STRIVING FOR BALANCE, INCLUSION, AND ACCEPTANCE OF YUKON SOCIAL ASSISTANCE RECIPIENTS

By

CYNTHIA ELIZABETH DENSMORE

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of

the requirements for the degree of

MASTER OF ARTS

In

LEADERSHIP

We accept this thesis as conforming

to the required standard

Tim Brady, BSW, Project Sponsor,

Jo Volek, MA, Faculty Project Supervisor

P. Gerry Nixon, PhD, Committee Chair

ROYAL ROADS UNIVERSITY

January, 2009

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ABSTRACT

Welfare is the most contentious social welfare program there is. As a result

recipients realize many non-financial challenges when utilizing Canada's social safety

net. This study identifies the stresses, stigmas, attitudes, and perceptions connected to

receiving welfare. Additionally, the research reviews human systems and establishes how

society is interconnected, demonstrating how attitudes begin with ourselves and influence

those we are connected to, thus shaping mind sets and the way people think. An overview

of the history of welfare in Canada reveals how stresses and attitudes towards poor people have not shifted significantly over the past century and continues to impact

perceptions of the poor today. This study examines ways of empowering welfare recipients through educating society with relevant facts and also examines ways of

dispelling welfare myths by asking the action-based research question "How can Adult

Services Unit be involved in recreating what it means to access social assistance?" Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients iii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

There have been so many people that have been instrumental in rallying me through this

achievement. Big or small, you helped me through it all....

To my husband Peter, who encouraged me through the entire process and who tolerated

my "mental moments". Thank you for being there for me.

To my wonderful and amazing children, Shane and Kelsey, I hope you get the message— you're never too old to go to school!

To Tim, my project sponsor, who had keen ideas and who took a genuine interest

throughout the span of my project. Thanks Tim!

To my mom and Mike, for reading my papers and thinking my writing was flawless!

To my sisters, Joelle, Shari, and Stephanie; if I can do it so can you!

To my friends and colleagues at Adult Services Unit, thanks for listening to me over the past few years and thanks for being a part of my learning.

To Jo, my project supervisor, what can I say.. .Thank you sooo much for working with me! Without your encouragement, support, and kind words this project would have been much more difficult to achieve.

To Shanaya, my editor.... you rock!

To the memory of my Dad, I know he would be proud. Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients iv

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Abstract ii

Acknowledgements iii

List of Tables vii

Chapter One: Focus and Framing 1 Introduction .....1 The Opportunity 2 Significance of the Opportunity 4 System Analysis of the Opportunity 6 Organizational Context 8 Chapter Two: Review of the Literature 12 Introduction 12 The History of Welfare 12 The Canadian Way 15 Current Treatment of Welfare Recipients 18 Summary 19 Societal Attitudes and Influence of the Welfare System 19 Need: A Definition 22 Deserving versus Undeserving 25 Summary 26 Welfare Dependency and Thoughts About Workfare 27 Welfare and Dependency 27 Welfare and Workfare 33 Summary 35

Chapter Three: Conduct of Research 37 Research Approach 37 Project Participants 39 Research Methods 42 Data Collection Tools 42 Focus Groups 42 Face-to-Face Interviews 43 Objective of Data Collection 45 Study Conduct 45 Developing Questions 47 Reliability and Validity 49 Data Analysis 50 Ethical Issues 52 Respect for Human Dignity , 53 Respect for Free and Informed Consent 53 Respect for Vulnerable People 53 Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients v

Respect for Privacy and Confidentiality 54 Respect for Justice and Inclusiveness 54 Balancing Harms and Benefits 54 Minimizing Harm 55 Maximizing Benefits 55

Chapter Four: Action Research Project Results and Conclusions 56 Introduction 56 Study Findings 56 Finding One: Staff Recognizes that Attitudes, Perceptions, and Stereotypes of Welfare Recipients and Welfare Workers are an Issue in Yukon 57 General Societal Perceptions, Attitudes, and Stigmas about Welfare 57 Image of Welfare Workers and Adult Services Unit 59 Finding Two: Community Organizations, Services, and Members Play an Important Role in Changing Perceptions of Welfare 60 Accountability to the Public 60 Community Involvement 61 Finding Three: Staff See the Need to Educate the Public about Welfare Through Various Creative Outlets 63 Public Campaign 63 Educating Professionals in the Helping Sector and the General Public 64 Brochures, Pamphlets, and Website Development 66 Finding Four: Staff Recognizes the Importance of Ongoing Training and Personal Development to Ensure High Quality Work at Adult Services Unit 67 Training for Novice Staff, Experienced Staff, and Staff Development 67 Staff Attitudes 68 Finding Five: Staff Engagement is Important to the Staff of the Adult Services Unit 70 Finding Six: Administration of Social Assistance Needs to be Efficient and Caring 71 Intake Process 71 Administration 72 Study Conclusions 74 Conclusion One: Stigmas of Welfare are Evident in Yukon 75 Conclusion Two: A Social Marketing Campaign is Vital to Changing the Stereotypes Tied to Welfare 78 Conclusion Three: Staff Development and Training is Important to Keeping Staff Interested and Current with Their Work 79 Conclusion Four: Innovative Ideas and Effective Administration of Social Assistance is key to Reducing Non-Financial Stresses Linked to Welfare 83 Policy 83 Technology and Bureaucracy 84 Communication 85 Scope and Limitations of the Research 86 Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients vi

Chapter Five: Research Implications 88 Study Recommendations 88 Recommendation One: Implement a Social Marketing Campaign 88 Recommendation Three: Implementation of a Formalized Mentorship or Coaching Program 95 Recommendation Four: Build Strong Relationships through Communication Enrichment 97 Organizational Implications 100 Promoting Change through Social Marketing 100 Connecting to Work through the Vision, Values, and Code of Ethics of the Agency 102 Strategic Training through Mentoring at Adult Services Unit 105 Workplace Engagement through Communication 108 Future Research Ill

Chapter Six: Lessons Learned 113 Communicate, Communicate, and Communicate! 113 Plan the Work and Work the Plan 114 Life Happens 115 Test Questions 115 Writing Right?! 116 Finding a Super Supervisor 117 Insight: Can your Passion for your Project also be your Bias? 117 Final Thoughts 118

References 119

Appendix A: Invitation Distributed to all Participants via E-mail 123

Appendix B: Research Informed Consent Form 124

Appendix C: Informed Consent Form for Face-to-Face Interviews 125

Appendix D: Focus Group and Interview Questions 126 Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients vii

