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University Microfilms International 300 North Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106 USA St. John’s Road, Tyler’s Green High Wycombe, Bucks, England HP10 8HR 7815102 W I L SO N * J E R R Y I, e m p l o y m e n t P R O S P E C T S FOR s o c i a l s e r v i c e T E C H N I C I A N S IN M I C H I G A N C O M M U N I T Y M EN TA L HEALTH PROGRAMS, M I C H I G A N S T A T E U N I V E R S I T Y * PH.D.* 1970 University Microfilms International soon z e e b h o a d , ann a h bo r . m i ^s i o e EMPLOYMENT PROSPECTS FOR SOCIAL SERVICE TECHNICIANS IN MICHIGAN COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMS By Jerry L. Wilson A DISSERTATION Submitted to Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Department of Administration and Higher Education 1977 ABSTRACT EMPLOYMENT PROSPECTS FOR SOCIAL SERVICE TECHNICIANS IN MICHIGAN COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMS By Jerry L. Wilson A number of people in the social work profession are concerned with the issue of whether social service techni­ cians (SSTs) are being educated for non-existent employment. Data to answer the questions around this concern is incon­ clusive. The purposes of this study are: 1) to discover how many SSTs are currently employed in Michigan community mental health programs; 2) during the next five years; how many more will be needed 3) how many will graduate from Michigan colleges during the same period; 4) to answer several questions deemed important to SST employability. Historically there has been a shortage of trained social service manpower and projections indicate a continued increase of available positions in the field. However, a review of the literature indicates that the authorities are divided over whether there is a role for SSTs in mental health programs. This descriptive study addresses two populations in Michigan. Community mental health agency directors and SST Jerry L. Wilson educational program directors are surveyed to find answers to the following eight research questions: 1. How many social service technicians are currently employed in Michigan's community mental health programs throughout the five geographical regions of the state by spec­ ific program category? 2. Assuming that the necessary funding b e ­ comes available during the next five years, how many additional SSTs will be needed by program category in each geographical region in Michigan in order to provide the minimum services required by Public Act 258? 3. How satisfied are the directors of community mental health programs with the entry knowl­ edge and skills of the SSTs they have hired in the past? 4. How do the perceptions of the college SST program directors compare with CMH program directors as to the entry knowledge and skills of SSTs? 5. Which subject content, knowledge and skill areas are considered to be important by program directors for occupational entry into the community mental health system? 6. How many graduates do the educational directors of SST programs plan to produce for employment in Michigan community mental health programs during the next five years? 7. What steps have colleges with SST programs taken to see that graduates will have a reasonable chance for employment or transfer to a four year college without loss of credits? 8. Do agencies that employ SSTs have some input into the technicians' college curric­ ulum? The response rate to the census is 70% for agency directors and 100% for educational directors. findings from the study are as follows: The major Jerry L. Wilson About three thousand two hundred SSTs are currently employed in Michigan community mental health programs. For every one employed in programs for the mentally re­ tarded thirteen are employed in service to the mentally ill. During the next five years an additional two thousand seven hundred seventeen SSTs will be needed, but the trend reverses with 71% needed in programs for the mentally retarded. Michigan colleges predict that two thousand three hundred ninety SSTs will graduate during the next five years. Agency directors generally rate beginning SSTs1 knowledge and skills as being sufficient. Colleges have generally taken some steps to assure graduating SSTs a reasonable chance for employment. Community mental health agency staff have a nominal amount of input into SST educational programs. This dissertation is dedicated to my step father Ray Gedan who wanted so much to see me complete this document and receive a doctoral degree, but whose life was ended suddenly b e ­ fore I completed this work. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS First, I wish to thank my wife Judi for her unending patience and emotional support and our children, Eric, Aaron, and Ian who have so often accepted my negative response when they wanted me to fish, play or swim with them. To Dr. pertinent Lucille Barber who assisted me in finding literature, supervised the development of this dissertation, and encouraged me when my motivation was particularly low, I wish to express my appreciation. Other members of my committee who deserve acknowledgment are Dr. Max Raines who served as chairman and first introduced me to and sparked my interest in the community college movement, Ed Alehin my friend and teacher who helped me develop some skills in community development, Dr. William Sweetland who, until his death, served as my first committee chairman, encouraged me to follow my interests, and always had time to help, and Dr. Van Johnson who assisted in a smooth transition for committee membership after Dr. Sweetland's death. Others who were not on my committee, but who deserve a note of gratitude for their assistance are Judith Taylor for her consultation and assistance in the development of the survey instruments and coding and Dr. Daniel H. Kruger, Associate Director of the School of Labor and Industrial Relations who critiqued the study outline and qu est ion­ naires . Last, but certainly not least, I wish to thank Dorothy Moeschke for her help in typing numerous drafts, proof reading, and finally typing this finished document. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF LIST OF T A B L E S ........................................ vii F I G U R E S ......................................... viii CHAPTER I. II. INTRODUCTION .................................. New Mental Health Programsin Michigan ... The Rapid Development of Social Service Technician Programs in Michigan ........... Definition and Function of Social Service Technicians ....................... The P r o b l e m .................................. Purpose ....................................... Definition of T e r m s .......................... A s s u m p t i o n s .................................. Dissertation Overview ....................... 4 5 9 10 12 13 A REVIEW OF THE RELATED L I T E R A T U R E ........... 15 The Historical Social Service and Mental Health Manpower Shortage ................. Future Demand for Social Service Manpower . . The Concept of Differential Staffing Patterns to Meet the Nation's Social Service and Mental Health Manpower S h o r t a g e .................................. The Influence of the "War on Poverty" in Utilizing Paraprofessional Manpower in Human Service Organizations ............... Colleges Develop Social Service Technician P r o g r a m s .................................. Development of Standards for Social Service Manpower .......................... Manpower Demand and the Social Service T e c h n i c i a n ................................ C o n c l u s i o n .................................. III. 1 1 2 16 18 21 23 25 28 30 35 DESIGN OF THE S T U D Y ............................ 40 P u r p o s e ....................................... .......................... Research Questions Population and Sample ........................ D e s i g n ....................................... 40 41 42 43 v Page CHAPTER The Que s t i o n n a i r e s ............................ Administration of the Census Survey ........ Limitations of the S t u d y ..................... Analysis of the S t u d y ........................ IV. V. 46 47 49 49 RESULTS OF THE S T U D Y ............................ 51 Introduction .................................. Research Question 1 Research Question 2 Research Question 3 Research Question 4 Research Question 5 Research Question 6 Research Question 7 Research Question 8 S u m m a r y ...................................... 51 51 54 56 58 59 63 64 66 67 SUMMARY AND C O N C L U S I O N S ........................ 69 Adjustment of the D a t a ....................... C o n c l u s i o n s .................................. D i s c u s s i o n .................................... Recommendations for Future Research ........ 73 74 75 79 APPENDICES A. SOCIAL SERVICE TECHNICIAN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM QUESTIONNAIRE ....................... 80 MENTAL HEALTH AND MENTAL RETARDATION TECHNICIAN MANPOWER UTILIZATION, EDUCATION AND NEED QUESTIONNAIRE ............. 85 C. LETTERS TO SST EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM DIRECTORS . . 93 D. LETTERS TO COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH AGENCY D I R E C T O R S .................................... 96 B. BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................... vi 99 LIST OF TABLES TABLE Page 1. Status of Social Service Technician Graduates 2. Questionnaire Administration Results 3. SSTs Employed by M.I. Program and Region . . . . 52 4. SSTs Employed by M.R. Program and Region . . . . 53 5. SSTs Needed in M.I. Programs by R e g i o n ......... 55 6. SSTs Needed in M.R. Programs by R e g i o n ......... 56 7. Employers' Assessment of Knowledge and Skills of Beginning S S T s ........................... 8. 9. 10. . . 35 ........... 48 57 Comparison of CMH and Program Directors' Assessment of SST Beginning Skills ........... 58 Knowledge and Skill Areas Considered Important by Employers ........................ 60 College Subjects' Importance to Employment ........................ According to Employers 62 11. Number of SSTs Graduated in M i c h i g a n ........ 12. Steps Taken by Colleges to Assist SSTs' Chances For Employment or College Transfer 64 . . 13. Agency Input into SST C u r r i c u l u m ............. 14. Reported and Adjusted SST Manpower Use and Need vi i 65 66 . 74 LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE 1. Page Michigan Department of Mental Health Regions . . 45 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION For many years social service educators and practi­ tioners have recognized the social service and mental health manpower shortage and have discussed the concept of a manpower continuum which includes subprofessionals to buttress the efforts of the professional practitioners to provide services. The expansion of social service programs during the 1960's and 1970's to meet the service needs for a growing population in an increasingly complex society has increased the need for appropriately trained service person­ nel. The interest and concern for the mentally ill and mentally retarded gained impetus during this period and additional funds were appropriated by federal, state, and county legislative bodies to expand old programs and to develop new ones. The State of Michigan was one of the earliest to join this movement. New Mental Health Programs in Michigan In 1963, the State of Michigan enacted Public Act 54. This legislation paved the way for the development of commu­ nity mental health programs throughout the state. By the early 1970's, most counties had taken advantage of this act, 1 had formed local community mental health boards, had applied to the State of Michigan Department of Mental Health for funds to begin elements of comprehensive local programs, and had actually begun to operate some of the components of a comprehensive program. In 1974, the mental health laws were consolidated and updated through Public Act 258. This new mental health code reaffirms the State of Michigan's commit­ ment to community mental health programs and implicitly m a n ­ dates a strengthening and broadening of local programs. Public Act 258 services requires that every community mental health board shall provide comprehensive services. The Standards for Michigan Community Mental Health Service published by the Department of Mental Health require the following minimal comprehensive services: (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) Emergency Services Outpatient Services Inpatient Services Day Program and Activity Services Prevention Services Programs should address each of the following populations: (a) (b) (c) (d) Developmental Disabilities: Children Developmental Disabilities: Adult Mental Illness: Children Mental Illness: Adult1 The Rapid Development of Social Service Technician Programs in Michigan Closely paralleling the development of community mental health programs in Michigan and throughout the nation was the development of two year technician programs within higher education institutions. By 1970, over one hundred junior and community colleges in the United States had implemented pro­ grams designed to prepare associate degree graduates for employment in mental health and other social service occupa2 tions. In 1975, Bertram Brown, Director of the National Institute of Mental Health, wrote: "Since 1965, when the Institute provided support for the first experimental pilot program to train associate degree mental health workers, the number of 2-year college programs in the United States has increased to over 150, more than double the 60 programs 3 funded by the NIMH." The State of Michigan was no exception as seventeen institutions of higher education have developed such pro­ grams. Unfortunately, the institutions of higher education did not standardize the titles of their programs nor their graduates. Students are graduating from programs in youth services, urban public service, social service, child care, corrections, mental health, and other closely related areas. The graduates are being called by such titles as aides, assistants, or technicians and are beginning to find work in a wide variety of different social and human service agencies. Anti-poverty programs, children's institutions, mental hospitals, drug abuse programs, and neighborhood centers are examples of settings which utilize such person4 nel. The Council on Social Work Education published a guide for junior and community colleges in 1970, and along with many other ideas suggested that the title "community service technicians" be adopted for all such graduates in order to increase the potential occupational mobility of the graduates and to facilitate a better community understanding 5 of this group of para-professionals. However, the title did not gain wide acceptance and in 1973, the National Association of Social Workers developed a policy statement on standards for social service manpower. statement is detailed in Chapter II. This policy Within the statement NASW recommended the requirement of an associate degree in social services to gain the title of social service techni6 cian. The earlier recommendation of the Council on Social Work Education to use community service technician as a standard title was not followed. In referring to the asso­ ciate degree graduates of these various mental health and social service programs, the title of social service techni­ cian as used in the NASW standards will be followed in this dissertation. Definition and Function of Social Service Technician Entry into the classification of social service techni­ cian is based upon the completion of a two year technical educational program in one of the social services. these programs are in community colleges. Most of Such a technician is normally granted an associate of arts degree. The social service technician (SST) normally functions as a part of a team or under the direction of a professional social worker. The duties of an SST frequently include disseminating infor­ mation, obtaining information from clients, assisting clients in the use of community resources and carrying out specific program activities and tasks. The SST should have knowledge of the fundamentals of human behavior, the specific functions of the employing agency, knowledge of community services, the ability to communicate and empathize with clients, skills in working with people, and possess 7 attitudes of respect for individual and group differences. The Problem There is much concern about whether the graduates of social service technician programs are being employed by mental health and social service agencies throughout the state and how they are being used. The Council on Social Work Education, community college faculty, and the students themselves are concerned about the prospects for employment of graduates of social service technician programs. Prospects for the employment of SSTs are dependent upon a number of factors. First, public agencies are the primary employers of social service personnel. This fact brings