In order for social workers to meet clients and solve their needs and problems, the ability to link community resources is very important. In this regard, the purpose of this study was to examine the mediating effect of self-efficacy in the relationsh...
In order for social workers to meet clients and solve their needs and problems, the ability to link community resources is very important. In this regard, the purpose of this study was to examine the mediating effect of self-efficacy in the relationship between network recognition of social workers in welfare facilities for the disabled and the ability to link support social resources.
In order to achieve this purpose, a survey was conducted on the capacity to connect with community resources for social workers belonging to welfare facilities for the disabled ( residential facilities for the disabled, community rehabilitation facilities for the disabled, vocational rehabilitation facilities for the disabled, etc. ) located in the Chungcheong Province area. In particular, it was difficult to conduct a face-to-face survey due to problems such as the recent spread of COVID-19, so an online survey was conducted, and 130 copies were finally analyzed excluding insufficient responses.
The study results are summarized as follows.
First, as for the level of network recognition, which is an independent variable, the medium-process linkage level network recognition was the highest, followed by the rudimentary linkage level network recognition and the actual linkage level network recognition. As for the level of self-efficacy, which is a parameter, competence was the highest, followed by confidence and driving force. The dependent variable, community resource linkage competency level, was found to be above average.
Second, as a result of analyzing differences in self-efficacy, community resource linkage capability, and network recognition according to the general characteristics of the survey subjects, self-efficacy was higher for those with a graduate school degree or higher than those with a college degree or lower. It was confirmed that they had a higher level, and it was confirmed that the higher the educational background of the social worker, the higher the level in network recognition, self-efficacy, and community resource connection competency. As for the difference according to the social welfare experience, the more social welfare experience, the higher the recognition level of network recognition, and the more social welfare experience, the higher the sense of self-efficacy.
Third, as a result of analyzing the mediating effect of self-efficacy in the relationship between the social worker's network recognition on the community resource linkage competency, the independent variable network recognition does not have a direct effect on the dependent variable, community resource linkage competency. and it was confirmed that it affects only through self-efficacy, so the model to be confirmed in this study was confirmed as a fully mediated model.
The implications and suggestions of the study that can be drawn based on these results are as follows.
First, it is important for social workers to provide services with network recognition in order to meet the needs of clients because social workers manage a large number of clients and have limitations in satisfying the various needs of clients alone.
Second, the importance of network recognition, one of the personal factors of social workers, is emphasized. The level of network recognition of social workers appears to be high, and social workers should be able to actively utilize this by establishing a resource linkage manual suitable for the local community for linkage with local community resources. In addition, in order not to cause a difference in the level of community resource linkage due to the individual competency of social workers, improvement of the community resource linkage system is required. It will contribute to the improvement of the level of welfare service experienced by clients through the improvement of the social worker's ability to connect with community resources.
Third, the importance of self-efficacy of social workers is emphasized based on the result that network recognition completely mediates self-efficacy and has a significant effect on community resource linkage competency. Since self-efficacy acts as a factor that has a major influence on the personal abilities of social workers, it should be accepted as a characteristic for strengthening social workers' ability to connect with community resources.
Fourth, in order to improve the level of self-efficacy of social workers, it is necessary to expand educational opportunities to strengthen the self-development opportunities of social workers for social welfare practice and knowledge acquisition such as counseling, resource linkage, etc.
The significance of this study is that it is important to increase network recognition in order to strengthen the community resource connection capability of social workers working in welfare facilities for the disabled, but in particular, self-efficacy is more important than network recognition and it is revealed as a factor that needs to be further strengthened.