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1. Participant Responses Regarding General Societal Perceptions, Attitudes, and Stigmas about Welfare 58

Table 2. Participant Responses Regarding Accountability to the Public 61

Table 3. Participant Responses Regarding Community Involvement 62

Table 4. Adult Services Unit Staff Participant Responses Regarding Public Campaigns 64 Table 5. Adult Services Unit Staff Participant Responses Regarding Educating Other Professionals and the General Public 65

Table 6. Adult Services Unit Staff Participant Responses Regarding Brochures, Pamphlets, and Website Development 66

Table 7. Participant Responses Regarding Training and Staff Development 68

Table 8. Participant Responses Regarding Staff Attitudes 69

Table 9. Participant Responses Regarding Staff Engagement 70

Table 10. Participant Responses Regarding the Intake Process • 72

Table 11. Participant Responses Regarding Administration 73 Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 1

CHAPTER ONE: FOCUS AND FRAMING

Introduction

Social Work has been an interest of mine since my teenage years. In the

beginning, the idea of helping people was first and forefront; however, as I matured and

became educated, teaching people to help themselves became more important to me and

to me, a fundamental concept of empowering people. As a teenager I remember seeing

children being picked on for things that were out of their control, mainly for being poor.

These children did not belong in groups; they were taunted and ridiculed daily and relied

solely on the comfort and support of their families. I remember wanting to reach out and help these children, to intervene and stop the bullying. I wanted them to know that I cared, but I felt powerless, and I did not want to be on the receiving end of the

intimidation. Thus, I stood by the sidelines and quietly watched the mistreatment of children and youth by friends of mine.

At present, I work in a Social Services Agency called Adult Services Unit, which provides services to adults and families. Our main service is financial assistance (i.e., welfare), but we also make referrals to other agencies, offer basic counselling, and provide employment and training services. People who access our services come from various backgrounds; I have met doctors, refugees, people with disabilities, people with mental health issues, drug addicts, newly divorced, newly widowed, and so on. Many of these people are victims of circumstance; many more are entrenched and addicted.

However, no matter the situation, many of these people have voiced feeling shame, disapproval, and embarrassment by having to access social assistance. Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 2

Considering this is the 21st century, a time of acceptance, tolerance,

acknowledgement, and liberalism, there should be no shame or disgrace attached to the

need for people accessing social safety networks that are available to all Canadians. It is

my opinion that as Canadians we should be proud that such a system exists in our

country. In the work I do as a supervisor, I feel I am now in a position where I can help

reduce the stigmas and stereotypes attached to welfare. In my belief, doing this will

reduce the anxiety and shame recipients experience when receiving social assistance. I

suppose this is more than an interest to me: it is a passion. So it is with great enthusiasm,

interest, and keenness that I embarked on a journey that led me into a world of great

unknowns.

The research question that guided me through my action research project was:

"How can Adult Services Unit be involved in recreating what it means to be on social

assistance?" Sub questions helped focus the research and included:

1. What pivotal event, information and approach may be most beneficial in

effecting this change?

2. What are the non-financial stresses and anxieties associated with receiving

social assistance? And in what ways can I be involved in reducing these

stresses and anxieties.

3. What resources, tools, processes, and educational support is required to

empower social assistance recipients?

The Opportunity

The opportunity of this project was to create positive changes to help foster win- win relationships within communities of the Yukon Territory, by helping welfare Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 3

recipients confront and navigate the stigmas and prejudices they often face. When I first

thought of this topic idea, I had hoped to involve welfare recipients as research

participants. However, as I learned more about action research, I realized that I did not

have the necessary skills, time, or resources to care for the aftermath of possible triggers

that could have harmed participants. Subsequently, I focused my research inward;

logically starting with staff was the best focal point.

It is my opinion that there is a paramount problem in which the way welfare

recipients are perceived. The general public is not sure what to think; are these people

good citizens facing difficult and challenging times, or are they bad people who cannot

and will not fit into mainstream society? The main concern, as I saw it, was that welfare

recipients were perceived by many to be lazy, crack addicts, hoboes, and so on. Though

many people who receive social assistance do have barriers and personal challenges, they

should not be judged and ridiculed by those who are self-sufficient, as this only

perpetuates the problem.

The need that drove me to pursue this project originated from the way in which I

observed welfare recipients being treated and as a result of uneducated comments I have

heard in my professional work, as well as in my personal life. Observing disrespectful treatment and hearing uneducated comments only perpetuates the problem and adds fuel

to the fire; not knowing truths appears to make it all right to be disrespectful. Common belief is that welfare recipients make their owns beds and are deserving of their misfortunes. I believe that if I can inform people of the facts and provide basic information about social assistance before opinions are formed, the opportunity for biased pre-determined judgments may be lessened. Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 4

I saw the challenge as being how I was going to facilitate the change of

perceptions and stigmas, when mind sets of many people have already been deeply

entrenched and passed along since the onset of the welfare program several decades ago.

However, it was my opinion that if I could get a positive message across and heighten

awareness of increased understanding to even a few people, the process of change would

begin, and improvements in the quality of the lives of many poor people would be set in

motion. By beginning with myself, and what I could do to eradicate the identified

stereotypes, I was hopeful that through a snowball effect, other individuals, families,

communities, provinces, countries, and eventually the wider world would feel and notice

the impact as shifts of attitudes changed for the better.

Personally, this project was a stretch for me for the reason that I was discussing a

topic area that people generally do not talk about in a positive manner. I have, and will

continue, to present my information to students in high schools and elementary schools.

During past presentations, I often sensed that there were students listening to my presentation and cringing with embarrassment for fear that someone was going find out

that their family was on welfare, and thus I wanted to back away. Then I reminded myself that these students would not be cringing if there was no shame or humiliation attached to being on welfare.

Significance of the Opportunity

I see myself as an agent of change, and through my action research project, I was adamant that I would be a significant part of reducing unnecessary stressors tied to receiving social assistance. As a leader and change agent, I saw it as my role to question and challenge assumptions and to educate people to respect and appreciate diversity. Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 5

Additionally, as a leader, I saw it as my role to encourage the change of attitudes by

demonstrating that a single thing is or could be many things, depending on how you look

at it and by how much you know about it. Judgments should not be made at first glance,

because this is the way in which uninformed opinions and attitudes are shaped.