one to the realization that the availability of positions is not determined by service needs alone, but also by the amount of funds which governmental legislative bodies allocate for such purposes. Second, the amount of funds which legislative bodies appropriate for social service needs is significantly effected by the state of the economy and the influx of tax dollars. It is worth noting that as the economy declines the need for services increases, but capability of the legislative bodies to fund services decreases. A third and equally important factor in determining employment prospects for SSTs is the psychological set, or value bias, of the professionals in the field who are in large part responsible for the conceptualization and imple­ mentation of social service programs, the development of policies and job descriptions, and the hiring of program personnel. These professionals typically are holders of either a masters or doctor of philosophy degree in one of the behavioral sciences and frequently view the provision of face to face service as an activity that can best be done by professionals such as themselves rather than by paraprofessionals. Many professionals, particularly those working in outpatient mental health settings and various counseling centers, feel that there is very little therapeutic work that a baccalaureate degree person is capable of doing. Therefore, the conclusion many professionals make is that associate degree SSTs must be less competent than a B.A. degree holder, because they only have two years of college preparation. During 1970 and 1971, Dr. Thomas Malloy of Ferris State College served as the study director of a committee that put much time and effort into a needs assessment study for youth services personnel in Michigan and concluded that a definite 8 need for SSTs existed in that particular area. In the development of the Youth Services Program at Ferris State College the staff worked closely with the State of Michigan Department of Social Services, the Civil Service Commission, and the Council on Social Work Education in an attempt to establish a civil service classification which their gradu­ ates would fit into. All factors looked positive and an educational program was begun. By the time the first class had graduated conditions had changed, a recession had a d ­ versely effected many agency budgets, the civil service classification had failed to materialize, and the State positions were unavailable for the graduates. Nevertheless, other colleges in Michigan have since developed new social service technician programs. The thirteen colleges in Michigan that are currently involved in the education of SSTs are preparing graduates for employment in a wide variety of social service settings. Determining the skill requirements and the employability of these graduates is a broader study than will be undertaken at this time. This study will be limited to the prospects for employment of so­ cial service technicians in community mental health programs within the State of Michigan during the next five years. The consistent shortage of funds for the provision of mental health services in Michigan has made and will likely continue to make it nearly impossible to staff all positions in all programs with master and baccalaureate level profes­ sionals even if such personnel should become available in sufficient quantity. Currently there are three programs for adult mentally retarded in Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Emmet and Otsego Counties that employ a minimum of fifteen staff members. Not a single staff member has had an appropriate formal academic education to prepare for such work. In 1972, there were three similar types of programs operated by staff members with a similar lack of educational prepara­ tion in St. Clair County. It appears that these programs are not unlike many others throughout the state. Histori­ cally many programs for the adult mentally retarded in Michigan were started by parent members of local branches of the Association for Retarded Children. For the most part funds were unavailable to hire trained professionals. Most of these programs are now under the auspices of community mental health and as funds become available the process of upgrading the professional qualifications of staff in programs is beginning. Conversations with mental health program directors and regional executive staff of the Department of Mental Health leads one to believe that there is currently a need for appropriately trained social service technicians in most programs for the adult mentally retarded and in some programs for the mentally ill. The primary need appears to be in residential centers, day treatment programs and inpatient programs, but this assumption is not substantiated by hard data. The passage of Public Act 258 requires community mental health boards to implement comprehensive programs. Since many counties have not yet developed the programs that are required, the need for trained social service technicians can logically be expected to increase. However, no one seems to know how many technicians are currently needed, which geographical areas of the state have the most need, or how many of the graduates of social service technician programs are currently employed in community mental health programs. Perhaps more important, it is not known how many technicians may be needed in each type of program throughout the geographical regions of Michigan during the next few years. To complicate the situation further, it appears there is little or no joint planning between the developers of social service technician programs in institutions of higher education and the administrators of community mental health programs. Although colleges are producing SSTs and it appears there is a need for them, it is possible the demand for them may be small. It is also possible that there is a need for a somewhat different curriculum design than is currently being stressed if community mental health needs are to be met and if graduates are to find positions in this field. It is important for these questions to be answered. Purpose The primary purpose of this study is to answer the following questions: 1. How many social service technicians are currently employed in Michigan's Commu­ nity Mental Health Programs by geographi­ cal area? 10 2. In what kinds of programs are SSTs being employed? 7>. Assuming that funding becomes available during the next five years to provide the minimum services required by Public Act 258, to what extent will additional social ser­ vice technicians be needed in Michigan's community mental health programs, by geo ­ graphical area and by program type, in order to provide the minimum services required by Public Act 258? 4. Which subject content and skill areas are considered to be important by agency and program directors for occupational entry into the community mental health system? 5. How satisfied are agency directors with SSTs they have hired in the past? 6. How many jobs do the educators of SSTs think will be available to their gradu­ ates in the next five years? 7. Have the educators of SSTs taken appro­ priate steps to maximize employment and future educational opportunities for students admitted into their programs? This exploratory study is being conducted to answer these important questions, which in turn will provide data on SST manpower supply and demand for Michigan community mental health programs through 1982. Definition of Terms The following definitions are an integral part of the questions that are addressed and the concepts discussed in this study: 1. Service Need -- Service needs, or needed services, refers to a level of service that should be provided during a period of time in order to attain a desired level of 11 functioning within individuals in certain diagnostic categories who are in need of specific programs, determined according to some professional standard in the light of existing social science and/or medical knowledge. 2. Manpower Need -- The number of trained p e r ­ sonnel necessary to fill the positions within specific types of programs in order to provide needed services. 3. Service Demand -- Refers to quantities of services which users are willing to buy or for which a third party such as government philanthropy, or insurance will pay (in whole or in part) the provider of services. 4. Manpower Demand -- The number of people in specific occupational categories that employers are attempting to hire. 5. Manpower Supply -- The number of full time equivalent qualified personnel available to provide needed services, including those employed and those available for work but not employed. 6. Elasticity -- This concept recognizes that demand and supply are not static quantities and that both are effected by economic fluctuations and the spending patterns of legislative bodies. For example, a cutback in governmental appropriations can have an immediate effect upon manpower demand and an effect in the near future upon new addi­ tions to the manpower supply. 7. Community Mental Health Programs -- Those programs in Michigan that are operated under the financial auspices of community mental health services boards that are organized in accordance with the provisions of Public Act 258 of 1974 of the State of Michigan. These programs are distinct from and not to be confused with services p r o ­ vided by state civil service employees through the Department of Mental Health's institutions. 8. Comprehensive Program -- Emergency services, inpatient services, day program and activity services, and prevention services as 12 specified in Standards for Michigan Community Mental Health Services. Assumptions The quantity of services provided to people through community mental health programs is subject to considerable elasticity because of the fact that manpower supply, manpower demand, and service demand are highly dependent upon governmental funding, philanthropic support, and the extent of reimbursement for services covered by third party payors. Therefore, it is necessary to make some assumptions about the future when attempting to find out what manpower needs and demands there will be during the next five years. The assumptions made in this study are as follows: 1. With Jimmy Carter serving as the President of the United States, it is assumed that the federal level of support for mental health services and the training of mental health manpower will continue at the same rate or higher than during the Nixon and Ford administrations. 2. Since the State of Michigan passed Public Act 258 which, among other things, requires that community mental health services boards provide comprehensive services, it is a s ­ sumed that the State intends to provide funds for required programs. 3. It is assumed that the number of insurance policies in Michigan with outpatient p s y c h i ­ atric coverage will increase. Both the number of people covered and the extent of coverage may increase dramatically if the Democratic Party makes good on its promise for National Health Insurance during the next four years. 4. It is assumed that the number of mental health manpower training programs in 13 Michigan will remain at approximately the same number or increase slightly during the next five years. 5. It is assumed that the respondents read the questionnaires carefully, understood the questions and responded to the best of their ability. Dissertation Overview In this first Chapter the problem is introduced, the purpose of the study is stated, the definitions of key terms are given, and assumptions are listed. In Chapter II, the literature related to historical and current social service and mental health manpower shortage is reviewed. Also reviewed is literature related to the concept of using paraprofessional personnel to ease the manpower shortage, the rapid development of social service technician education programs, and the struggle to develop standards for the differential use of manpower in social service and mental health agencies. The design of the study is described in Chapter III, the results of the study are presented in Chapter IV, and a summary and conclusions will be found in Chapter V. FOOTNOTES 1. Standards for Michigan Community Mental Health Services. Public Act 2 58 (1974) , (Michigan Department of Mental Health, July 1976), p. 23. 2. Community 5 Junior College Operational and Developmental Programs in the Community 5 Social Services, PUbl. #70-360'-'6, July"T970. --------- -------------------- 14 3. Exploration in Mental Health Training, National Institute of Mental Health, (Washington, D. cT: U. S. Government Printing Office, 1975), p. 111. 4. The Community Service Technician: Guide for asso­ ciate degree programs in the community and social services. (N." Y,", Council on Social Work Education, 1970) , p p . 12-13. 5. Ibid., p .13. 6. Standards for Social Service Manpower, statement 4, June 1973), p. 8. 7. (NASW policy Ibid, pp. 7-8. 8. The Training of Youth Service Personnel - An Unmet Need in Michigan, (A Report of the Juvenile Service Educa­ tion Study Committee of the Michigan Office of Criminal Justice Programs, Executive Office of the Governor, October 1971), pp. 193-95. 9. Standards for Michigan Community Mental Services, p. 23. Health CHAPTER II A Review of the Related Literature "Those who would examine professional edu­ cation for social work with the objective of improving it should do so within the framework of certain developments in the general field of social work. Education for social work, as in other professions, grew out of the needs and efforts of practitioners and retains its vital­ ity by remaining close to practice. Any attempt to evaluate the major developments in education, should, therefore, take into consideration the relationship of education to developments in the field of practice. Neither education nor prac­ tice can be seen with any degree., of validity without reference to the other." In reviewing the literature one finds a lack of infor­ mation on the current use of social service technicians in Michigan programs and on the future need for such personnel. Personal meetings with Charles Ramsey, Dr. Abraham Danny and Dr. Floyd Westendorp of the State Department of Mental Health during the summer of 1976, indicated a departmental lack of quantifiable information in these manpower areas. A telephone conversation with Sandy R. Stover, Past President of the Michigan Council on Human Services Education, during the summer of 1976, lead to the conclusion that the Council lacks information in both the area of current utilization and future need for SST s. Further, neither organization has plans to undertake a study in this area in the foresee­ able future. IS 16 The Historical Social Service and Mental Health Manpower Shortage In a few specific geographical areas close to graduate schools of social work there is a larger supply than demand for social work personnel. Also during periods of scarce resources, employing agencies frequently are financially unable to hire needed staff. of civil Nevertheless, the experience service and the health industry over much of nation for many years the indicates there has been and continues to be a shortage of qualified social service manpower. In reviewing the 1964 Manpower Report, John Walsh reported the following information: 1. In recent years, the public and nonprofit sectors of the economy have generated the great bulk of new growth. 2. The sharpest increases in employment since World War II have been in state and local governments, service industries (hospitals, hotels, restaurants), and trades. 3. Numerically there has been a decline in production workers - those requiring lesser ski lls . 4. It has been the public sector of the econo­ my with its not-for-profit enterprise sy s­ tem that has continued to supply the bulk of jobs for new labor market entrants as well as for retrainees. 5. For the future - the fastest growing groups,, will be professional and technical workers. The best known social and health service manpower report of the past fifteen years was Closing the Gap in Social Work M a n power. This report published by the U. S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare concluded the followi n g : 17 "The estimates from agencies within the Department of Health, Education and Welfare suggest a need in their programs alone of approximately 100,000 social workers with full education by 1970, a vast increase in the n u m ­ bers of social workers with baccalaureate level education, and development of several cat ego ­ ries of technical and ancillary personnel. The problem increases in geometric proportion if to these totals are added the expanding needs for the same categories of personnel in the v o l u n ­ tary agencies, in programs of service to s p e ­ cial groups such as the aged, the retarded, and the physically handicapped. . . . The Council on Social Work Education analyzed the U. S. Department of Labor's 1969 Statistics on Manpower and c o n ­ cluded, "In the coming years, opportunities in health, e d u ­ cation and welfare are expected to increase at a faster rate 4 than in other occupational fields." Similar projections are made for social workers and social service aides in the 1976-77 Occupational Outlook Handbook published by the U. S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Employment of social service aides is expected to grow much faster than S the average for all occupations through the mid 1 9 8 0 ’s." "Employment opportunities for persons having bachelor's degrees in social welfare or related fields should be favor­ able through the remainder of the 1970's and into the 1980's. The outlook for graduates of master's degree programs in social work is expected to continue to be good through the mid 1980's. However, if the number of students graduating from social work programs continue to increase at the same rate as in the 1960's and early 1970's, competition for some positions will become stronger. 