations derived from this study were used to modify the staff development plan at High Plains Mental Health Center in order to help psychologists and social workers adhere to commitments made to the organization to uphold and advance the values, ethics, and knowledge of the profession and to improve the organization's policies and procedures and the efficiency and effectiveness of the organization's services.
Additionally, the modified staff development plan provides an opportunity for psychologists and social workers to lecturers, cases, and videos, exercises, to learn to meet professional and organizational challenges by, 1. understanding the organizational and managerial environment and uncovering the basic forces that buffet all human organizations, 2. becoming aware of the new ways of leading, 3. understanding how organizations promote goal or stifle leadership development and how individuals who are able to lead and 4. learning how to improve organization performance. The basic application for psychologists and social workers are how to make the global principles, ideas, and insights relevant to High Plains Mental Health Center.
Based on education and training concepts, the following recommendations were submitted to the Executive Director of High Plains Mental Health Center: 1. That a committee on staff development be formed to implement the modified staff development plan for psychologists and social workers. 2. That liaison be established with universities, colleges, and professional schools to assure sound planning for the education and training of professional staff, and 3, that the modified staff development plan be adopted for strengthening educational and training programs at High Plains Mental Health Center.
Finally, the implications of the results regarding psychologists, social workers, and the development or true identity of the learning needs of the professionals identifying learning resources and direct professional staff participate in learning experiences that validate their new skills and knowledge as they benefit the individual, the profession, and the organization.