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The purpose of this study is to evaluate the achievements of the “Establishment of a Protective System for the Safety of Social Welfare Practitioners” project, which has been supported by the Community Chest of Korea from 2019 to 2022, and to propose future development strategies for the project. To do this, a mixed research method was employed. Quantitative research utilized data from 1,235 individuals recorded in the performance management records of the project. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS 29.0, including descriptive statistics and cross-tabulation. Changes in pre-post traumatic growth among social welfare practitioners were analyzed through paired-sample t-tests. Qualitative research involved conducting focus group interviews (FGIs) with 9 project managers to analyze difficulties encountered during project implementation, problem-solving efforts for project execution, project outcomes, and strategies for project sustainability. Data collected through FGIs were analyzed using thematic analysis and N-vivo 9. The results of the quantitative study are as follows: First, among the types of job-related trauma, the proportion of subjects who experienced job-related violence was the highest at 53.2%, followed by 19.8% for other types, 18.5% for vicarious trauma, and 8.6% for loss (death experience). Second, cross-analysis results showed statistically significant differences in gender, age, type of affiliated institution, and type of job-related trauma. Third, as a result of providing various recovery support to social workers who have experienced occupational trauma, positive changes in “post-traumatic growth” were observed when measuring pre- and post-traumatic growth. This change was statistically significant. The qualitative analysis results are as follows : First, there was an improvement in awareness and consciousness among social workers regarding safety and human rights, which had previously not received much attention. There was an increased sense of personal, organizational, and societal responsibility for problem-solving. Second, the framework of protection and safety systems has been established, including the enactment and revision of related regulations and the creation of a safe physical environment in social welfare agencies. Third, the recovery and capacity of social workers have been strengthened. As a development strategy to ensure the sustainability of this project, several tasks have been identified. These include the development of various recovery support services, such as the establishment of safety education and coping training programs, providing continuous education on safety and human rights for social welfare practitioners, fostering relevant professionals, adapting to changes in organizational and community environments, and establishing relevant legal and institutional foundations.
Kwon et al. (Wed,) studied this question.