Social Workers' Current and Desired Involvement in Various Practice Activities

Human service employees (N = 214) who held either the BASW/BSW or MSW as their highest degree rated 13 practice activities for both the degree of current involvement (CI) and desired involvement (DI). The activity working with disadvantaged was the highest rated for CI, but was fourth in DI, a significant (p < .01) CI-DI difference. Working with voluntary clients, private practice, and all macro-practice activities (e.g., administration, policy development, supervision) were rated significantly and substantially higher on DI than CI. Respondents who were most highly involved in working with the poor but desired less involvement reflected a response pattern suggestive of demoralized agency workers aspiring to private practice with voluntary clients. Higher CI-DI discrepancies were associated with lower job satisfaction and social work identity and higher burnout and intention to quit. Numerous other explored relationships were significant, as were some previously documented findings.