By involving all stakeholders in Yukon communities to commit to being open by

listening, observing, and recognizing that all of us can make a difference by paying

attention to how we present ourselves and how we treat others will benefit all. I believe

that this systems philosophy is simple: we are all interconnected and play crucial roles in

the system of a worldwide web. One system through connectedness to other systems has

direct and indirect influence on others. I am reminded of Stringer's (2007) action research

concept of "look, think, act" (p. 8). This concept could simply be applied to the idea of

rather than reacting to a person's situation, simply responding to it by looking, thinking,

and acting, which would result in a more positive and respectful approach towards others.

By being aware of how we treat people and by showing respect and consideration

of the less-than-appealing situation that welfare recipients often face, feelings of shame,

disgrace, and humiliation will eventually subside, and people will feel better about themselves. It is my opinion that people with confidence can lead to more productive, healthy, and dynamic communities. This concept was supported by Stringer (2007):

"When people feel acknowledged, accepted, and treated with respect, their feelings of worth are enhanced, and the possibility that they will contribute actively to the work of the group is maximized" (p. 31).

Being able to complete this project by way of action research has provided me with the opportunity to actually work hands-on with people in order to promote and Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 6

stimulate people to change. In the words of Ernest T. Stringer (2007), I was not only able

to focus on "solutions to problems ... [but also] human development" (p. 25).

In considering the outcomes, had I not followed through with this project, my

guess would have to be that it would take much longer for attitudes to change in terms of

how social assistance clients are viewed. Additionally, there would continue to be a

hierarchy of citizens where the poor would continue to be marginalized, stigmatized, and

oppressed.

I often wonder if people realize the ramifications of their attitudes towards poor

people. I believe that, inherently, people are good, and through awareness, education, and

talking about social assistance, people may become more open and understanding to

Adult Service Unit's social assistance program and the people the program serves.

System Analysis of the Opportunity

In order to understand Adult Services Unit wholly, it is important to understand

where the organization fits in relation to the staff who work at the agency and in relation

to the individual persons, stakeholders, families, community, territory, nation, and the

wider world. Thinking about the agency, from an individual level all the way to the

global context, and studying the individual parts is essential to understanding the whole.

Robert Louis Flood (2001) suggested, "Parts are interrelated and influence each other"

(p. 133). This reminds me of one of my favourite quotes: one that helps me to pull the concept of system relationships together:

You think because you understand one you must understand two, because one and one makes two. But you must understand and. When we view systems from this perspective, we enter an entirely new landscape of connections, of phenomena that cannot be reduced to simple cause and effect, or explained by studying the parts as isolated contributors. We move into a land where it becomes critical to Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 7

sense the constant workings of dynamics processes, and then to notice these processes materialize as visible behaviors and forms. (Wheatley, 2006, p. 10)

In terms of "one ... [and] two" (Wheatley, 2006, p. 10) and understanding how

systems of people are interconnected, it is easy for me to see that, with a transformation

in attitudes and perceptions of both non-recipients and recipients, social assistance recipients will become happier and more confident people. As the self-confidence of

Adult Services Unit clients increases, the more likely it is that clients will choose to become more participative in the community. Considering this, our communities could potentially have another population of people willing to volunteer with various activities, attendance in schools may increase, leading to higher graduation rates, which would mean higher post-secondary or career/technical training, which will lead to further human resource capital, thus, taking the pressure off of the many employment vacancies resulting from a rapidly-retiring workforce. Additionally, there could possibly be reduced numbers in crime rates and violence and less drug and alcohol use. I recognize that I am thinking big and this concept might take several generations to achieve, but in reality, many of these issues are closely related and interconnected, thus "one ... [and] two"

(Wheatley, 2006, p. 10) parts of systems that make communities whole.

Consider Adult Services Unit and the opportunity for the agency to be involved in reducing the stresses and anxieties associated with receiving social assistance. My project could be involved in shaping the wider world in terms of self, relationships, families, organizations, communities, and the wider world. Regarding this extent, it is important for me and other staff to recognize the role that we all play when it comes to how we treat social assistance recipients. From the moment an applicant walks through the front door, they should be treated with dignity and respect. Treating clients with Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 8

dignity and respect will contribute to their confidence and self-worth as citizens. As

Adult Services Unit staff, we need to recognize that our work is not done in isolation and

that we are not just doing a job; we are in reality forming positive impressions which

need to be felt individually and transferred to each other. From here, we are creating our

organizations, homes, communities, and so on; everything is interconnected in an endless

cycle that begins with self.

Organizational Context

Adult Services Unit is a branch of Health and Social Services, of Yukon

Territorial Government. Within the framework of Adult Services Unit there are five

programs including: Employment and Training Services, Supported Independent Living

Services, Services to Persons with Disabilities, Social Assistance, and Residential

Support Services. The entirety of these services is offered in all of the 12 Yukon regional

communities and supervised through the Whitehorse office. For the purpose of this paper,

I have focused on the Social Assistance program only; it is one of the main programs that

I supervise in Whitehorse and the communities.

The mission statement and the purpose of the Social Assistance Program (Social

Services Branch, Adult Services Unit of Health and Social Services [Social Services

Branch], 1996) detail the way in which the program is administered and guides the way in which staff, as professionals, must present themselves and how they must conduct business. The Adult Services Unit mission statement states:

as part of the broader income security system in Canada (social assistance) must be payer of last resort and should be accessed only when all other resources available have been pursued and exhausted; reflects the Yukon Government's social responsibility to ensure that the basic needs of its citizens are met; must be accessible and be provided in a professional manner that is simple, Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 9

straight forward and easily understood by the applicant and which respects the dignity and self-worth of the individual; should be based on the principles of responsible public sector management which emphasize accountability, effectiveness and efficiency within the financial capacity of Yukon Government. (Social Services Branch, 1996, p. A.3)1

The purpose of the social assistance program is to:

help people achieve self-sufficiency, provide adequate assistance to meet the basic needs of those in need, and provide responsive and caring services while respecting the dignity of individuals, (p. A.3)

In addition to these guiding principals, many of the 40 (+) staff of Adult Services

Unit are social workers who are bound by the Social Workers Code of Ethics (British

Columbia Association of Social Workers, 1999); this is one more source that dictates

professional and appropriate client/worker conduct. In terms of my project, keeping

"Confidential Information" (p. 7) safe and secure and respecting "the intrinsic worth of

persons I serve" (p. 4) was first and foremost in regards to ethical considerations.

