Organizational constructs as predictors of client outcomes: A study of a family preservation intervention model

Intervention research in child welfare has advanced over the past several decades, but its scope has remained narrow. There has been a glaring omission of the study of alternative explanations for equivocal outcomes of innovative interventions. Specifically, the organizational context of such interventions has been largely ignored as a potential predictor of client outcomes.;In an effort to address this gap in the child welfare literature, this study examines whether the organizational context is related to the outcomes of children referred for family preservation services. A total of 8950 children, 18 networks of organizations that have a family preservation program, and 74 direct service workers employed in these networks comprised the study sample. The organizational context of these programs was measured using an interview guide and the Organizational Context Questionnaire, which is a compilation of complete and adapted instruments on constructs that are potential predictors of service effectiveness. Data on the characteristics and placement outcomes of children in the family preservation programs were extracted from an administrative database.;Using confirmatory factor analysis, two organizational factors were identified. One factor represents three constructs on workplace conditions, namely, routinization of work, leadership, and support from supervisors and co-workers. The other factor represents two constructs on worker responses to these conditions (i.e., job satisfaction and organizational commitment). To test whether these factors predict the occurrence of placement in out-of-home care for children, a multilevel analysis using a hierarchical linear model was conducted. The results indicate that placement outcome varies across networks, and this variance is partly explained by workplace conditions perceived by direct service workers. That is, organizations that are characterized by their respective workers as having greater routineness of work, strong leadership qualities, and supervisor and co-worker support are related to fewer occurrences of out-of-home care for children that participated in their family preservation program.;This study takes an important step in expanding the scope of child welfare intervention research by testing whether organizational constructs predict variance in client outcomes. It provides preliminary evidence of this relationship, highlighting the potential of management practice to influence service effectiveness through promoting good work environments.