Perceived Job Functions, Satisfaction, and Training Needs of Human Service Workers

• Main Author: Pender, Sarah
• Format: Others
• Published: Scholarly Commons 1987
• Subjects: Education
• Online Access: https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/uop_etds/3065; https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4064&context=uop_etds

The purpose of this study was to obtain information about human service workers: who they are, (demographics), how satisfied they are (job satisfaction), and what they do (job functions). This information is intended to assist educators in improving paraprofessional training programs. The Human Service Worker Inventory was developed and disseminated to the experimentally accessible population, human service workers from all appropriate human services agencies (N = 13) in the Placerville area of ElDorado County, California. Research questions focused on the demographics, job satisfaction, and job functions of paraprofessional workers within these agencies. Data from the 136 returned Inventories were analyzed, and produced the following statistically significant results: Chi-square test of goodness-of-fit indicated a predominance of female human service workers. Chi-square test of independence indicated that private agency respondents both had a lower educational level and performed six referralrelated job functions less often; public agency respondents had more work experience; non-profit respondents performed more ·group counseling. Two analyses of variance (ANOVA) also provided significant results: higher job satisfaction of non-profit agency respondents and a difference in the pattern of responses to job functions. A multiple linear regression indicated that a significant positive correlation existed.