The mission of the Social Services Branch as stated in a PowerPoint presentation

called "Shared Vision: Together to Make a Difference" (Yukon Government, 2006) as a

whole is

To assist disadvantaged Yukoners to live as safely and independently as possible ... [because] Our clients are people who in one manner or another have been marginalized, left without a voice, isolated and may well have the sense that things may never get better, (pp. 7-8)

To help achieve this mission and what the department wants to do for the public is:

Change perceptions / stereotypical images of our clients, and Have them recognize and value the work of our staff, (p. 10)

' From Policy and Procedures Manual (p. A.3) by Yukon Territorial Government, 1996, Whitehorse, YT, Canada: Author. Copyright 1996 Yukon Territorial Government. Reprinted with permission. Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 10

Considering that the idea for my project was woven into the mission statement of

the Social Services Branch (Yukon Government, 2006), a picture was painted that

illustrated how management recognized the importance of moving forward with this task.

With management being open minded and insightful, I was able to proceed in a direction

that created a learning opportunity for me, as well as co-workers and stakeholders, as we

worked as a team towards the ultimate goal of dispelling myths and uncovering truths

about welfare.

Adult Services Unit has several levels of leadership. At the top level is the

Director (also the Director of Alcohol and Drug Services and Seniors Services), and

below the Director is the Manager. Below the Manager is myself (Supervisor of

Employment and Training Services, Social Assistance, in Whitehorse and the

communities), and parallel to me is another supervisor who supervises Services to

Persons with Disabilities and the Supported Independent Living Program. Below myself,

there are two Senior Case Managers, whom I supervise, who in turn are responsible for

supervising the front line social workers. The Adult Services Unit also has six staff who

are responsible for reception and the financial administration of the agency.

On average, the monthly payout to the 575 financial social assistance cases is approximately $700,000. Of these cases, almost half of the adults are unemployable due to prolonged (one year or greater) and severe disabilities. Demographics of the remaining population vary from the single employable to families, single-parent families, the elderly, and youth. Funding for the social assistance program is advanced to Yukon

Territorial Government on a yearly basis through Federal transfer payments (Department Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 11 of Finance Canada, 2008). This payment is based on a proposed budget that is submitted prior to year-end.

Adult Services Unit is guided by a 170-page policy and procedures manual

(Social Services Branch, 1996) that provides guidelines as to how to administer the law through the Social Assistance Act (2002). The policy manual is divided into 10 sections that provide information and is available to all. The information ranges from the legal, such as Regulation and Act, to determining eligibility and method of payment. The last section of the policy manual includes an alphabetical subject index and a copy of all forms that are utilized. This quick reference not only helps the user locate a policy quickly, but also provides the worker with a snapshot of all the policies, which helps with creativity when dealing with unique or difficult client situations. Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 12

CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

Introduction

The goal of this literature review is to provide the reader with ample information

about welfare in order to persuade and influence present day attitudes and perceptions of poor people. The idea is to paint a more positive picture, which in turn will eventually create better perceptions of welfare recipients. The basis and foundation of this literature review stems from the action based research question: How can Adult Services Unit be involved in recreating what it means to access social assistance?

In this chapter, I begin with an overview of the premise and history of welfare in

England and France, and I demonstrate how historical attitudes from these countries have influenced present-day perceptions of poor people in modern-day Canada. I have also provided the reader with information regarding how need is defined in relation to welfare and also describes how Canadian society indirectly labels and identifies deserving recipients from the undeserving recipients of social assistance. In the final section of this chapter, I have reviewed ideas about the concept of recipients becoming reliant and dependent on welfare and is followed by an examination of the concept of workfare: government subsidized work placements created specifically for welfare recipients.

The History of Welfare

There are many non-financial anxieties, pressures, and stresses associated with accessing and receiving social assistance. To fully understand what these challenges entail, it is important to take a look at perceptions over time to demonstrate how there has been little movement in the shift of attitudes towards recipients of relief and to show how these attitudes have been carried forward to affect present day perceptions. I will begin Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 13 with a historical overview of attitudes, perceptions, stigmas, and stereotypes of social assistance recipients to solidify the importance of recreating what it means to receive

social assistance and to show how and where the present-day meanings of welfare originated.

In the Middle Ages, for reasons such as war, famines, crop failures, and the breakdown of the feudal system, there came to be an increased number of people in need.

Churches and families were not able to meet the growing necessities of the poor, and as a result, many people were forced into begging (Zastrow, 1986, p. 17). In an attempt to address this social problem, England passed several poor laws between the mid-1300s and the mid-1800s. The most significant of these laws being the Elizabethan Poor Laws of 1601 (as cited in Chappell, 1997), which were revised several times, and then finally completed and passed by Elizabeth I (p. 61).

The Poor Laws (as cited in Chappell, 1997) were promoted to the public as the state's attempt to address widespread poverty in England. However, in reality, they were designed to stop the commoners from begging and wandering about, activities the ruling class found annoying (p. 61). The fundamental provisions of the Poor Laws influences our current approaches to public assistance and social legislation (Zastrow, 1986, p. 17).

In fact, as Armitage (1996) noted, "Restricting benefits below the level of the lowest-paid independent worker" (p. 44), a principal of the British Poor Law of 1834, survived as a central feature of social welfare administration until the twentieth century (p. 44); demonstrating that, until recent time, laws from the 1800s were carried over to influence social welfare laws as current as the year 2000. These laws undoubtedly contribute to the approach in which much of society views social assistance recipients today and is a solid Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 14

reason for rethinking and redefining what it means for impoverished people to access

social assistance.

The organization of social assistance can be traced back to late 16th century

England and France (Morel, 2002, p. 20). As such, poverty has been a reality for many years. In considering the history of poverty, one might assume that tolerance and acceptance of the less fortunate would have to be more prevalent. However, the opposite is true. Generally society does not accept the notion of people having to access welfare, and non-social assistance recipients point blame and fault in the direction of the recipient for making their own beds. Considering that stigmas, perceptions, and attitudes towards the poor have survived the centuries with little opportunity for change, it is my opinion that it is time to redefine what it means to access social assistance.