18 Employment of social workers is expected to increase faster than the average for all occupations through the mid 1980's. Many new positions will come from the expansion of community mental health centers, and growth of the newer social work services such as drug and alcohol abuse coun sel­ ing and city and policy planning. Also, as the occupational structure of the economy continues to change, problems may be created for unskilled and displaced workers. pled by the problems caused by social change, This co u ­ is expected to maintain a strong demand for persons in the social service 6 field." Thus, after reviewing the major sources of infor­ mation it would appear that there has historically been a shortage of trained social service personnel and that a shortage currently exists. Future Demand for Social Service Manpower It is somewhat hazardous to predict future events and therefore equally difficult to forecast future manpower needs. Nonetheless, in order to plan for the future one must examine available information, make assumptions, develop inferences and proceed with planning in order to prepare for the uncertain future. The available information indicated that there has historically been a shortage of trained personnel in the social service and health fields. Recent manpower litera­ ture reports a current shortage of social work professionals and related technical personnel and predicts a continuing 19 7 demand for the next decade. Projections for future service needs and manpower demands are dependent upon the assump­ tions one makes. First, let us consider some possible assumptions about supply. "The validity of the future esti­ mates depends upon the extent to which their underlying assumptions realistically anticipate the changes that the future will bring. Different estimates follow from differ­ ent concepts of what is being measured and from different ideas of what changes and rate of change will occur in the future. With regard to the supply of health occupations, for example, government support for academic institutions, especially medical and allied health programs, in the years ahead is vitally important. The assumptions made about the level of government support are key determinants of the size of the graduating class and thus of the estimate of future 8 increments of supply." Next let us consider some possible assumptions about service requirements. "With regard to requirements, the key determinants are the number of people requiring care and the amount of money available to pay for it. Assumptions about population characteristics, the general economy, income levels, consumer expenditure patterns, and government policy regarding health care financing underlie the projections of the demand for health care. The manpower required to provide the projected level of care is conditioned by the form of the delivery systems, the state of the technology, 9 labor productivity and so on." 20 If one assumes that general trends which have been with us for the past decade or more continue in the same direc­ tion for the next decade it is logical to conclude that there will be a continuing shortage of trained social service professionals in the health industry in general and in the mental health field in particular. For example, comparisons of Special Analyses Budget of the United States Government for 1971 through 1973 revealed the following information. In 1971 and again in 1972, health education. 1973. .6 billion dollars was spent on The figure rose to .8 billion dollars in Beginning in 1974, the budget expenditure data was reported in a different tabular format making exact compari­ sons with earlier years difficult. the 1974 Special Analyses stated: However, narrative in "Outlays for higher education student support programs in the Office of Educa­ tion will reach an estimated 1.3 billion dollars in 1974, an increase of 18% above the 1973 level and 36% above the 1972 level. Substantial federal expenditures for education are directed toward purposes which are not primarily educa­ tion. The Federal Government invests in the education of specialized manpower for many activities, the largest of 11 which is defense, the second largest health." Narrative statements in the last two issues indicate the upward trend has been continued. The assumption is being made that this trend in federal government support of health education will continue through this decade thus insuring growth in the number of health professionals available to provide services. In addition, it is assumed there will be a continued 21 governmental emphasis on providing jobs for the unemployed and minority groups thus producing an increasing number of technical personnel. However, this growth in professional and technical personnel will likely be offset by several factors. First, let us assume the population of the United States will continue to increase during the next decade. Second, society will continue to become more complex and technological change will continue to occur at a rapid rate. Third, insurance coverage of mental health disorders will expand to cover a larger percentage of the population. It is very possible that some form of national health insurance will be enacted during this decade. These assumptions lead one to conclude that more people in a fast changing society will result in more mental health problems. With more resources to pay for mental health services there will be an increased utilization rate which will more than offset the increased number of personnel to provide the services. The summary conclusion is that there will con ­ tinue to be a manpower shortage in the mental health field. The Concept of Differential Staffing Patterns to Meet tne Nation’s Social Service and Mental Health Manpower Shortage Alvan Block summarizes the thinking of many practi­ tioners and educators in his following statement: "The extent of the need for social interveners is so great and the variety of situations so uniquely complex that not only 22 are specialized experts needed, but also there is needed a variety of levels of expertise within any one group of specialists; thus, social work needs several levels of 12 professionals*" Robert Barker and Thomas Briggs published a monograph during 1969 in which they built strong arguments for the use of differential staffing patterns to solve the social service manpower shortage, to deliver services through teams rather than through a single individual, and 13 proposed a model for the dispensing of services. While Barker and Briggs proposed clients be given services or treatment through a team rather than an indivi­ dual, other schemes were proposed. The Bureau of Family Services under the U. S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare conceptualized a social work career line co n ­ sisting of a B.A. degree social worker, and an M.S.W. social 14 work supervisor. Werner Boehm addressed the problem of the manpower shortage and concluded the profession needed to develop a delineation of tasks and an organizational struc15 ture which will allow them to be achieved. In 1970, Francine Sobey argued per'suasively for the utilization of nonprofessional staff in mental health p r o ­ grams to alleviate the manpower shortage and gave examples of how they were being used successfully in a wide variety 16 of settings around the United States. The statements and proposals of Block, Barker and Briggs, the Bureau of Family Services, Boehm, Sobey and a myriad of others were all aimed at meeting the need for the provision of social ser­ vices in the United States. The common pervasive theme 23 running through this literature was the thought that maybe the social service field could imitate the piece work model set by industry or the differential staffing model of the health field. The authors theorized there should be a way to delineate the work to be done by sorting out the various tasks that the master degree professional was performing. Then, after the sorting process, it might be possible to place the tasks in clusters and assign the less complicated clusters to social service staff with lesser degrees of e d u ­ cation and training than the professional. If this process worked the social service field could utilize the concept of differential staffing patterns and minimize the need for more professional staff and maximize short financial resources. The Influence of the "War on Poverty11 in Utilizing Paraprofessional Manpower in Human Service Organization^ The impetus for differential staffing was strongly influenced by three other factors. First, the movement which President Johnson called the "War on Poverty," was partially initiated in 1964 through the Economic Opportunity Act. Second, the civil rights struggle led by Martin Luther King, Jr. called for jobs for the poor. Third, the social work profession itself has historically been involved with the goals of alleviating poverty and bringing poor people and minority groups into the mainstream of American society. These three factors added to the manpower shortage in social services and health set the stage for the use of 24 paraprofessionals, aides, technicians and similar positions within newly developing differential staffing patterns. In 1970, R. A. Nixon, Columbia University School of Social Work, wrote: "The use of nonprofessionals as auxiliary personnel assisting professionals is not new. There have been many precedents especially during World War II, and more recently in scattered experimental and demonstration projects. But in 1964, with the enactment of the Economic Opportunity Act and its emphasis on partici­ pation of the poor, and on the provision of both services and jobs for the poverty population, the New Careers 17 program began to jell." Frank Riessman, perhaps one of the foremost proponents of new careers, wrote: "The New Careers theory proposes that all the human service occupa­ tions (health, education, recreation, welfare, etc.) can be broken down and reorganized to provide a much more efficient service product while simultaneously allowing people who have little or no training to play a productive role in entry-service positions. These untrained individuals will have the opportunity of learning on the job and rising in the service hierarchy, with the ultimate option of becoming a professional. The New Careers theory requires a reorgani­ zation and redefinition of jobs for both the professional 18 and the nonprofessional." The new careers concept was incorporated into the war on poverty armamentarium in 1966, with an amendment to the Economic Opportunity Act known as the Scheur New Careers 25 Amendment. This amendment sponsored by Congressman James H. Scheur (D-New York) authorized a new program for unemployed or low-income persons to enter career jobs in public service 19 as nonprofessional personnel. The Scheur Amendment was the forerunner of a series of congressional acts aimed at the development of jobs for low income and unemployed persons in public service and human service careers. Examples of legislation that followed are: Allied Health Professions Personnel Training Act of 1966; Higher Education Act Amendments of 1967; Elementary § Secondary Education Act Amendments of 1967; Social Security Amendments of 1967 (Work Incentive Program); Vocational Education Act Amendments of 1968; Health Manpower Act of 1968; Public Service Employment Opportunity Act; Public Service Careers Program; The Drug 20 Abuse Education Act of 1969; The Manpower Act. Legisla­ tion of this type had a profound effect upon the development of differential staffing concepts in human service agencies. Colleges Develop Social Service Technician Programs The idea of utilizing differential levels of training and competence in the provision of social services was pervasive during the late 1960's and early 1970's and it was during this period that the community and junior colleges across the nation began to develop associate degree programs for social services and mental health. During the 1960's the colleges were besieged from many directions. Student groups charged that curriculums were 26 irrelevant to their needs, the needs of minority groups and the needs of poor people. The stage was set by the war on poverty which was initiated by President Johnson. The atti­ tude throughout much of the country was to give everyone an opportunity for a college education. Minority groups clamored for admission to colleges and admissions criteria were attacked as discriminatory. Federal and state funds became available for new manpower education. As the gates to the colleges swung open and students of varying back­ grounds and abilities were enrolled, minority groups and the anti-Vietnam demonstrators joined together to usher in an era of protest on the campuses of the United States. Nearly every tradition was questioned and it seemed that everywhere there was some group demanding a change. The area of social services and mental health was no exception. Many people began to embrace the concept that our ser­ vice system did not respond adequately to the needs of minority groups and the poor, because the white middle class 21 professionals allegedly could not relate with them. The concept of the indigenous nonprofessional was seized upon as the way to make the system more responsive by bridging the gulf between the system and the service population. Colleges tried to respond to the pressures of the time, to meet the demands of the students and to provide the techni­ cal social service manpower that was being called for by many leaders in the field of social service. As community colleges strove to become more "relevant" they added social service educators to their staff and embarked upon a variety 27 of educational programs with a plethora of titles all aimed at providing graduates of associate degree programs for paraprofessional roles in the social service delivery system. Further impetus was given to the development of these programs by the provision of "new career" money to the colleges by the federal government in an attempt to provide upward mobility for low income people through the development of new career ladders in social services and mental health. The growth of two year social service technician p r o ­ grams may best be described as phenomenal. In the early 1960's social service technician programs were rare. In 1968 Donald Feldstein writes: "We are not able to say precisely how many welfare related 'majors' now exist in the asso­ ciate degree colleges. The development is so new and so rapid that most of the programs encountered in this study are not even listed in the directory, American Junior Colleges, published in July 196T. Of the twenty-three programs studied for this^report, only two were more than two years old."22 By July of 1970, less than three years later, there were ninety-five schools with students enrolled in social service technician programs. A later unpublished survey by the Council on Social Work Education indicated there were 23 approximately 187 such programs. The picture in Michigan is quite similar. The earliest information uncovered was a study conducted early in 1971, by an ad hoc Juvenile Service Education Committee of which Thomas Malloy of Ferris State College was a member. A report entitled "Community College Curricular Programs for the Training of Youth Service Personnel in Michigan" was 28 forwarded to the author by Dr. Malloy. Table 1 in the report indicated that the first curriculum in what might be described as a social service technician program was 24 initiated in 1968, with the second begun in 1970. There were 296 students enrolled in the three youth services program on January IS, 1971. Today Michigan has thirteen colleges with SST type programs. Development of Standards for Social Service Manpower During this period of the rapid proliferation of social service technician programs and the popularization of the concept of the differential use of staff to solve the man* power shortage, the National Association of Social Workers became concerned about a number of related issues and e m ­ barked upon the task of establishing differential levels 25 within the profession with accompanying standards. Chauncey Alexander writes of the state of confusion within the social service industry in our nation that the standards were developed to bring some clarification to. "1. The taxing restrictions and economic crunch on state governments has p r e c i p ­ itated declassification programs to save money using cheaper personnel at the expense of service standards. 