Abstract:
Workload management in child welfare is
neither simply defined nor simply addressed.
The measurement of the work tasks required
to meet minimal standards of practice is but
one piece of a larger puzzle. Staff turnover,
absences and vacancies, new staff training and
placement cycles, frequent policy and practice
changes, and automation are only a handful of the
compounding factors that must be considered.
Even if all the pieces of the workload management
puzzle can be put in place, the ability of managers
and leaders to mobilize resources and act on key
strategies often falls short. The current focus
on evidence-based practice and measurement
of child and family outcomes elevates the
undeniable urgency to bring workload
management to the forefront of child welfare