Historically, the work of charity was the matter of churches and religious orders, whose teachings extolled the virtue of compassion towards the poor, while at the same time proclaiming that poverty was divine punishment for earthly sins (Carniol, 1995, p. 18). English law in 1531 dictated that the

idle poor, ruffles, sturdy vagabonds and valiant beggars [was] to be tied to the end of a cart naked and beaten with whips throughout the same market-town or other place til his body be bloody by reason of such whipping, (p. 18)

Over time, English law softened and instead of being beaten and mutilated, the unemployed, also referred to as the able-bodied, were imprisoned and forced to work in jail-like institutions called houses of correction (Carniol, 1995, p. 95). Though physical mistreatment of poor people is not condoned and is illegal in the social welfare system today, poor people are vulnerable in our society and they often experience the physical repercussions as a result of where they can afford to live and how and where they interact in society. A further consideration is that some indigent people make poor life choices, Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 15

which increases the likelihood of use of alcohol, drugs, and other illegal activity.

Additionally, through my experience working with impoverished people, it is common

knowledge that many are targets of assault and feel the physical ramifications of being

poor by being disenfranchised and excluded from mainstream society as a result of the

way that they are perceived.

Negative attitudes, perceptions, stereotypes, and stigmas of poor people have been

entrenched in society for centuries. Written and unwritten laws have made it the norm to

treat poor people badly. According to Morel's (2002) report, The Insertion Model or the

Workfare Model? The Transformation of Social Assistance, published by the Status of

Women, being poor was associated with wrongful conduct and considered a disease that

must be treated with discipline and repression (p. 20). Furthermore, an example had to be

made of the dependent poor, to deter others from asking for assistance. Those who were

not expected to work, the old and the unwell, were treated harshly in asylums or through

systems of outdoor relief (Shragge, 1997, p. 22). It is no wonder that society still holds tight to mind-sets that have been around for many years. The severity of ideas

surrounding poor people has been accepted and approved of for so long that it has become the norm, where stereotyping and stigmatizing poor people is considered the right thing to do. Subsequently, the focus of this action research project is to change this norm by working towards recreating what it means to access social assistance.

The Canadian Way

A review of early events in Canada reveals that these attitudes and treatment towards the poor were not restricted to Britain and Europe. The traditional leader in the field of social welfare in Canada was the church; the Catholic Church, in particular, Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 16

pioneered in the territories that were to become Canada. In the mid-eighteenth century,

humanitarian groups in Quebec established centres of relief for the worthy poor. In

Atlantic Canada, the British philosophy was strongly felt, and in 1763, the government of

Nova Scotia adopted the English Poor Laws, which encouraged the development of

institutions such as workhouses and orphanages (Turner & Turner, 1995). Workhouses in

Nova Scotia dealt out whippings, shackling, starvation, and other such punishment to

correct the behaviour of reluctant or vagrant inmates (p. 78). Considering the influence

that the Catholic Church had on many citizens, it is understandable how the general

population would be induced into believing the message of the church.

Atlantic Canada, being swayed by the British, also adopted harsh coping methods

to show their low tolerance for the poor (Turner & Turner, 1995, p. 78). The challenge

today is to recreate the image of poor people by getting the message to society that being respectful and tolerant of all people, including the poor, makes for stronger more unified

communities.

When government social welfare programs began to appear in Upper Canada, the goal was to protect society from undesirables, such as criminals, delinquents, the poor,

and the mentally ill. The purpose was to emphasize through negative and punitive measures the responsibility of individuals for their own circumstances and welfare

(Turner & Turner, 1995, p. 79). The repercussions of these actions are still felt and, in many cases, are the root cause for the stigmas, perceptions, and attitudes directed towards the poor today. It is through this study that the effect of change can begin to create an environment of mutual respect, acceptance, and inclusion of marginalized peoples. Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 17

Canadian history has demonstrated that the Canadian government has put little

effort into recognizing the needs of poor people. In 1867, the British North American Act

(as cited in Turner & Turner, 1995) assigned the responsibility for welfare to the

provincial governments. The provincial governments did little except operate jails and

insane asylums and made no reference to income security (p. 79). Relief for the jobless

continued through the 1930s, when the federal government introduced, year-by-year,

temporary measures for assisting the unemployed. In April 1933, about 14.9% of the

Canadian population was on social assistance (Morel, 2002, p. 21), yet it was felt that

aiding the able-bodied poor led to poverty and social unrest (p. 21). Subsequently,

historians have shown that regardless of what level of government was responsible for

the poor, the poor were not a priority and not readily acknowledged as a result of fear of

social unrest due to perceptions of their circumstances. In fact, politicians were not shy

about voicing their opinions towards poor people. In a parliamentary debate in 1935, one

member of parliament suggested that having a program such as unemployment assistance—a similar program to welfare at the time—would have disastrous effects on the able-bodied poor:

The effect of our whole so called social legislation is to debase the social spirit of our people, to create a fast growing class of beggars, loafers and crooked men, who expect the state to give them a living and who are endeavoring to avoid any individual or collective effort to help save their situation. (Morel, 2002, p. 21)

The consensus was that people had an obligation to earn relief through work (Morel,

2002, p. 21). These thoughts are still present in current society and only add to the non- financial stresses and anxieties associated with accessing social assistance. Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 18

Current Treatment of Welfare Recipients

Over the past several decades, there has been a minor shift in the way welfare

recipients are outwardly treated. For example, poor people are no longer jailed for being

poor and having to access forms of relief. However, attitudes and perceptions have not

shifted significantly and the poor are still marginalized, considered second-class citizens,

and thought to be a burden on Canada's social safety net. The fact of the matter is, it has

become commonplace for people in need to desperately try to avoid getting into the

welfare system in the first place (Carniol, 1995, p. 92). Part of this is a matter of personal

pride and a sense of work ethic stemming from the belief that everyone has a

responsibility and opportunities to make it on their own (p. 92). Even if there is no work,

the attitude is that there must be an appearance that those receiving welfare are doing

something useful to qualify (Shragge, 1997, p. 20).

People feeling like they have to make it on their own and need to be doing

something useful in order to qualify only adds to the stress of applying for social assistance (Shragge, 1997, p. 20). Often people feel that they do not deserve to access

social assistance; they feel like a burden and quite often will suffer rather than apply for social assistance. As a result of delaying application, direct implications related to risk of health and safety becomes increased, as people try and manage for as long as they can before accessing social assistance. Through this study, which involved social marketing,

Adult Services Unit attempted to develop a message that will recreate what it means to receive social assistance in an effort to educate the public about the truths of welfare.