2. The federal administration's services and manpower policies have attempted to substitute political management t e c h ­ niques for service competency. 3. The social agencies, both voluntary and governmental, in trying to respond to the criticisms and challenges of the past decade, have created a melange of individual classification systems. 29 4. The educational system, most strongly pressed of our institutions, has been confused about its product objectives by faculty individualism and attempts to respond to its multiple critics. 5. The social work profession has been fragmented and masochistic over modal­ ity, status, and objectives differences. 6. Changing political, social, and economic conditions have been altering social services patterns."^ Chauncey Alexander asserts that the NASW Standards consti­ tute the present universal standard or model fordifferen­ tial classification of social services manpower within the 27 social work profession. The NASW Standards classify the differential levels in the following manner. There are two preprofessional levels and four professional levels for a total of six levels. These are: 1. Social service aide. Entry is based on an assessment of the individual’s matur­ ity, appropriate life experiences, moti­ vation, and skills required by the specific task or function. 2. Social service technician. Entry is based on completion of a two year educational program in one of the social services, usually granting an associate of arts de­ gree, or a baccalaureate degree in another field. 3. Social worker. Entry requires a baccalau­ reate degree from an approved social work program. 4. Graduate social worker. Entry requires a master's degree from an accredited gradu­ ate school of social work. 5. Certified social worker. Entry requires certification by the Academy of Certified Social Workers (ACSW) as being capable of autonomous, self-directed practice or licensure by the state in which the person practices. 6. Social work fellow. Entry requires com­ pletion of a doctoral program or substan­ tial practice in the field of specializa­ tion following certification by ACSW.28 The available literature strongly suggests there is a 29 shortage of social service and mental health manpower. A. Block, R. Barker, T. Briggs, W. Boehm, F. Sobey and other writers over the past decade have suggested the differential use of manpower to close the gap between service needs and manpower supply. Many educational institutions have devel­ oped two year associate degree programs in social services and/or mental health to educate technicians for entry into the social service labor market. The National Association of Social Workers has formally adopted a six level set of standards in order to clarify the confusion throughout the social services industry. follow are: fl) Logically the questions that Are the social service technicians actually being employed by the service providing agencies? (2) Is there really a demand for social service technicians by the service providing agencies as the literature suggests Manpower Demand and The Social Service Technician In order to put the two manpower questions, are SST's being employed and is there a continuing demand for them, into perspective one needs to have some historical perspec­ tive on the development of social work as a profession within the general field of social service. Social work 31 education evolved through a series of transitional steps beginning with an apprenticeship system, then a more formal­ ized type of vocational training, and finally into an educa­ tional program within higher education institutions. Herbert Bisno sketches the development of professional social work in the following way: "In 1898 the pioneer 'school* of social work, a six weeks summer school, was founded by the Charity Organization Society of New York. In 1903-04 the program was transformed into a one year course of instruction and by 1910 it had become a two year program. In 1919, the organ­ ization which was to become the American Association of Schools of Social Work fAASSW) came into being, . . ."30 ", . . in 1931 social work education was still divided about half and half between schools with graduate and those with undergraduate cur­ ricula, this situation was changing in the dir­ ection of greater uniformity and more emphasis on study at the graduate level. Then, in 1937, a basic and far reaching policy was promulgated by the AASSW, All professional education for social work was to be at the graduate level effective October 1939."31 " . . . the graduate curriculum was not built upon a preprofessional base in the same way as medicine nor was entrance into profession­ al school before the attainment of the Bachelor's Degree approved on as in l a w . "32 The action by AASSW created somewhat of a furor in both education and the profession. The move to make a graduate degree in social work the only professional degree was met by opposition from the higher education institutions that produced undergraduate level social workers and from the workers themselves who did not possess graduate educa­ tions. Although the master of social work degree has become accepted in the field as the professional practice degree, 32 the controversy over graduate versus undergraduate has ebbed and flowed throughout the years and attempts to differenti­ ate levels of practice have accompanied the controversy. The latest attempt is, of course, the NASW Standards of 1973. In 1951, Hollis and Taylor wrote: "Dentistry, engineering, and medicine are among the professions that have developed well recognized semiprofessional techni­ cian occupations for which one can prepare in one, two, or three years of postsecondary school study. Many lay and profes­ sional leaders in the field of social work are of the opinion that the establishment of semiprofessional social work positions, comparable to those in the health profes­ sions, constitutes one of the urgent per ­ sonnel needs of the field. Most of those closely associated with this report also believe that both economy and more effec­ tive use of professional talent would follow such a development, but it seems important to emphasize the need for evi­ dence to substantiate or refute the suppo­ sition. No one knows whether social work has enough in common with the character of the health and engineering professions to justify the assumption that an analysis of practice would enable the profession to reorganize its jobs into clerical, technical, or semiprofessional, and professional posi­ tions ."3-5 The questions posed by Hollis and Taylor in 1951, seem to be just as appropriate in this decade, A study conducted in the Chicago area and published in 1970 yielded the following information. After surveying 191 agencies in the Chicago area and 120 additional agencies outstate it was found that the most acute manpower shortages were at the Master of Social Work (MSW) level. The demand for staff decreased as one moved down the educational ladder. Despite the 33 discussions over career ladders, differential use of staff, new careers, etc., a relatively small number of agencies 34 were experimenting with differential staffing patterns. In 1973, Grace Stuckey described the social service technician graduate in the following way: "Finally the happy day arrives, she gradu­ ates - armed with her (AA) degree and her expertise in mental health she goes forth to meet the challenge but, alas, the r e ­ ality begins to come hard and fast. Jobs are few, if any at all; positions that she is qualified for that will pay enough to support her family are not open to her. She finds that, although she is qualified, no one is willing to give her a chance to prove herself, and she sits and ponders the past two years of her life -- she wonders, w h y ? " * ^ A 1976 article written by R. Tucker and L. Tucker further describes the plight of the graduate of a social service technician program. "An associate degree is valuable only when the individual is interested in education because of its intrinsic value, or when the associate degree is used as a stepping stone to a bachelor's degree -- entry level for professional status. In this connection, it is important to note that in most cases an experienced well trained person with an associate d e ­ gree will have more trouble finding a job than an inexperienced bachelor's or master's degree candidate. This would be so even when the associate degree holder has undergone a rigorous, high quality training program. The person has less than a bachelor's degree and is. therefore, still a paraprofessional. Based upon the articles written by Stuckey and the Tuckers one might conclude that the concept of differential staffing coupled with the use of SSTs may be a good idea, but is not 34 being accepted and implemented in the field. However, the evidence is somewhat mixed and a concrete conclusion does not seem possible at this time. Sam Alley and Judith Blanton summarized the data from fifteen paraprofessional training programs sponsored by the National Institute of Mental Health and published their findings in the 1976 summer 37 issue of the Community Mental Health Journal. Alley and Blanton found: "The tasks most commonly performed included client reception, client referral, liaison between the client and other agencies, taking case histories, ongoing evaluation of client progress, and some form of counseling, 38 either individual, group, or informal." Regarding the question of employment of paraprofessionals Alley and Blanton report: "A critical question in the area of training paraprofessionals is the opportunity for progress in the field. This is of particular concern since many earlier new careers projects had not placed their trainees in permanent salaried positions, and when funding was withdrawn the paraprofessionals were without a job. In our study, by the end of the year only 68 of the 381 trainees were still on stipend rather than being placed in permanent jobs, 75 trainees had received promotions, and 122 39 had received salary increases." In June of 1976, Ferris State College printed a summary report entitled "Survey of Social Service Technician 40 Graduates Fifth Program Year." The report was based upon a follow-up study of three hundred thirty Ferris graduates. 35 Seventy percent of the graduates responded. The results are presented in Table 1. TABLE 1 Status of Social Service Technician Graduates SST Status Number Percentage Employed in Social Service 44 19% Employed in Non-Social Service 45 20% Student in Social Service 27 12% 8 3% Not Employed and Not a Student 44 19% Employed and Also a Student 63 27% 231 100% Student in Non-Social Service Total Source: Survey of Social Service Technician Graduates Fifth Program Year, Office of Institutional Studies, Ferris State College, (Big Rapids, Michigan, June 1976), p. 1. As indicated in Table 1, only nineteen percent were employed in social service occupations with an additional twelve per­ cent furthering their education in the social service area. Conclusion As one searches through the literature the theme is repeated over and over. manpower. There is a need for social service Differential staffing patterns utilizing social 36 service aides and social service technicians may be a viable way to meet the manpower need. Others argue that there are few openings and little demand for social service techni­ cians. The arguments in the literature are conflicting and circular and hard data to resolve the issue is scant. It is certain however, that community mental health services in the nation and in Michigan are expanding dra­ matically. It is also certain that Michigan community colleges have developed fourteen new social service techni­ cian (SST) programs between 1971 and 1976. These develop­ ments coupled by the lack of information on whether or not SSTs are being employed and/or wanted for work in community mental health programs, strongly indicate the need for a study that will provide the Michigan educational community concerned with the education of SSTs with some basic information about the current use of and employment prospects for SSTs during the next five years. The purpose of this study is to assist in the production of this basic informa­ tion. FOOTNOTES 1. Ernest V. Hollis and Alice L. Taylor, Social Work Education in the United States, (New York: Columbia University Press, 1951), p . 37 2. John Patrick Walsh, "Manpower Development: A Junior College Responsibility," Junior College Journal, (May 1964), pp. 8-12. 3. Closing the Gap in Social Work Manpower, Report on the Departmental Task Force on Social Work Education and Manpower, (Washington, D. C.: U. S. Government Printing Office, 1965), pp. 43-44. 37 4. The Community Service Technician, op. cit., p. 12. 5. Occupational Outlook Handbook, 1976-77 Edition, U . S . Department oi Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics, (Washington, D. C . : U. S. Government Printing Office 1976), p. 534. 6. Ibid., p .536. 7. Ibid., p. 536. 8. Methodological Approaches for Determining Health Manpower Supply ana Requirements: Volume I, Analytical' Perspective, U. S. Department- of Health, Education and Welfare Public Health Service Health Resources Administration Bureau of Health Planning and Resources Development, (DHEW Publication No. (HRH) 76-14511), pp. 14-15. 9. Ibid., pp. 14-15. 10. Special Analyses Budget of the United States Government) (Washington, D. CT: IT S. Government Printing Office, 1971, 72, 73). 11. Ibid., (1974) , p. 103. 12. Alvan M. Block, "The Dilemma of Social Work Education: Restructuring the Curriculum," Journal of Education for Social W o r k , (Winter 1972) , 2Tf. 13. Robert L. Barker and Thomas L. Briggs, Using Teams to Deliver Social Services, (Syracuse University Press, 1 5 M ) .---------------------14. Utilization of Social Work Staff with Different Levels of Education for Family Services in Public Welfare, (U. S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, 1965). 15. Werner Boehm, "Manpower Planning in Social Welfare," Journal of Education for Social Work, (Spring 1970) , pp. 11-20". 16. Francine Sobey, The Nonprofessional Revolution in Mental Health, (Columbia University Press, 1970). 17. R. A. Nixon, Legislative Dimensions of the New Careers Program: 1970, (New Vork: Center for Study of the Unemployed, New York University), pp. 6-7. 18. Frank Riessman, New Careers: A Basic Strategy Against Poverty, (New YorFi A. Phillip Randolph Educational Fund, 260 Park Ave. South), p. 9. 38 19. 20. R. A. Nixon, op. cit., p. 7. Ibid., pp. 1-30. 21. E. Hallowitz and F. Riessman, "The Role of the Indigenous Nonprofessional in a Community Mental Health Center Neighborhood Service Program," American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, (1967), pp. 776-78. 22. Donald Feldstein, Community College and Other Associate Degree Programs for Social Welfare Areas~ (New York: Council on Social Work Education, 1968), p p . 7 -8. 23. Community 5 Junior Colleges Operational 5 Develop­ mental Programs in the Community 5 Social Services, (New York: Council on Social Work Education, Bulletin #70-360-6, July 1970). 24. Community College Curricular Programs for the Training of Youth Services Personnel in Mic hTgan: Preliminary Report. (Juvenile Service Education Study Committee, January 1971), pp. 2-3. 25. Standards for Social Service Manpower, (Washington, D. C . : National Association of Social Workers, Inc., June 1973). 26. Chauncey A. Alexander, "Implications of the NASW Standards for Social Service Manpower," Journal of Educa­ tion for Social W o r k , (Winter 1975), p p . 3 -T. 27 . Ibid., p. 4. 28. Standards for Social Service Manpo wer , op. cit., p p . 6-10. 29. Occupational Outlook Handb ook , 1976-77 Edition, op. cit., p p . 534-36. 30. Herbert Bisno, The Place of the Undergraduate Curriculum in Social Work Edu cation, Volume II, a Project Report of the Curriculum Study, (New York: Council on Social Work Education, 1959), p. 5. 31. Ibid., pp. 5-6. 32. Tbid., pp. 5-6. 33. Hollis 5 Taylor, op. cit., pp. 166-67. 39 34. S. E. Zimbalist and C. M. Anderson, "The Social Welfare Crisis Revisited: A Study of Personnel Needs in the Chicago's Area," Social Service Review, (Vol. 44 No. 4 1970), pp. 452-59. 35. Grace Stuckey, "Challenges in Mental Health for New Professionals", American Journal of Or tho psychiatry, (January 1973), p. 1. 36. Robert C. Tucker and Leota M. Tucker, "The Role of Par aprofessionals: An Administrative Dilemma," Administration in Mental H e a l t h , (Spring 1976), p. 122. 37. Sam Alley and Judith Blanton, "A Study of Paraprofessionals in Mental Health," Community Mental Health J o u r n a l , (Summer 1976), pp. 151-60. 