Shauna Rienks
Biographic Data
| ID | 6092854 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Shauna Rienks |
| GIVEN NAMES | Shauna |
| FAMILY NAME | Rienks |
| SIGNATURE | RIENKS S |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Denver |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-7973-1572 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 13 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 61 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 13 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2011 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 4 |
Testing psychometric properties of a revised version of the comprehensive organizational health assessment for child welfare and human services agencies
Research Note—Online SBIRT Training for On-Campus, Satellite Campus, and Online MSW Students
Social workers are in an ideal position to address the need for increased access to screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) for substance use disorder. This pre–post study explores the effects of SBIRT education and training among social work students from three campus environments (traditional, online, and satellite). Results demonstrated that participation in online training was related to increased levels of confidence…
Everyday Workplace Discrimination
Objective: Workplace discrimination takes many different forms, with staff members who identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) more likely to be targeted and to experience negative well-being consequences. Worker well-being is crucial in human services fields where professionals interact with diverse individuals and family-serving systems. This study examined the experiences of everyday workplace discrimination among child welf…
Developing adaptive change leaders in child welfare
This is a time in the field of child welfare when extraordinary family challenges and dramatic changes in policy and funding impose intense pressure for evolution in child welfare agency policy and practice. Skilled leaders are needed to guide this evolution. Yet many managers in child welfare arrive at their positions with little or no training in leadership or management, particularly the type required for this unique and demanding sector of hu…
The views of many
The stressful and ever-changing work of child welfare requires skilled and adaptable leaders, though formal preparation and feedback related to that role is rare. This study explored the feasibility and acceptability of a 360° assessment and feedback process as a component of leadership training for 154 child welfare managers in eight states. Results indicated that prior to receiving feedback and attending training, managers demonstrated strong f…
Retention of child welfare workers
High annual turnover rates that plague child welfare agencies are costly and disrupt services. Numerous studies have focused on aspects of the workplace and the characteristics of child welfare workers that may be associated with leaving. Fewer studies have explored the types of worker supports that agencies can offer to encourage retention. This two-study paper utilized data from public child welfare caseworkers to examine predictors of self-rep…
Expanding our understanding of the role of peer support in child welfare workforce retention
Turnover is problematic for child welfare agencies and clients. To better understand the role of peer support in retention among caseworkers, this study explored whether staff perceive distinct types of peer support (operational and social-emotional) and examined the extent to which peer support differs by demographic and organizational factors in predicting intent to stay. Results from 1,703 caseworkers indicated that they perceive both types of…
Workforce development strategies
Calls for transformational systems change that lead to improved outcomes for children in child welfare can only be answered by preparing an effective workforce and building an agency climate that is ready for change. The National Child Welfare Workforce Institute developed a comprehensive model for public, private, and tribal child welfare agencies to improve the health of their workforce. This paper describes the application of the model in one …
Examining internal and external job resources in child welfare
Measuring the impact of public perceptions on child welfare workers
The Public Perceptions of Child Welfare Scale measures how the social environment influences child welfare workers, including their job satisfaction and intent to leave. Psychometric studies have validated the scale for private child welfare workers, but there are no validation studies with public agency staff. This study fills that gap, showing stigma and respect are important constructs that also predict worker intent to leave. This research fo…
Measuring organizational health in child welfare agencies
Exploring the Role of Ethnic Identity in Family Functioning Among Low-Income Parents
The majority of research on ethnic identity (EI) has highlighted its role in mitigating risks associated with racial discrimination; however, discrimination is only one of many stressors that ethnic minority individuals face. The current study examined the relationships between EI, emotional distress, and the parent–child relationship among ethnically diverse, low-income parents. Results indicated significant associations between EI and emotional…
Preliminary Efficacy of an Intervention to Reduce Psychosocial Stress and Improve Coping in Low-Income Families
This article reports pre-post intervention results from a randomized controlled trial evaluating the initial efficacy of a couples-based intervention aimed at teaching skills for coping with stress and improving relationship skills in a sample of 173 ethnically diverse low-income co-resident mothers and fathers who were raising at least one child together. Couples were randomly assigned to one of three interventions or to an assessment-only contr…
Retention of child welfare workers
High annual turnover rates that plague child welfare agencies are costly and disrupt services. Numerous studies have focused on aspects of the workplace and the characteristics of child welfare workers that may be associated with leaving. Fewer studies have explored the types of worker supports that agencies can offer to encourage retention. This two-study paper utilized data from public child welfare caseworkers to examine predictors of self-rep…
Expanding our understanding of the role of peer support in child welfare workforce retention
Turnover is problematic for child welfare agencies and clients. To better understand the role of peer support in retention among caseworkers, this study explored whether staff perceive distinct types of peer support (operational and social-emotional) and examined the extent to which peer support differs by demographic and organizational factors in predicting intent to stay. Results from 1,703 caseworkers indicated that they perceive both types of…
Measuring organizational health in child welfare agencies
Preliminary Efficacy of an Intervention to Reduce Psychosocial Stress and Improve Coping in Low-Income Families
This article reports pre-post intervention results from a randomized controlled trial evaluating the initial efficacy of a couples-based intervention aimed at teaching skills for coping with stress and improving relationship skills in a sample of 173 ethnically diverse low-income co-resident mothers and fathers who were raising at least one child together. Couples were randomly assigned to one of three interventions or to an assessment-only contr…
Workforce development strategies
Calls for transformational systems change that lead to improved outcomes for children in child welfare can only be answered by preparing an effective workforce and building an agency climate that is ready for change. The National Child Welfare Workforce Institute developed a comprehensive model for public, private, and tribal child welfare agencies to improve the health of their workforce. This paper describes the application of the model in one …