Ultimately, this will relieve the non-financial challenges of application, thus making it more acceptable to utilize assistance. Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 19

Summary

There are many non-financial stresses, anxieties, and challenges associated with

accessing social assistance. Through this literature review, it has been demonstrated that

these challenges, stresses, and pressures originate from historical laws, attitudes,

perceptions, and stigmas that have been brought forward from as early as the 1600s and

continue to impact and influence attitudes and perceptions of present day poor people.

Through this action research project, the aim is to dispel many of the myths and perceptions of welfare recipients and leave in place a more accurate picture of the

millions of Canadians who rely on welfare as a last resort. This project, therefore, can recreate what it means to access social assistance and ultimately leading to environments that are more inclusive, tolerant, and respectful of all community members.

Societal Attitudes and Influence of the Welfare System

In this section, I have examined the ways in which the need of poor people is defined. This paper will further review the way general society stigmatizes welfare recipients by deeming some deserving and others undeserving of assistance. By gaining a deeper understanding of how these terms are defined by Western society, and by examining how inconsistencies and differing views and attitudes about the need for and extent of welfare systems are determined, we will gain a better idea of how these approaches have contributed to the anxieties and fears that applicants are presently faced with as they consider enrolment with a welfare program.

Social welfare is a world of many ideas and activities concerned with helping people. It is a world in which the meaning of help is continually being scrutinized, discussed, challenged, and revised. It is a world of political struggle and struggle about Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 20

ideas. Who should be helped? Who should pay for the help? What should governments

do (Handel, 1982, p. xvii)? There has been a full range of public attitudes concerning

social welfare, from commitment to doubt and uncertainty, retrenchment, and re­

examination. Resources have been expanded, then cut back, and today remain restrained

(Armitage, 1991, p. 7). In fact, there is often a game of tug-of-war as policy-makers

decide which needs should be left to the resources of the needy, such as their families,

and which should be handled by governments (Chappell, 1997, p. 15). Chappell

suggested that these decisions are largely influenced by current values and beliefs of

society:

Predominant cultural beliefs and attitudes, economic pressures and resources, the political mood of the country, (and) the agendas of various important individuals and groups and other factors (influence welfare systems). Social values play a particularly important role in the unmet human needs and in the determination of what constitutes an "optimal level of social functioning" in any society, (p. 16)

As we can see, public welfare exists in a complex social, economic, and political context. What happens outside the agency often affects the agency's internal operations.

In fact, almost any significant national or international event will have some impact on welfare administration (Horejsi, Walz, & Connolly, 1977, p. 49).

Considering the inconsistencies in the messages received by this fluctuation of thoughts and ideas, it is no wonder that the general public has mixed feelings about welfare recipients and that recipients feel anxious and uneasy about accessing the services. It is my hope that by acknowledging and recognizing this roller coaster of inconsistencies, bureaucracies will recognize the need to recreate what it means to access welfare by standardizing rules despite social moral beliefs.

One of the curiosities of modern time is that, in the Western world, the word welfare has come to stand for something that is universally disliked. The Oxford English Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 21

Dictionary (as cited in Handel, 1982) defines and provides historical information about

words and gives the first citation of welfare as being from the year 1303. At that time, the

word meant "State or condition of doing or being well; good fortune, happiness, or well-

being; thriving or successful progress in life" (p. 3). Today when we hear about

government providing welfare, the association is tied tightly to stigma. Chappell (1997)

stated, "People who use social welfare programs (such as social assistance) are often

regarded by others not merely as poor but as different in other ways from 'regular

people'" (p. 62). Chappell continued by noting that the common view is that people are in

need because of their individual character defects and personal failures such as laziness,

lack of self-discipline and poor life choices (p. 62).

However, as Abraham Maslow (as cited in Chappell, 1997) described in his hierarchy of needs, it is necessary for people to meet their basic needs of food and shelter before trying to meet the higher order of needs related to social interaction, self-esteem, and self-actualization (p. 15); but who is it that determines what a person needs to survive to meet their full potential? If a person is spending all of their energy on getting through day-to-day frustrations of limited or no income, how can that person be expected to self- actualize and fully contribute to society? Furthermore, considering welfare rates are generally structured to ensure that they do not act as a disincentive to work (FPT

Directors of Income Support, 2007, p. 14), and kept extremely low, further barriers are created—such as transportation—limiting engagement with society.

So, the cycle begins; needs are kept at a minimum to ensure recipients look for a better way of life through employment, and, because welfare rates are kept low, life is maximized by the day-to-day struggles of survival. However, through activities such as Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 22

this research project, it is my hope that recognition of this cycle will be affirmed and

continued efforts to make changes will come forward. This brings us to the concept of

need and the determinations that are used to justify the low rates of social assistance.

Need: A Definition

Rosalie Chappell (1997) quoted a definition of need from the Social Planning

Council of Winnipeg as being, "Environmental conditions or behaviors which are at odds

with what we want them to be. They are statements of human problems, of gaps or

discrepancies between what is and what should be" (p. 14). Given the vast variety of

needs that we have become accustomed to in Canadian society, whether it is financial,

daycare, pensions, or health care, we are all prone to social welfare need at some point in

our lives. As Turner and Turner (1995) eloquently declared,

Every citizen of Canada is a social welfare recipient. Each one of us, at different times in our lives, is the direct beneficiary of one or more programs that are a part of the complex structure of Canadian social services, (p. 2)

Need is implied in any conception of social welfare (Handel, 1982, p. 9); it is

central in thought and in everyday life (Armitage, 1991, p. 37). Individuals without food and water can be said to be in need, as people require nourishment in order to survive.

However, who is it that dictates what exactly that nourishment should include? For example, bread and water will enable a person to survive for a period of time, but at least in Western society, giving someone bread and water is not regarded as meeting a person's needs, but rather is viewed as a form of punishment (Handel, 1982, p. 9).

Providing scraps of food to people was once considered an adequate contribution to their well-being, but today, in Western society, this is considered to be unhygienic and unappealing (Handel, 1982, p. 9). Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 23

A need, then, can be defined in relation to a social standard (Handel, 1982, p. 9).

In fact, society is active in the process of setting boundaries as to what constitutes need.