38 . Ib id., p . 155. 39. Ibid., p. 159. 40. Survey of Social Service Technician Graduates Fifth Program Y e a r , Office of Institutional Studies, Ferris State College, (Big Rapids, Michigan, June 1976). CHAPTER III Design of the Study "The data base for adequate health manpower planning does not exist and needs to be built. Some of the published data on supply and require­ ments are best described as "guesstimates" and are of questionable value. The inadequacies of current statistics are compounded by shortcomings of data related to region and locality, occupa­ tion and specialty, length of required education or training, type of employment situation, d e m o ­ graphic characteristics, salary, and so on."^ Purpose The purposes of this study were fourfold: First, to determine what the demand for social service technicians in M i c h i g a n ’s community mental health programs during the next five years; second, is likely to be to ascertain how many SSTs the institutions of higher education in Michigan are planning to produce for Michigan community mental health programs during the next five years; third, to discover if the consumers of SST community mental health manpower are providing input into SST training programs; fourth, to generate information on manpower supply and demand which will have utility for both community mental health programs and the directors of SST educational programs as compreh en­ sive mental health programs are being developed in Michigan. 40 41 Research Questions The questions which this study was designed to answer are as Follows: 1. How many social service technicians are currently employed in Michigan's community mental health programs throughout the five geographical regions of the state by spec* ific program category? 2. Assuming that the necessary funding be­ comes available during the next five years, how many additional SSTs will be needed by program category in each geographical region in Michigan in order to provide the minimum services required by Public Act 258? 3. How satisfied are the directors of community mental health programs with the entry knowl­ edge and skills of the SSTs they have hired in the past? 4. How do the perceptions of the college SST program directors compare with CMH program directors as to the entry knowledge and skills of SSTs? 5. Which subject content, knowledge and skill areas are considered to be important by program directors for occupational entry into the community mental health system? 6. How many graduates do the educational directors of SST programs plan to produce for employment in Michigan community mental health programs during the next five years? 7. What steps have colleges with SST programs taken to see that graduates will have a reasonable chance for employment or transfer to a four year college without loss of credits? 8. Do agencies that employ SSTs have some input into the technicians' college curric­ ulum? 42 Population and Sample The nature of the study dictated that two distinct populations be surveyed. The first population consisted of approximately two hundred thirty directors of community mental health programs in the State of Michigan. The second population was comprised of directors of social service technician educational programs in higher education insti­ tutions within the State of Michigan. An assessment of the first population indicated that a simple random sample would not suffice, because the number of different types of programs that exist under the communi­ ty mental health umbrella are not evenly distributed. Therefore if a sample were to be used it should be a strati­ fied random sample. This option was also discarded as it was felt that dividing two hundred thirty agencies by seventeen program categories and again by five state regions would not leave enough agencies of each type in each region from which to draw a valid sample. Therefore, a census was decided upon because of a desire to obtain as much accurate information on manpower demand as possible both by region and type of program. A census approach to the question of type of sample was decided upon for the second population also. With only thirteen institutions of higher education in Michigan in­ volved in the preparation of social service technicians it was decided a random sample would provide insufficient data. 43 The subjects that were included in the census survey from the community mental health group came from the list of community programs in the Michigan Department of Mental 2 Health's Catalog of Facilities. The subjects to be included in the higher education portion of the census survey were identified during the summer of 1976 through a combination of two methods. First, I asked Sandy R. Stover of Ferris State College, who at that time was President of the Michigan Council on Human Services Education, of colleges that were involved in educating SSTs. for a list Second, I wrote a letter to every community college in Michigan and every four year college thought to be interested in the preparation of social service technicians and requested a copy of their catalog and information regarding their SST program. After examining the catalogs and looking at the written correspondence received, eighteen Michigan institu­ tions of higher education were identified. Upon surveying the colleges it was discovered that five of the colleges had decided not to continue the development of an SST p r o­ gram. The SST program directors of the thirteen remaining institutions are the subjects of the second portion of this two-part survey. Design The two populations being surveyed were grouped in the following manner. The thirteen respondents from higher education SST programs were treated as a single group and no 44 divisions were made. The respondents from community mental health programs were grouped by the following program categories: 1. Programs for the mentally ill a. Acute Inpatient Cl) (2) b. Partial Hospitalization (1) C2) c. (day program) Adult Children Residential Cl) (2) d. Adult Children Adult Children Outpatient Cl) f2) Adult Children e. Activity Therapy f. 24 Hour Emergency g. Prevention Concludes consultation and education) 2. Programs for the mentally retarded a. Adult Activity b. Work Activity c. Sheltered Workshop d. Life Consultation e. Residential In addition to grouping the respondents' answers by program categories they were also grouped into the five regions of the Department of Mental Health. are illustrated in Figure 1. These regions WESTERN 46 The Questionnaires There were two instruments used in securing the desired information from the two populations being surveyed. These two factual questionnaires were constructed to meet the purposes of the study and to answer the research questions which were listed in Chapter I and in the previous portion of this Chapter. In attempting to assure the quality of the two factual questionnaires the following steps were undertaken to develop both clarity and content validity. In the construction of the individual items in the instruments, standard budgetary program categories of the Department of Mental Health, standard course titles, and whenever possible, standard skills, knowledge and duties as delineated for social service technicians in the National Association of Social Workers' 3 Standards for Social Service Manpower were used. After the initial instruments were developed they were presented to two members of my committee, a staff member of the Office of Research Consultation, and subsequently to Dr. Daniel Kreuger, Director of the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations at Michigan State University. After review and comment by these people revisions were made to the two instruments and they were resubmitted to the staff member of the Office of Research Consultation and two members of the Department of Mental Health. The question­ naires in their final form appear in Appendices A and B. 47 Administration of the Census Survey The appropriate questionnaire was mailed to each direc­ tor of a social service technician educational program and to each director of a community mental health program. A cover letter and addressed return envelope were included with each questionnaire. In addition, a memorandum from Dr. Floyd Westendorp, Administrator for the Treatment and Normalization System within the State Department of Mental Health, was included with the questionnaire sent to each community mental health program director in an attempt to increase the percentage of response. Each questionnaire was numbered and the numbers with accompanying program identification information were main­ tained on a control list in order to maintain identification of the respondents and non-respondents while protecting the confidentiality of the information returned. After a second four week period had elapsed a third letter was mailed to those who had not yet responded. Copies of each of the letters sent to the program directors appear in Appendix C. After an additional three weeks had elapsed, and a total of eleven weeks had gone by, the returned question­ naires were grouped into the five Department of Mental Health Regions and tallied. The number returned in each region was divided by the number of questionnaires mailed in each region. The overall percentage of questionnaires returned was 66%, with all of the regions being 65% or over except 48 Region 5, which only had a return rate of 56%. It was decided that one last attempt should be made in Region 5 to increase the return rate to 60% or better. Telephone calls were then made to twenty randomly selected agencies within the Region. This effort raised the return rate to 65% within Region 5 and 70% overall for community mental health programs within the State of Michigan. One hundred percent of the thirteen colleges responded to the questionnaire. The number of agencies surveyed within the region, the number of responses and the response percentage are depicted in Table 2. TABLE 2 Questionnaire Administration Results Number Mailed Number Returned Percentage I 39 29 74% IT 21 17 81% III 53 38 71% IV 28 19 65% V 86 56 65% 227 159 70% Region 49 Limitations of the Study This study essentially describes what exists in social service technician manpower production by Michigan colleges and the demand for these technicians by community mental health programs. The study is only as accurate as the responses that are collected. These responses are made by individuals in positions best suited to have the information being compiled. However, attempting to predict future m a n ­ power supply and demand is hazardous at best. The issues of manpower supply and demand elasticity are probably the most difficult to assess. are impossible to control. They certainly Economic conditions have a great bearing upon whether or not funds are available to govern­ mental bodies, colleges, and community mental health p r o ­ grams. The actions of federal, state, and county political bodies have a direct effect upon the funding of both colleges and mental health programs. In addition, as directors of mental health programs move on and are replaced the concepts about staffing pattern within agencies may change. Analysis of the Data The information gathered from the questionnaires administered to the two populations surveyed are presented in various tables. The tables are descriptive and present primarily frequency distributions with some means and standard deviations. 50 More specifically, the answers to research questions 1, 2, 6, 7 and 8 are presented in frequency tables. The data on research questions 3 and 5 are treated in tables of means and standard deviation, while the responses to question number 4 are displayed through a comparison of tables of means. The use of more intricate analyses were decided to be inappropriate due to the fact that only thirteen colleges are involved as compared to two hundred thirty community mental health agencies. FOOTNOTES 1. Methodological Approaches for Determining Health Manpower Supply ana Requirements: Volume I Analytical Perspective, op. c i t . , p . T~. 2. Catalog of Facilities Serving the Mentally 111 and Mentally Retarded in M i c h i g a n , (Michigan Department of Mental Health, January 1976}. 3. Standards for Social Service Manpower, policy statement 4, June 1973), pp. 7-8. (NASW CHAPTER IV Results of the Study Introduction In this study eight research questions were developed and two survey instruments were constructed and administered to two distinct populations. One population consisted of directors of SST college training programs and the second was comprised by community mental health agency directors. The eight research questions are restated in the following pages and the responses to the questions in the instruments are presented. Research Question 1 The first research question was: "How many social service technicians are currently employed in Michigan's community mental health programs throughout the five geographical regions of the state by specific program category?" Item number 1 of the CMH Agency Questionnaire was used to answer the first research question. sponses are displayed in Tables 3 and 4. The re­ The SSTs employed in programs for the mentally ill are shown in Table 3 while the number employed in programs serving adult mentally 51 52 retarded are presented in Table 4. TABLE 3 SSTs Employed by M.I. Program and Region Type of Program for Mentally 111 Number Employed in Region 1 2 3 4 5 Total Acute Inpatient (Adult) 78 12 33 13 91 227 Acute Inpatient (Children) 87 22 66 11 100 286 Partial Hospitalization (Adult) 43 14 47 11 79 194 Partial Hospitalization (Children) 56 22 34 32 94 238 Residential (Adult) 46 22 54 24 92 238 Residential (Children) 76 22 64 33 116 311 Outpatient (Adult) 61 12 34 22 80 209 104 22 31 47 128 332 Activity Therapy 0 3 0 12 2 17 24 Hour Emergency 0 0 0 25 1 26 Prevent ion __ 1 (Includes Consultation § Education) __ 1 2 5 __3 12 152 365 235 786 2090 Outpatient (Children) Totals 552 53 The largest numbers of SSTs are employed in programs for mentally ill children, with outpatient being the largest with three hundred thirty-two. Children's inpatient is next with two hundred eighty-six technicians employed in such programs. The number employed in each program diminish to a low of twelve in prevention programs. Region 5, the Metropolitan Region, employed the most technicians at seven hundred eighty-six with the Central Region, or Region 2, employing the lowest number at one hundred fiftytwo. TABLEi 4 SSTs Employed by M.R. Program and Region Type of Program for Mentally Retarded Number Employed in Region 4 5 1 2 3 Total 10 17 2 IS 3 47 Work Activity 1 15 20 15 7 58 Sheltered Workshop 5 2 0 1 5 13 Life Consultation 0 1 0 7 0 8 _2 _0 _0 11 10 25 18 35 22 51 25 151 Adult Activity Residential Totals In comparing Tables 3 and 4 it becomes obvious that the vast majority of SSTs are employed in community programs serving the mentally ill. The data shows that two thousand ninety are working in M.I. programs while only one hundred fifty-one 54 are employed in programs for the mentally retarded. Research Question 2 The second research question was: "Assuming that the necessary funding becomes available during the next five years, how many additional SSTs will be needed in each geographical region in Michigan in order to provide the minimum services required by Public Act 258?" The ninth item of the CMH Agency Questionnaire was designed to answer research question number 2. As can be seen in Tables 5 and 6, the reported need for SSTs in programs for the mentally retarded will be one thousand twenty-one or over twice the five hundred forty-three reported to be required in the next five years for work with mentally ill. Region 5 reports the largest need for additional manpower in programs for the mentally ill. It is interesting to note that the overall need for additional technicians, five hundred forty-three, is only about 25% more than are currently employed in M.I. programs throughout the state. In contrast the data presented in Table 6 reports nearly a 900% increase in the use of technicians in programs for the mentally retarded during the next five years. 