Everyday Workplace Discrimination
Objective: Workplace discrimination takes many different forms, with staff members who identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) more likely to be targeted and to experience negative well-being consequences. Worker well-being is crucial in human services fields where professionals interact with diverse individuals and family-serving systems. This study examined the experiences of everyday workplace discrimination among child welf…
Measuring the impact of public perceptions on child welfare workers
The Public Perceptions of Child Welfare Scale measures how the social environment influences child welfare workers, including their job satisfaction and intent to leave. Psychometric studies have validated the scale for private child welfare workers, but there are no validation studies with public agency staff. This study fills that gap, showing stigma and respect are important constructs that also predict worker intent to leave. This research fo…
Developing adaptive change leaders in child welfare
This is a time in the field of child welfare when extraordinary family challenges and dramatic changes in policy and funding impose intense pressure for evolution in child welfare agency policy and practice. Skilled leaders are needed to guide this evolution. Yet many managers in child welfare arrive at their positions with little or no training in leadership or management, particularly the type required for this unique and demanding sector of hu…
Exploring the Role of Ethnic Identity in Family Functioning Among Low-Income Parents
The majority of research on ethnic identity (EI) has highlighted its role in mitigating risks associated with racial discrimination; however, discrimination is only one of many stressors that ethnic minority individuals face. The current study examined the relationships between EI, emotional distress, and the parent–child relationship among ethnically diverse, low-income parents. Results indicated significant associations between EI and emotional…
Preliminary Efficacy of an Intervention to Reduce Psychosocial Stress and Improve Coping in Low-Income Families
This article reports pre-post intervention results from a randomized controlled trial evaluating the initial efficacy of a couples-based intervention aimed at teaching skills for coping with stress and improving relationship skills in a sample of 173 ethnically diverse low-income co-resident mothers and fathers who were raising at least one child together. Couples were randomly assigned to one of three interventions or to an assessment-only contr…
Exploring the Role of Ethnic Identity in Family Functioning Among Low-Income Parents
The majority of research on ethnic identity (EI) has highlighted its role in mitigating risks associated with racial discrimination; however, discrimination is only one of many stressors that ethnic minority individuals face. The current study examined the relationships between EI, emotional distress, and the parent–child relationship among ethnically diverse, low-income parents. Results indicated significant associations between EI and emotional…
Measuring organizational health in child welfare agencies
Examining internal and external job resources in child welfare
Measuring the impact of public perceptions on child welfare workers
The Public Perceptions of Child Welfare Scale measures how the social environment influences child welfare workers, including their job satisfaction and intent to leave. Psychometric studies have validated the scale for private child welfare workers, but there are no validation studies with public agency staff. This study fills that gap, showing stigma and respect are important constructs that also predict worker intent to leave. This research fo…
Developing adaptive change leaders in child welfare
This is a time in the field of child welfare when extraordinary family challenges and dramatic changes in policy and funding impose intense pressure for evolution in child welfare agency policy and practice. Skilled leaders are needed to guide this evolution. Yet many managers in child welfare arrive at their positions with little or no training in leadership or management, particularly the type required for this unique and demanding sector of hu…
The views of many
The stressful and ever-changing work of child welfare requires skilled and adaptable leaders, though formal preparation and feedback related to that role is rare. This study explored the feasibility and acceptability of a 360° assessment and feedback process as a component of leadership training for 154 child welfare managers in eight states. Results indicated that prior to receiving feedback and attending training, managers demonstrated strong f…
Retention of child welfare workers
High annual turnover rates that plague child welfare agencies are costly and disrupt services. Numerous studies have focused on aspects of the workplace and the characteristics of child welfare workers that may be associated with leaving. Fewer studies have explored the types of worker supports that agencies can offer to encourage retention. This two-study paper utilized data from public child welfare caseworkers to examine predictors of self-rep…
Expanding our understanding of the role of peer support in child welfare workforce retention
Turnover is problematic for child welfare agencies and clients. To better understand the role of peer support in retention among caseworkers, this study explored whether staff perceive distinct types of peer support (operational and social-emotional) and examined the extent to which peer support differs by demographic and organizational factors in predicting intent to stay. Results from 1,703 caseworkers indicated that they perceive both types of…
Workforce development strategies
Calls for transformational systems change that lead to improved outcomes for children in child welfare can only be answered by preparing an effective workforce and building an agency climate that is ready for change. The National Child Welfare Workforce Institute developed a comprehensive model for public, private, and tribal child welfare agencies to improve the health of their workforce. This paper describes the application of the model in one …
Everyday Workplace Discrimination
Objective: Workplace discrimination takes many different forms, with staff members who identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) more likely to be targeted and to experience negative well-being consequences. Worker well-being is crucial in human services fields where professionals interact with diverse individuals and family-serving systems. This study examined the experiences of everyday workplace discrimination among child welf…
Research Note—Online SBIRT Training for On-Campus, Satellite Campus, and Online MSW Students
Social workers are in an ideal position to address the need for increased access to screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) for substance use disorder. This pre–post study explores the effects of SBIRT education and training among social work students from three campus environments (traditional, online, and satellite). Results demonstrated that participation in online training was related to increased levels of confidence…
Testing psychometric properties of a revised version of the comprehensive organizational health assessment for child welfare and human services agencies
Psychology (11 works) · Welfare (10 works) · Social Work Education and Practice (9 works) · Political science (8 works) · Business (6 works) · Homelessness and Social Issues (6 works) · Economics (5 works) · Medicine (5 works) · Nursing (5 works) · Social Psychology (5 works)