In the early stages of the development of social welfare institutions, boundaries were tight

and those considered needy were limited to particular demographic groups, such as the

aged, widowed, sick, and orphaned (Armitage, 1991, p. 38). However, in the later stages,

restrictions were loosened to fit a wider range of demographics, and the definition was

expanded to incorporate a meaning not only limited to financial, but also including

programs such as daycare (p. 38). An example of present-day definition of need as

defined by Yukon Territorial Government Social Assistance Act (2002) is as follows:

[A] "person in need" means an applicant who, after the assessment of his and his dependents' needs for assistance and of their financial resources in accordance with these Regulations and Schedules annexed hereto, is found to have a budget deficit or a need for assistance or welfare services, (p. 3)

Due to the diversity of the human population, it is impossible to list all needs that could arise over a lifetime. It is also difficult to identify the specific needs to which

society and the social welfare system will respond to at any given time (Chappell, 1997, p. 14). It is important to recognize that given the complexity of our urban, industrial life, public welfare systems are essential for rich and poor alike. Every person in our tightly- knit, interdependent society is at some time or another touched in some manner by problems areas, such as relationship breakdown, mental health, unemployment, and aging—all issues which have no respect for boundaries of economic or social class

(Horejsi et al., 1977, p. 37). As we become more aware and more knowledgeable about the systemic causes of poverty, we have become more understanding to the fact that not everyone will be self-sufficient at all times. Each one of us is vulnerable and susceptible to the unknowns. Therefore, it is becoming of society to ensure that each and every one Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 24

of us can obtain protection through finances, support systems, resources, and services, if

necessary at any given time (Turner & Turner, 1995, p. 7).

So, if this is true, why is it so difficult for the general population to be objective

and empathetic towards those individuals who experience bumps and hardships in their

lives? Part of the problem of acceptance of the need for welfare derives from the fact that,

as Canadians, we live in a culture of self-sufficiency, we value independence, and believe

that "every individual has a duty to ensure their own independence by means of work, or

if necessary, by means of savings or insurance" (Morel, 2002, p. 17). However, if these

solutions are not possible, then charity towards the deserving poor is acceptable as a last resort (p. 17). It is interesting to note that Morel suggested that, in Canada, social

assistance is based not on the notion of solidarity, but rather on that of charity:

Today, as has traditionally been the case,... relief [for the deserving poor] is not a "right" but rather an "act of kindness" that they ought to accept with gratitude. Canadian society therefore values charity or what others call the principle of collective solidarity, (p. 17)

Harsh words, but on some level very true. Horejsi et al. (1977) also made the link between the perceived relationship connecting charity to social assistance:

[The application process for welfare] implies distrust of and lack of confidence in welfare recipients, still regards welfare as charity or as an instrument of social control, considers its benefits synonymous with humiliation and failure, and provides its recipients with a level of benefits that locks them into poverty, (p. 83)

All of these views have been held by different groups in the history of this country and continue to be held today (Turner & Turner, 1995, p. 5). Inherent to our country's traditions, from which our modern system of welfare exists, is a longstanding strongly moralistic belief that there are two kinds of people in need: the deserving and the undeserving (p. 6). Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 25

Deserving versus Undeserving

The deserving are those people, who through no fault of their own, but by birth,

accident, or disaster, are not able to care for themselves short-term or long-term. Since

they are considered not responsible for their circumstances, the notion here is that these people should and could access welfare, if necessary. What has never been clear is: who

makes the decisions and ground rules that apply to the criteria in determining who is

deserving and who is not (Turner & Turner, 1995, p. 6).

The undeserving are those people who, in the opinion of people of influence, are in need as a result of their own doing. The undeserving are considered to be lazy, irresponsible, and evil, and, therefore, considered undeserving of assistance (Turner &

Turner, 1995, p. 6). To help the undeserving is considered a drain on society's resources and thought to contribute to further idleness (p. 6).

However, it is not to say that the undeserving will not receive assistance, but for these applicants, welfare is meant to be short-term aid with the notion that they will move quickly to become self-sufficient. In other words, welfare is meant to be a transitional program that aims to move, push, and encourage the undeserving out and away as soon as possible. Given the attitude of a culture of self-sufficiency, clients only feel the burden and anxiety of pressure that receiving assistance is unacceptable if they are considered employable and, therefore, undeserving. The expectations around work and preparation for work are singled out and reasons for moving off social assistance are validated rather than reasons for staying on. Once again, this only reinforces the anxieties and stresses that applicants face through the process of receiving social assistance. Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 26

This raised questions for me concerning why we even offer poor people what we do if we are strained by values, perceptions, and moral beliefs? Is it worth the effort of putting poor people through the shame and humiliation of a few dollars? What about the concept of survival of the fittest? My answers to these questions came from author Gerald

Handel (1982), who compellingly suggested,

When socially organized efforts are undertaken to feed starving people, the efforts are not made merely to maintain the number of live human organisms on earth. Rather, they are undertaken because of the perception that it is worth helping people to stay alive; human life has a moral value that justifies the effort. To be human is to participate, in one way or another in society, and to feed starving people is to acknowledge that their need for food is not merely a need to remain alive but a need to continue their participation in human society. Human beings seek to survive not merely as biological organisms but as individuals who can function in the society in which they live. (p. 9)

Summary

Being able to navigate through the challenges tied to receiving social assistance requires a number of personal qualities including high self-esteem, confidence, knowledge, and skills. As Maslow's theory (as cited in Chappell, 1997) suggested, without basic needs, people cannot achieve self-actualization (p. 15). The problem, for recipients, is that welfare is based on legislation and guided by policies, practices, morals, and beliefs that set the tone for the management of the public purse. In many ways this has unintentionally incorporated an application process that is invasive, rigorous, and emphasizes the distinction between the deserving and the undeserving, and the needy from the un-needy. Undoubtedly, it takes a strong willed person to get through the system without feeling the repercussions of lowered self-esteem and diminished confidence.

In conclusion, it is with this research project that I hope to reveal and remind people of the influential biases from which our welfare system is designed. With forward Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 27

thinking and unprejudiced views, I hope to encourage the continuation of change by

working towards creating a more objective and healthy welfare system.

Welfare Dependency and Thoughts About Workfare

Welfare is not as cyclical as much of the general public would like to believe. In

fact, there is little data to support the notion that recipients become locked into a narcotic

type of relationship that traps most of its users into cycles of dependency (Bane &

Ellwood, 1994, p. 42). However, like many social issues, welfare is intertwined, but

instead of suggesting that welfare is a hopeless mass of tangled problems, the diversity of

it all should suggest that a more differentiated set of policies might be used (p. 42) to

assist people in moving off of welfare and into lifestyles more suited to their goals,

aspirations, ambitions, and functional capacities.