55 TABLE 5 SSTs Needed in M.I. Programs by Region Type of Program for Mentally 111 Number Needed in Region 3 1 2 4 5 Total Acute Inpatient (Adult) 2 2 11 1 28 44 Acute Inpatient (Children) 0 0 1 0 5 6 Partial Hospitalization (Adult) 1 19 10 2 13 45 Partial Hospitalization (Children) 0 0 3 7 36 46 Residential (Adult) 1 4 3 10 19 37 Residential (Children) 0 1 1 8 16 26 Outpatient (Adult) 9 0 6 8 27 50 Outpatient (Children) 4 0 3 1 17 25 Activity Therapy 3 10 10 9 17 49 24 Hour Emergency 9 0 2 9 23 43 Consultation § Education 14 2 1 3 67 87 Prevention 16 _1 _5 _2 61 85 59 39 56 60 329 543 Totals 56 TABL1; 6 SSTs Needed in M.R. Programs by Region Type of Program for Mentally Retarded Number Needed in Region 3 1 2 4 5 Total Adult Activity 48 35 29 68 76 256 Work Activity 80 36 41 73 115 345 Sheltered Workshop 52 29 27 46 70 224 Life Consultation 45 19 15 52 55 186 Residential 66 28 39 69 108 310 291 147 151 308 424 1321 Totals In programs for the mentally retarded Region 5, the Metropolitan Region, again reports the highest need for SSTs with four hundred twenty-four, while Region 4, the Southeastern Region, reports a need of three hundred eight. Region 1, the Northern Region, reports two hundred ninetyone, and Region 2, the Central Region, reports the lowest need for additional SSTs with one hundred forty-seven. Research Question 3 •'How satisfied are the directors of community mental health programs with the entry knowledge and skills of the SSTs they have hired in the past?" This research question was addressed in items 2(a) through 2(f) of the CMH Agency Questionnaire. The respondents were asked to rate the SSTs 57 on a four point scale. ’ Good was rated as 1, sufficient as 2, lacking as 3, and poor as 4. The means generally fell close to "sufficient to perform required duties," but on item 2(f) there was a wide standard deviation. The results are presented in detail in Table 7. TABLE 7 Employers' Assessment of Knowledge and Skills of Beginning SSTs 1 Mean Rating by Region 2 3 4 Combined Mean Rating Standard Deviation Item 1 2(a) 1.66 2. 25 2.38 2.0 1.46 1.78 .83 2(b) 2.16 1.5 2.63 1.88 1.58 1.86 .87 2(c) 1.66 2.5 2.38 2.33 1.76 2.00 .99 2(d) 2.16 2.75 2.75 2.33 1.92 2.21 .85 2(e) 1.25 1.4 2.5 2.0 1.31 1.59 1.08 2(f) 3.0 1.25 2.38 2.22 2.19 2.27 1.75 5 CMH Agency Questionnaire Item: 2(a) Knowledge of the fundamentals of human behavior 2(b) General understanding of agency's goals and func­ tions 2(c) Knowledge about the community and its social service programs 2(d) Ability to utilize social institutions on behalf of clients 2(e) Ability to understand and work with clients 2(f) Ability to empathize and provide needed assistance to the client’s family or foster home operator. Rating: 1 = Good 2 = Sufficient to perform required duties 3 = Lacking some necessary abilities 4 = Poor 58 It should be noted that only about fifty, or approxi­ mately one-third, of the directors who responded to the survey answered the questions which are depicted in Tables 7 and 8. These represent the lowest response rate to the items contained in the questionnaire. Research Question 4 "How do the perceptions of the college SST program directors compare with CMH program directors as to the entry level knowledge and skills of SSTs?" Research question number 4 is addressed through the comparison of items 2(a) through 2(f) on the CMH Agency Questionnaire with items 13(a) through 13(f) on the SST Educational Program Question­ naire. The comparison is presented in Table 8. The edu­ cators consistently rated their SST graduates slightly higher on the four point scale than did the agency directors. TABLE 8 Comparison of CMH and SST Program Directors' Assessment of SST Beginning Skills Item CMH Directors Mean Response SST Program Directors Mean Response 2(a) S 13(a) 1.78 1.36 2(b) 5 13(b) 1.86 1.69 2(c) $ 13(c) 2.00 1.31 2(d) f. 13(d) 2.21 1.62 59 Table 8 (cont'd.) CMH Directors Mean Response Item SST Program Directors Mean Response 2(e) 8 13(e) 1.59 1.77 2(f) 8 13(f) 2.27 1.64 CMH Agency and SST Educational Program Questionnaires Iterns: 2(a) 5 13(a) 2(b) 8 13(b) 2(c) $ 13(c) 2(d) 8 13(d) 2(e) 8 13(e) 2(f) 8 13(f) Knowledge of the fundamentals of human behavior General understanding of CMH agencies' goals and functions Knowledge about the community and its social service programs Ability to utilize social institutions on behalf of clients Ability to understand and work with clients Ability to empathize and provide needed assistance to the client's family or foster home operator Research Question 5 The fifth research question was: "Which subject con ­ tent, knowledge and skill areas are considered to be impor­ tant by program directors for occupational entry into the community mental health system?" Items 4(a) through 4(h) and item 5 on the CMH Agency Questionnaire were used to answer research question 4. Approximately one hundred of the population surveyed responded to these items. The information provided by the respondents is presented in Tables 9 and 10. Table 9 displays items 4(a) through 4(h) of the questionnaire which deal with the knowledge and 60 skill areas. A response of very important was given a numerical value of 1, important a value of 2, and not important a value of 3. Therefore, a mean response of 1.06 is considered very important. TABLE 9 Knowledge and Skill Areas Considered Important by Employers Mean t Importance by Region 2 3 4 5 Combined Mean Importance Item 1 4 (a) 1.06 1.07 1.38 1.43 1,13 1.21 .51 4(b) 1.67 1.86 1.71 1.14 1.69 1.78 .82 4(c) 1.42 1.92 1.46 1.71 1.48 1. 56 .67 4(d) 1.53 1.77 1.67 2.07 1.65 1.70 .77 ‘ 4(e) 1.12 1.23 1.32 1.14 1.10 1.18 .46 4(f) 1.30 1.54 1.35 1.79 1.58 1.50 .68 4(g) 1. 00 1.23 1.13 1.07 1.17 1.12 .39 4(h) 1.17 1.38 1.43 1.50 1.30 1.35 .52 S.D. CMH Agency Questionnaire Item: 4(a) Knowledge of the fundamentals of human behavior 4(b) An understanding of agency's goals and functions 4(c) Knowledge of the community and its social service programs 4(d) Ability to utilize social institutions on behalf of clients 4(e) Ability to understand and work with mentally ill or mentally retarded clients 4(f) Ability to empathize and work with the client's family or foster home operator 4(g) Ability to carry out the tasks and responsibili­ ties contained in the job description for the position they are being hired to fill 4(h) Desire to serve others 61 Table 9 (cont'd.) Rating: 1 = Very important 2 = Important 3 = Not important The responses contained in Table 8 indicate clearly that the respondents thought all eight items in the knowledge and skill area were important to very important for SSTs en­ tering into employment in community mental health programs. Table 10 portrays the directors' responses to item 5 in the questionnaire, which dealt with the importance placed upon various college courses or subject content areas. A response of very important was given a numerical value of 1, important a value of 2, and not important a value of 3. Therefore any response up to 1.50 should be taken as very important and responses from 1.50 to 2.50 should be considered important. Field experience and practicums was rated as the top of the very important courses with a mean of 1.15 for a technician planning to enter employment in community mental health. Psychology followed closely with a mean of 1.26 and Working with the Mentally 111 and Interviewing Skills were considered next in the very important category with means of 1.30 and 1.33 respectively. Mathematics, economics, physical education, and history were at the opposite end of the spectrum with the first two in the not important cate­ gory. However, the means at the lower end should be assessed with the realization that the standard deviations indicated some rather wide variances. 62 TABLE 10 College Subjects' Importance to Employment According to Employers Subj ect Mean Importance Standard Deviation Field Experience and Practicums 1. IS .43 Psychology 1.26 .49 Working with the Mentally 111 1.30 .46 Interviewing Skills 1.33 .57 The Family 1.33 .51 Working with the Mentally Retarded 1.40 .58 Group Leadership Skills 1.42 .59 English 1.47 .64 Abnormal Psychology 1.53 .64 Psychology of Children 1.63 .71 Working with Children 1.66 .64 Communications 1.67 .87 Social Institutions 1.70 .58 Working with the Aged 1.70 .69 Social Change Skills 1.70 .69 Behavior Modification Techniques 1.71 .66 Social Welfare as an Institution 1.79 .59 Juvenile Delinquency Sociology 1. 79 .72 1.81 Theories of Social Change 1.86 .96 .67 Ethnic Minorities in America 1.93 .70 First Aid 1.95 .67 Physical or Biological Science 2.09 .67 Teaching Recreation 2.10 .68 Nutrition 2.11 .61 Racism Arts § Crafts 2.12 2.13 .70 .65 63 Table 10 (cont'd.) Mean Importance Standard Deviation The City 2.16 .72 Political Science 2.29 .80 Criminology 2.39 .65 History 2.40 .85 Physical Education 2.47 .56 Economics 2.56 1.18 Mathemat ics 2.73 1.17 Subj ect Rating: 1 = Very important 2 = Important 3 = Not important Research Question 6 "How many graduates do the educational directors of SST programs plan to produce for employment in Michigan's commu­ nity mental health programs during the next five years?" Item 6 in the Social Service Technician Educational Program questionnaire provided the answer to the sixth research question. In addition, item number 4 of the questionnaire provided the number of technicians graduating from 1970 through 1977. The SST program directors think that approxi­ mately two thousand three hundred ninety mental health technicians will graduate from their programs during the next five years. Table 11 presents the number of SSTs 64 graduating from educational programs since 1970. TABLE 11 Number of SSTs Graduated in Michigan Year Number 1970 13 1971 35 1972 104 1973 161 1974 338 1975 352 1976 427 1977 393 1823 A comparison of the figures presented in Table 11 with the projected number of two thousand three hundred ninety SST graduates during the next five years appears to support the educators' projections. Research Question 7 "What steps have colleges with SST programs taken to see that graduates will have a reasonable chance for employ­ ment or transfer to a four year college program without loss 65 of credits?" Items number 7, 8, 9, 12 and 14 in the SST Educational Program questionnaire were designed to answer the seventh research question. directors' The education program responses are presented in Table 12. TABLE 12 Steps Taken by Colleges to Assist SSTs' Chances For Employment or College Transfer No Yes Question Number % Uncertain or Unanswered Number % Total Number Number % 7 11 73% 3 20% 1 7% 15 8 8 53% 6 40% 1 7% 15 9 14 93% 1 7% 0 0% 15 12 10 67% 3 20% 2 13% 15 14 8 53% 6 40% 1 7% IS Q u e stion: 7 Did your college conduct a need survey prior to starting your program? 8 Is your institution currently conducting studies which will identify areas wheTe SSTs may be needed? 9 Does your program have an advisory board with agency professionals who help bridge the transition from graduation into employment? 12 Does your college conduct periodic follow-up studies on the graduates of your program to determine success in finding appropriate employment? 14 Does your college have a written transfer of credit agreement with any other higher educa­ tion institution for the graduates of your Associate Degree program? 66 Research Question 8 "Do agencies that employ SSTs have some input into technician college curriculum?" In order to answer this research question both agency and college program directors were asked for pertinent information. The inquiry was operationalized in items 7 and 8 of the CMH Agency Question­ naire and item 9 on the Educational Program Questionnaire. The information gathered from the respondents is presented in Table 13. TABLE 13 Agency Input into SST Curriculum Yes Item No Uncertain or Unanswered Number % Total Number Number % Number % 6 16 10% 101 65% 39 25% 156 7 21 14% 97 62% 38 24% 156 9 14 93% 1 7% 0 0% 15 CMH: Co llege: CMH Questionnaire: 6 Have you or any of your staff ever served on an advisory committee to an Associate Degree SST Program? 7 Have you or any of your staff ever been surveyed for recommendations on the training of SSTs? Educational Program Questionnaire: 9 Does your program have an advisory board with agency professionals who provide input into your curriculum? 67 The educational program directors were asked to respond to items 10 and 11 to further clarify the type of agency personnel involved on their advisory board and whether or not the committees are seen as active. Nine of the colleges (64%) indicated that there was representation from community mental health on their advisory boards. Seven (50%) reported that their advisory boards participated actively in their program while the other 50% said their advisory boards were not active. Summary Two hundred twenty-seven community mental health agency directors and thirteen SST college program directors were surveyed. The response rate was 70% and 100% respectively. In comparing the data collected from the respondents with the research questions the following general statements can be made: 1. There are approximately two thousand two hundred forty-one social service technicians currently employed in the community mental health programs in Michigan that responded to the survey. The vast majority, two thousand ninety (93%), are working in programs that serve mentally ill or emotionally disturbed clients. 2. The agency directors who responded reported that there will be a need for about one thousand eight hundred sixty-four additional SSTs during the next five years, if the funding is available to implement the programs required by Public Act 258. Approximately one thousand three hundred twenty-one (71%) will be needed in pro­ grams for the adult mentally retarded while only five hundred forty-three more will be needed in programs for the mentally ill and emotionally disturbed. 68 3. The agency directors are generally satisfied with the SSTs' entry level knowledge and skills as indicated in mean ratings that range from good to sufficient to perform required duties in six questionnaire items. 4. Educational program directors rated the b e ­ ginning SSTs slightly higher in knowledge and skill areas than the agency directors did. 5. On the average, agency directors tended to agree with the National Association of Social Workers and rated the knowledge and skill areas contained in questions 4(a) through 4(h) as important to very important for a beginning SST to possess. 6. The SST educational program directors project approximately two thousand three hundred ninety graduates during the next five years. 7. Seventy-three percent of the colleges con­ ducted a need survey prior to implementing their SST training program. Fifty-three pe r ­ cent reported that they were conducting studies to identify areas where SSTs may be needed. Sixty-seven percent indicated that periodic follow-up studies were conducted to determine if graduates find appropriate employment and 531 reported formal transfer of credit agreement with a higher education institution for their graduates. 8. The data indicates that staff of community mental health agencies have a nominal input into SST training programs. Sixty-four per­ cent of the advisory boards have a community mental health representative but 50% of these boards are reported as not active. However, 13% of the agency directors reported that they had been surveyed for recommendations on training of SSTs. CHAPTER V Summary and Conclusions The purposes of this study were to find out how many social service technicians are currently employed in Michigan's community mental health programs, how many more will be needed during the next five years and how many SSTs will graduate in Michigan during the same five year time period. Additionally, it was deemed important to discover what knowledge and skill areas community mental health agency directors thought important for beginning SSTs to possess and to find out if these directors have any input into the training programs. A review of the literature found scant information on how social service technicians were being utilized, whether they were finding employment, and whether more were needed in the future. The information that was available did little to clarify the situation, as the experts in the field were divided in their viewpoints. Conversations with per ­ sonnel in the State of Michigan Department of Mental Health and educators involved with SST programs indicated a lack of quantifiable information in the manpower area. The literature shows that there has historically been a trained manpower shortage in the field of mental health. 69 70 Projections indicated that opportunities for employment in health, education and welfare are expected to increase at a faster rate than in most other occupational fields. In considering these factors and the increasing complexity of our society, the conclusion was reached that there will continue to be a national manpower shortage in the mental health field. In an attempt to meet this manpower shortage, a number of professionals have proposed differential staffing models somewhat similar to those used in the medical field. The "War on Poverty" and the "New Careers Movement" gave impetus to the concept of using aides and technicians in human services occupations. Colleges moved quickly to develop educational programs for social service technicians and graduates began appearing in the labor market. The National Association of Social Workers became concerned about how the new SSTs were to be utilized and how they would fit into a professional field that was already struggling with when and how to use aides, B.S.W.s, M.S.W.s and Ph.Ds. As a result the NASW developed a set of standards for two preprofessional and four pr ofes­ sional levels within the field. However, the development of these standards did not assure the acceptance of SSTs by employers in the field and the concern continued over whether SSTs were able to find appropriate employment after completion of their program. 71 In Michigan thirteen community colleges had developed SST programs between 1971 and 1976. The State of Michigan passed Public Act 54 in 1973, and this legislation initiated a rapidly expanding community mental health system within the state. These two developments in Michigan coupled by the lack of information on whether SSTs were being employed and/or wanted for work in community mental health programs clearly indicated the need for a state wide community mental health SST manpower study. The study was addressed to two distinct populations. First, community mental health agency directors and second, educational directors of SST programs. Two questionnaires were developed to answer the following eight research questions: 1. How many social service technicians are currently employed in Michigan's commu­ nity mental health programs throughout the five geographical regions of the state by specific program category? 2. Assuming that the necessary funding b e ­ comes available during the next five years, how many additional SSTs will be needed by program category in each geographical region in Michigan in order to provide the minimum services required by Public Act 258? 3. How satisfied are the directors of community mental health programs with the entry knowl ­ edge and skills of the SSTs they have hired in the past? 4. How do the perceptions of the college SST program directors compare with CMH program directors as to the entry knowledge and skills of SSTs. 5. Which subject content, knowledge and skill areas are considered to be important by agency directors for occupational entry 72 into the community mental health system? 6. How many graduates do the educational directors of SST programs plan to produce for employment in Michigan community mental health programs during the next five years? 7. What steps have colleges with SST programs taken to see that graduates will have a reasonable chance for employment or transfer to a four year college without loss of credits? 8. Do agencies that employ SSTs have some input into the technician college curriculum? Two hundred twenty-seven questionnaires were sent out to agency directors and one hundred fifty-nine completed. (70%) were All thirteen SST educational program directors (100%) responded to the questionnaires sent them. The responses indicated that about two thousand two hundred forty SSTs were employed in the community mental health agencies that completed the questionnaire and that there will be a need for an additional one thousand eight hundred sixty-four in these same agencies during the next five years. However, about 71% of those additional SSTs will be needed in programs serving the adult mentally retarded. Additional information was gathered on the importance that agency directors placed on a variety of knowledge and skill levels for beginning SSTs, how satisfied they were with new SSTs employed in their agency, and what subjects they thought were important in an SST curriculum. In the questionnaires returned from the community colleges, it was found that SST educational program directors project that 73 two thousand three hundred ninety will graduate from their programs during the next five years. How the educators rated their graduates in certain knowledge and skill areas was reported and compared to the ratings given by agency directors. Last, the educators reported on some of the steps taken to give graduating SSTs a reasonable chance for employment or transfer to a four year college without a loss of credits. Adjustment of the Data It should be remembered that the number of SSTs cited as currently employed in community mental health programs in Michigan and the number needed during the next five years are those reported by the one hundred fifty-nine agency directors that responded to the questionnaires. sents 70% of such agencies in the state. This repre­ An additional sixty-eight agencies (30%) did not respond and were not included in the numbers cited. In order to close the information gap left by the sixty-eight who did not respond, it will be assumed that their employment patterns and needs are similar to the agencies that did respond. In Table 14 the number of SSTs reported as currently employed and the additional that will be needed are listed by region. The adjustment to include the missing 30% of the state's community mental health agencies are also shown. 74 TABLE 14 Reported and Adjusted SST Manpower Use and Need Reported 100% Adjustment Response Number Additional Number Additional Rate Employed Needed Employed Needed Region I 74% 570 350 770 472 II 81% 187 186 230 229 III 71% 387 207 545 292 IV 65% 286 368 440 566 V 65% 811 753 1247 1158 70% 2241 1864 3232 2717 Totals When the data is adjusted to cover all of the agencies, the number of SSTs currently employed rises from two thousand two hundred forty-one to three thousand two hundred thirtytwo. The number of additional SSTs needed during the next five years increases from one thousand eight hundred sixtyfour to two thousand seven hundred seventeen. Conclusions On the basis of the data collected in this study the following conclusions are made: 1. The number of social service technicians employed in Michigan community mental health programs total about three thou­ sand two hundred (3,200). This figure represents one thousand eight hundred twenty-three (1,823) more than the 75 one thousand eight hundred twenty-three (1,823) SST graduates reported by Michigan educational program directors. 2. The colleges in Michigan predict that about two thousand three hundred ninety (2,390) SSTs will graduate from their programs during the next five years. Community mental health directors indi­ cate that their programs will need two thousand seven hundred seventeen (2,717) additional SSTs during this same five year period. This figure is three hundred twenty-seven (327) higher than the number predicted to graduate or about 12% less than will be needed. 3. Mental health agency directors tended to agree with the NASW on the knowledge and skill areas considered to be impor­ tant for SSTs and generally ranked the beginning technicians as able to p e r ­ form required duties, but ranked them slightly lower than the educators on their entry knowledge and skills. 4. Colleges involved in the education of SSTs have generally taken some steps to see that their graduates will have a reasonable chance for employment or transfer to a four year college, but in a number of instances much more could be done. 5. Community mental health agency staff have a nominal amount of input into SST educational programs. Discussion In Chapter I the concern over whether SSTs were being employed in mental health agencies throughout the State of Michigan and in what types of community programs there might be a need for them was discussed. Initially, the conjecture was that the primary need for SSTs existed in programs for the mentally retarded and to a lesser degree in some 76 programs for the mentally ill. The data supports the notion that the majority of tech­ nicians tarded. (71%) are needed in programs for the mentally r e ­ In addition, it was thought that most of the SSTs needed in programs for the mentally ill would be in the areas of acute inpatient, partial hospitalization, and resi­ dential. The data did not support that supposition. Rather, the heaviest future need areas in M.I. programs were reported to be in consultation and education and in preven­ tion with a fairly even spread over the other program types. Inpatient services for children showed almost no need. In looking over the data generated from the study an unexpected bit of information came to my attention. As indicated in Chapter I, it was thought that there might be a need for a somewhat different curriculum design than is currently being used in preparing SSTs. The stated need for most technicians to work in programs for the mentally retarded would support the idea for a curriculum to empha­ size courses related to such work. The surprising finding is that although agency directors rank course content r e ­ lating to mentally retarded as important, they generally rank these courses as less important than those geared for more traditional and clinical social work. For example, courses in psychology, working with the mentally ill, and interviewing skills were at the head of the list. Conversely, arts and crafts, nutrition, recreation, and first aid were at the other end of the course continuum. 77 Even behavior modification was ranked a considerable way from the top of the list. Many of the mentally retarded are also physically handicapped, prone to a variety of physical ailments, and in need of programs to assist them to develop daily living skills. It would seem that course content helping SSTs to meet these needs should be considered important by d irec­ tors who are predicting a need for SSTs in such programs. It is not possible to explain with any degree of certainty why this data appeared as it did. However, one might speculate that most directors have been educated in p r o ­ grams which stress treatment related to psychological or emotional malfunctioning. Also, many agency directors have responsibility for administering programs for both the mentally ill and mentally retarded. The number of programs for the mentally ill frequently outnumber those for the mentally retarded three to one. The number of SSTs employed in Michigan agencies is greater than the number produced by Michigan colleges. This indicates that the "War on Poverty" and the "New Careers Movement" have had an impact on the staffing of community mental health programs. The concept of differen­ tial staffing is being used by a number of agencies and, at least in Michigan, there is currently a market for SSTs. Whether this conclusion can be generalized to other parts of the United States is questionable, the argument that there is a market but the data supports for SSTs. The fact is 78 that SSTs are being employed. The theoreticians would do well to drop the argument on whether SSTs should be used and begin to concentrate on delineating functional taxono­ mies for the six personnel levels set forth by NASW and conceptualize how these types of personnel can best mesh together in each type of program which exists in our mental health delivery system. There is input into the curriculum for SSTs by commu­ nity mental health personnel, but the input is nominal. It seems advisable to initiate active joint planning b e ­ tween institutions of higher education and the community mental health agencies. Such planning would be beneficial to all parties concerned. The agencies would have a pool of graduating SSTs better prepared to fill the agencies' needs. The graduates would be more sought after by the agencies and the colleges would be more assured of a con­ tinuing employment market for their graduates. Up to now joint planning has not been as important as it may be in the future. During the past few years there have been considerably more openings in community mental health for SSTs (1,823) than there were graduates from Michigan programs. Over the next five years the predicted difference between production and need is considerably less (327). It is not known at this time where the eighteen hu n ­ dred SSTs that filled the surplus positions during the past few years came from. They could have come from programs in neighboring states or perhaps some were people with two or 79 three years of college who had not completed bona fide SST programs, but who were reported by the agencies as being SSTs. Regardless of the reason, there is apparently a large number of SSTs from outside of Michigan, or pseudo SSTs, who are filling technician positions in Michigan community mental health agencies. Assuming that this pool will continue to compete with Michigan SST program gradu­ ates for positions it seems advisable for Michigan col­ leges to work actively with the agencies to maximize e m ­ ployment opportunities for graduates. Recommendations for Future Research Some questions raised by this study which remain unanswered are: 1. Where do the SSTs employed by community mental health agencies in Michigan that were not edu­ cated in Michigan come from? 2. What are the components of technical competency in working with the adult mentally retarded? 3. What college courses will provide the most appropriate training for an SST in order to work with the adult mentally retarded? 4. Why do agency directors rate courses tradi­ tionally associated with education for thera­ pists to work with the mentally ill as most important for SSTs while at the same time saying that most SSTs are needed in mental re­ tardation programs during the next five years? 5. What factors contribute to the variance between regions on the employers assessment of knowledge and skills possessed by beginning SSTs? 6. By what mechanism(s) can community mental health agencies and colleges work together to develop the best curricula for SSTs? APPENDICES APPENDIX A SOCIAL SERVICE TECHNICIAN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM QUESTIONNAIRE Questionnaire No. SOCIAL SERVICE TECHNICIAN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM QUESTIONNAIRE 1. In what year did your first Associate Degree graduates in the social service area complete their program of preparation? 2. To the best of your knowledge, since the beginning of your program, how many of the graduates are employed in Michigan community mental health agencies? 3. About how many students have enrolled in your program in each of the following school years? 4. _________ 1970 1972 1974 1976 1971 1973 1975 1977 About how many students graduated from your program in each of the followiiig school years? _________ 1970 1971 5. 1972_____ 1974 _________ 1976 1973 1975 1977 Does your program attempt to prepare graduates for employment in community mental health agencies? _________Yes _________No Uncertain 6. Approximately how many graduates do you plan to educate for employ­ ment in Michigan community mental health agencies during the nextfive years? (Please write the estimated number). 80 81 7. Did your college conduct a need survey prior to starting your program in social, or related, services in an attempt to determine future manpower needs? _________ Yes No _________ Uncertain 8. Is your institution currently conducting any studies which will identify areas where your Associate Degree graduates in social or human services may be needed? 9. Does your program have an advisory board with agency professionals who provide input into your curriculum and help bridge the transi­ tion from graduation into employment? _________ Yes _________ No (If your answer to question number 9 is no please skip questions 10 and 11 and proceed to question number 12). 10. Which areas are represented on your advisory bogrd? which apply). (Check all _________ Community Mental Health _________ Social Services _________ Other Related Areas 11. How would you rate the participation of the advisory board in your program? _________ Active _________ Not Active 12. Does your college conduct periodic follow-up studies on the graduates of your program to determine success in finding appro­ priate employment? Yes No 82 13. On the average, how would you rate the graduates of your program in the following areas at the time they completed their associate degree? (a) Knowledge of the fundamentals of human behavior? _________ Good _________ Sufficient for Initial Employment _________ Somewhat lacking _________ Poor (b) General understanding of the goals and functions of commu­ nity mental health agencies? _________ Good _________ Sufficient for Initial Employment _________ Somewhat lacking _________ Poor (c) Knowledge about the community and its social service programs? _________ Good _________ Sufficient for Initial Employment _________ Somewhat lacking _________ Poor (d) Ability to utilize social institutions on behalf of clients? _________ Good _________ Sufficient for Initial Employment _________ Somewhat lacking Poor 83 (e) Ability to understand and work with mentally ill or mentally retarded clients? _________ Good _________ Sufficient for Initial Employment _________ Somewhat lacking _________ Poor (f) Ability to empathize and provide needed assistance to a client's family or foster home operator? _________ Good _________ Sufficient for Initial Employment _________ Somewhat lacking _________ Poor (g) Ability to carry out«j;he tasks and responsibilities of a technician in a community mental health program? _________ Good _________ Sufficient for Initial Employment _________ Somewhat lacking _________ Poor (h) Desire to serve others? _________ Good _________ Sufficient for Initial Employment _________ Somewhat lacking _________ Poor 14. Does your college have a formal written transfer of credit agree­ ment with any other higher education institution for the graduates of your Associate Degree program? __________ Yes No 84 IS. Would you like a copy of the results of this study? __________ Yes No 16. Please complete the following: (Be assured that the information being collected will only be presented in tabulated form and that your individual responses will be held confidential). Your Name College Please return this questionnaire to: Jerry L. Wilson, Director Northern Mental Health Centers, Inc. 603 E. Lake Street Petoskey, Michigan 49770 APPENDIX B MENTAL HEALTH AND MENTAL RETARDATION TECHNICIAN MANPOWER UTILIZATION, EDUCATION AND NEED QUESTIONNAIRE Questionnaire No. MENTAL HEALTH AND MENTAL RETARDATION TECHNICIAN MANPOWER UTILIZATION, EDUCATION AND NEED QUESTIONNAIRE 1. How many full time people does your agency directly employ in each of the following program categories who are graduates of a two year associate degree technical program in mental health or a related social service curriculum? (If yours is a community mental health services board do not answer for the contractual agencies as they are being surveyed separately. Also if a technician works in more than one program place the employee only in the category where he or she works the majority of the time). A, Programs for the Mentally 111: 1. 2. Acute Inpatient (a) Adult (b) Children _________ _________ Partial Hospitalization (aj Adult (b) Children _________ _________ 3. Residential (a) Adult (b) Children 4. Outpatient (a) Adult (b) Children 5. Activity Therapy 6. 24 Hour Emergency 7. Prevention (includes consultation and education). Total Technicians Currently Employed in M.I. Programs B. Programs for the Mentally Retarded: 1. Adult Activity 2. Work Activity 3. Sheltered Workshop 85 86 4. Life Consultation 5. Residential Total Technicians Currently Employed in M.R. Programs 2. On the average, of those technicians who were hired how would you rate their knowledge and skills in the following areas at the time they were hired? (a) Knowledge of the fundamentals of human behavior? _________ Good _________ Sufficient to perform required duties Lacking in some skills necessary to perform required duties Poor (b) General understanding of your agency's goals and functions? _________ Good _________ Sufficient to perform required duties _________ Lacking in some important areas of understanding _________ Poor (c) Knowledge about the community and its social service programs? _________ Good _________ Sufficient to perform required duties _________ Lacking in some important areas of knowledge _________ Poor (d) Ability to utilize social institutions on behalf of clients? _________ Good _________ Sufficient to perform required duties _________ Lacking in some important areas Poor 87 (e) Ability to understand and work with mentally ill or mentally retarded clients? _________ Good _________ Sufficient to perform required duties _________ Lacking some necessary abilities Poor (f) Ability to empathize and provide needed assistance to the client's family or foster home operator? _________ Good _________ Sufficient to perform required duties _________ Lacking some necessary abilities Poor 3. What general recommendations would you make to higher education Institutions that are attempting to prepare Associate Degree technicians to work in community mental health programs? 4. How important is it for entry level technicians to possess the following knowledge and skill areas when they begin work with your agency? (a) Knowledge of the fundamentals of human behavior? _________ Very Important _________ Important Not Important 88 (b) An understanding of your agency's goals and functions? _________ Very Important ____ Important Not Important (c) Knowledge of the community and its social service programs? _________ Very Important _________ Important _________ Not Important (d) Ability to utilize social institutions on behalf of clients? _________ Very Important _________ Important _________ Not Important (e) Ability to understand and work with mentally ill or mentally retarded clients? _________ Very Important _________ Important _________ Not Important (f) Ability to empathize and work with the client's family or foster home operator? _________ Very Important _________ Important _________ Not Important (g) Ability to carry out the tasks and responsibilities contained in the job description for the position they are being hired to fill? _________ Very Important _________ Important Not Important 89 (h) Desire to serve others? _________ Very Important _________ Important _________ Not Important 5. How important do you think the following courses are for two year Associate Degree technicians who are studying to prepare for entry level positions in community mental health or mental retardation programs? (Place an X under the column which best expresses your opinion on the course). Very Important Important Not Important English----------------------- ----- ----- ----- Sociology--------------------- ----- ----- ----- History----------------------- ----- ----- ----- Political Science ------------- ----- ----- ----- Economics --------------------- ----- ----- ----- Mathematics------------------- ----- ----- ----- Communications---------------- ----- ----- ----- Psychology-------------------- ----- ----- ----- Physical or Biological Science -- _____ _____ _____ Physical Education ------------ ----- ----- ----- Social Welfare as an Institution _____ _____ _____ Social Institutions ----------- ----- ----- ----- The C i t y ---------------------- ----- ----- ----- Psychology of Children--------- ----- ----- ----- Juvenile Delinquency ----------- ----- ------ ----- The Family-------------------- ----- ----- ----- Theories of Social Change------ ----- ----- ----- Ethnic Minorities in America --- 90 6. Very Important Important Not Important Criminology------------------ ----- ----- ----- Racism---------------------- ----- ----- ----- Interviewing Skills ----------- ----- ----- ----- Group Leadership Skills------- ----- ----- ----- Social Change Skills ---------- ----- ----- ----- Working with Children--------- ----- ----- ----- Working with the Aged--------- ----- ----- ----- Working with the Mentally 111 — _____ _____ _____ Working with the Mentally Retarded _____ _____ _____ Behavior Modification Techniques _____ _____ _____ Abnormal Psychology ----------- ----- ----- ----- Teaching Recreation ----------- ----- ----- ----- Arts and Crafts -------------- ----- ----- ----- Nutrition-------------------- ----- ----- ----- First A i d -------------- ----- ----- ----- ----- Field Experience and Practicums -__ _____ _____ _____ Have you, or any of your staff, ever served on an advisory committee to an Associate Degree Social Service Technician Program? _________ Yes _________No 7. Have you or any of your staff ever been surveyed for recommenda­ tions on the training of SSTs? Yes No 91 8. Would you, or another knowledgeable member of your staff, be willing to serve on an advisory committee to an Associate Degree Technician Program in a Community College in your geographical area? _________ Yes No 9. Assuming that funding is available to meet the program needs of your agency during the next five years, how many trained two year Associate Degree technicians do you plan to utilize full time in each of the following program categories? (If a technician would work in more than one program place them in the program where they would work the majority of the time). A. Programs for the Mentally 111: 1. 2. Acute Inpatient (a) Adult (b) Children _________ _________ Partial Hospitalization (a) Adult (b) Children _________ _________ 3. Residential (a) Adult _________ (b) Children____________________ _________ 4. Outpatient (a) Aduit (b) Children _________ _________ 5. Activity Therapy _________ 6. 24 Hour Emergency _________ 7. Consultation and Education ____ 8. Prevention Total Technicians Needed for M.I. Programs B. Programs for the Mentally Retarded: 1. Adult Activity 2. Work Activity 3. Sheltered Employment 92 4. Life Consultation _________ 5. Residential _________ Total Technicians Needed for M.R. Programs______________ _________ 10. Do you want a copy of the results of this study? __________ No 11. Yes Please complete the following: (Be assured that the information I am collecting will only be presented in tabulated form and that your individual responses will be held confidential). Name ____________________________________________________ County program is located in ______________________________ In which area is your Professional discipline an X in the appropriate space). Psychiatry Social Work Business Administration Other Psychology Sociology (Please place Education Nursing (Please specify) _______________________________ Highest Degree Attained ___________________________________ Employing Agency __________________________________________ Please return the completed questionnaire to: Jerry L. Wilson, Director Northern Mental Health Centers, Inc. 603 E. Lake Street Petoskey, Michigan 49770 APPENDIX C LETTERS TO SST EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM DIRECTORS NORTHERN MENTAL HEALTH CENTERS, INC. 603 E. Lake St., Petoskey, Michigan 49770 347-6063 Dear I am conducting a study which I hope will be helpful to community colleges involved in the education of social service and mental health technicians. In talking with community mental health agency directors I have developed the opinion that there is a market for technicians in community mental health, but that at present they are underutilized. I am also surveying community mental health agency directors in Michigan in an attempt to determine the following: (1) The number of technical manpower that will be needed in distinct program areas. (2) Knowledge, skill areas and courses considered to be important for a beginning technician. (3) (4) The number of technical personnel currently employed. The number of technical personnel being produced for employment in conmunity mental health. The enclosed questionnaire is being sent to the directors of social service and mental health technician educational programs in Michigan. Please be assured that the information being collectedwill only be presented in tabulated form and that your individual responses will be held confidential. Your prompt response in providing answers to the enclosed ques­ tions will be greatly appreciated. Please return the questionnaire in the envelope which is enclosed for your convenience. Sincerely, Jerry L. Wilson, M.S.W. Director JLW:dm Enclosures 93 94 NORTHERN MENTAL HEALTH CENTERS, INC. 603 E. Lake St., Petoskey, Michigan 49770 347-6063 Dear I am writing to you to request your assistance in helping me to complete a study which should be helpful to graduates of your social service and mental health technician program. A questionnaire was mailed to you approximately one month ago. If it is buried under a stack of papers, like questionnaires sent to me frequently are, I will appreciate it if you will move it to the top. Enclosed is another questionnaire in the event that the first one never arrived or was misplaced. In order to get an accurate assessment of the number of technicians being educated for employment in community mental health programs, it is important to get a response from every college in Michigan that is involved in this educational pur­ suit. Please help by taking a few minutes to complete and return this questionnaire. Thanks, Jerry L. Wilson, M.S.W. Director JLW:dm Enclosure 95 NORTHERN MENTAL HEALTH CENTERS, INC. 603 E. Lake St., Petoskey, Michigan 49770 347-6063 Dear I am writing to request your assistance in completing a study relating to the preparation of social service and mental health techni­ cians and the potential demand for such personnel in community mental health programs in Michigan during the next five years. This is the third attempt at getting information from your insti­ tution. The questionnaires have been completed by all but three colleges within Michigan, Will you please help to make the response rate 100% and give us an accurate assessment by completing the enclosed questionnaire and returning it to me. Your assistance will be greatly appreciated. Sincerely, Jerry L. Wilson, M.S.W. Director J LW:dm Enclosure APPENDIX D LETTERS TO COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH AGENCY DIRECTORS NORTHERN MENTAL HEALTH CENTERS, INC. 603 E. Lake St., Petoskey, Michigan 49770 347-6063 Dear I am currently conducting a study which I hope will be helpful to both community mental health programs and colleges for work in mental health and related fields. By providing input from the field to the college programs we may provide some direction in the following areas: (1) The number of technical manpower that will be needed in distinct program areas. (2) How satisfied we are with the graduates we have received so far. (3) Knowledge, skill areas and courses we consider to be important for a beginning technician. The enclosed questionnaire is being sent to the directors of county community Mental Health Services Boards in Michigan and direc­ tors of agencies under contract to the Boards. Please be assured that the information I am collecting will only be presented in tabulated form and that your individual responses will be held confidential. Your prompt response in providing answers to the enclosed ques­ tions will be greatly appreciated. Please return the questionnaire in the envelope which is enclosed for your convenience. Thank you. Sincerely, Jerry L. Wilson Director J LW:dm Enclosures 96 97 STATE OF MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH WILLIAM G MILLIKEN. Govvmor DONALD C. SMITH. M D , Director LEWIS CASS BUILOtNG. LANSING. MICHIGAN 4SS26 June 30, 1976 TO: County Community Mentfll Health Boards FROM: Floyd Westendorp, M.C\, Administrator Treatment and Normalization System The Department of Mental Health Is aware that Jerry Wilson Is conducting a manpower utilization and need survey In order to assist community colleges to better serve the needs of community mental health. We encourage your cooperation In taking the time to promptly complete the questionnaire and mall It back to Jerry. Thank you. rfh ^ O '- ° T' 0 v MICHIGAN The Great Lake State '-■« ,->1* 98 NORTHERN MENTAL HEALTH CENTERS, INC. 603 E. Lake St., Petoskey, Michigan 49770 347-6063 Dear I am writing to request your assistance in helping me to complete a study which should be helpful to both community mental health pro­ grams and colleges preparing technicians for work in mental health and related fields. A questionnaire was mailed to you approximately one month ago. If it is buried under a stack of papers, like question­ naires sent to me frequently are, I will appreciate it if you will move it to the top. Enclosed is another questionnaire in the event that the first one never arrived or became misplaced. The Department of Mental Health is aware that this study is being conducted and it is hoped that accurate data can be gathered in the following areas: (1) Hie number of two year associate degree technicians that will be needed in each type of community program. (2) How satisfied we are with the technicians we have hired. (3) The knowledge, skill areas and courses we consider to be important for a beginning technician. In order to get an accurate picture, input is needed from every mental health program in the state. Please help by taking ten minutes to complete and return the questionnaire. Thanks, Jerry L. Wilson Director JLW:dm Enclosure BIBLIOGRAPHY BIBLIOGRAPHY Alexander, Chauncey A. "Implications of the NASW Standards for Social Service Manpower." Journal of Education for Social W o r k , Winter 1975, Alley, Sam and Blanton, Judith. sionals in Mental Health." Journal, Summer 1976. "A Study of ParaprofesCommunity Mental Health Barker, Robert L. and Briggs, Thomas L. Using Teams to Deliver Social Services. Syracuse University Press, ----------------------- Bisno, Herbert. The Place of the Undergraduate Curriculum in Social Work Education. New Y o V k : Council on Social Work Education, T959. Block, Alvan M. "The Dilemma of Social Work Education: Restructuring the Curriculum." Journal of Education for Social Wo r k, Winter 1972. Boehm, Werner. "Manpower Planning in Social Welfare." 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Standards for Social Service Manpower. Washington, D. C.: National Association of Social Workers, Inc., June 1973. Stuckey, Grace. "Challenges in Mental Health for New Professionals." American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, January 1973. Survey of Social Service Technician Graduates Fifth Program Y e a r . Big Rapids, Michigan: Office of Institutional Studies, Ferris State College, June 1976. The Training of Youth Service Personnel - An Unmet Need in Mic h i g a n . A Report of the Juvenile Service Education Committee of the Michigan Office of Criminal Justice Programs, Executive Office of the Governor. Big Rapids, Michigan. October 1971. Tucker, Robert C. and Tucker, Leota M. "The Role of Paraprofessionals: An Administrative Dilemma." Administration in Mental Health, Spring 1976. Walsh, John Patrick. "Manpower Development: A Junior College Responsibility." Junior College J ournal, May 1964. Zimbalist, S. E. and Anderson, C. M. 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