In this research topic, I have examined the concept of dependency and have also

explored the government's response to such threats by trying to fix people with band-aid

solutions through implementation of policy-driven programs, such as workfare:

government subsidized work placements. My intention of this objective is to exert

influence by providing information to ultimately recreate what it means for people to

access social assistance.

Welfare and Dependency

Welfare does not typically become a permanent way of life in which recipients make few efforts to escape and become reliant on for generations (Bane & Ellwood,

1994, p. 42). In fact, it is hard to understand how society could suggest that this is true when much of welfare has turned out to be nothing more than a guarantee for poverty versus that of income security (Horejsi et al., 1977, p. 28). It is conceivable, however, Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 28

that because clients are left with feelings of vulnerability and powerlessness, the drive

and strength to move forward and away from welfare is waned and diminished.

The term dependency is commonly applied to situations "in which people who

could conceivably provide for themselves fail to do so, and as a result it often has a

derogatory connotation" (Bane & Ellwood, 1994, p. 68). In the eyes of many, when the

topic of welfare arises, the subject quickly moves into "questions of motivation,

expectations, and the 'culture' of poverty" (Bane & Ellwood, 1994, p. 68). To elaborate,

Morel (2002) suggested that welfare dependency "does not merely denote a source of

income, (but) it implicitly suggests a passive, perhaps pathological dependence on

government assistance" (Morel, 2002, p. 7). The recipient is identified as someone

trapped in the vicious "cycle of social assistance, unable on their own to leave

dependency behind and return to a normal social position of self-reliance" (Morel, 2002, p. 8). However, the truth of it is that the notion of dependency really has no framework at

all (Bane & Ellwood, 1994, p. 69). Unfortunately, there are those in Canadian society

who worry about the concept and speak "of perverse values and irresponsible behavior"

(Bane & Ellwood, 1994, p. 69), or they discuss "how the inhumane structure of the welfare system robs people of their ability and willingness to gain control over their own lives." (Bane & Ellwood, 1994, p. 69). Dependency thus implies a change in values as people acquire the welfare habit (Bane & Ellwood, 1994, p. 69).

However, as Handel (1982) noted, there is a lack of solid information describing the relationship between receiving welfare, gaining control of lives, and the willingness or incentive to work:

Only gradually have research efforts been undertaken to obtain more precise information instead of relying on beliefs and prejudices. One study showed that Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 29

common beliefs about welfare recipients are erroneous. Welfare recipients were shown to have the same kinds of life aspirations and work ethic as middle-class employed people. A fundamental difference, however, was that many of the women (and men) on welfare had failed at work and lacked confidence in their ability to keep a job. (p. 320)

Of course there are people who do live off of social assistance as an alternative to

working, but according to Handel, "they appear to be only a small fraction of those who

receive public assistance" (Handel, 1982, p. 321).

Popple, Philip, and Leighninger (1998) described and distinguished the welfare

populations through a concept they refer to as the "Onion Metaphor" (p. 159), which

relates the heterogeneity of the population to layers of an onion from the outer to the

core.

The outer layer consists of recipients who receive assistance for two or fewer years. These people generally enter welfare due to a discrete and easily observable event in their lives—illness, job loss, divorce or the like. They generally have comparatively high education, ability and motivation, (p. 159)

The middle layer is made up of people who receive assistance "for two to eight

years, and are often on-and-off-again recipients. These people have limited options. They

generally have some basic skills and education" (Popple et al., 1998, p. 159). This group

of people rely heavily on a strong economy, and "when the economy is doing well,

members of the middle layer will have opportunities available to them that allow them to

escape welfare, if perhaps not poverty" (p. 159).

The core of the onion is made up of recipients who remain on assistance for eight or more years. This group faces barriers to self-sufficiency such as "drug abuse, psychological problems, health problems, abusive personal relationships etc" (Popple et al., 1998, p. 160). The inner core is made up of people with permanent disabilities and who are functionally limited (p. 160). Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 30

Given the onion metaphor as a description of the welfare populations, one might

conclude that "dependency becomes less of a worry and policies designed to move

people from welfare to work might be unnecessary" (Bane & Ellwood, 1994, p. 28).

However, if welfare lasts a very long time, then the nature and the reasons for long-term

use become important, and policy responses more complex" (p. 28).

As stated by Handel (1982), confidence and self-esteem play a big role in

achieving self-sufficiency (p. 320). As Bane and Ellwood (1994) described:

If a woman (or man) enters a welfare system, (s)he encounters additional forces that tend to diminish (his) her sense of control and self-esteem. The system pries into (his) her private life. Administrators want to know (his) her income and assets ... [and the applicant will need to return for numerous appointments] ... many may lose confidence and feel more isolated from the rest of society.... Confidence and control are in part based on the outcomes of past experiences. Those who actually have fewer and poorer choices may well have failed more often in the past and thus perform worse now. (pp. 76-77)

Armitage (1991) suggested that social welfare is an "institution of social control, necessary to maintain social stability in the face of the contradictions and inequalities of

capitalist society" (p. 255). Capitalism, with its unequal distribution of power, is viewed

"inherently as concentrating resources in the hands of the powerful and removing from the powerless" (p. 255). Thus, it is the role of the welfare worker to begin the process of enabling people by replacing feelings of powerlessness with feelings of control through empowerment.

Stuart Rees (1991), author of Achieving Power, suggested,

The group whose powerlessness is most deeply entrenched and for whom the step-by-step process of empowerment could have special relevance are those whose "problems have usually existed for a long time and (whose) life is felt to be a never ending struggle against forces largely out of their control". They include people who have had long experience of poverty, unemployment, being a single parent, or dependence on welfare benefits and whose financial difficulties have been compounded by other problems in the area of health, family, welfare and Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 31

relationships. This group have been identified by researchers and described as "defeated", "buffeted" and "passive", (p. 26)

The process of empowerment involves an improvement in people's image of themselves,

the acquisition of tangible resources such as money and shelter and the intangible

resources, such as information and supportive networks (Rees, 1991, p. 4). However,

stigma associated with welfare is often a barrier to discovering these services, and pride,

coupled with a lack of confidence and expressed with fear and anxiety, leads to

compliance, conformity, and concern of asking too many questions. Rees also observed:

When we feel powerless for any extended length of time, we tend to become more willing to accept parts of the world we would otherwise reject. We act in ways that run counter to our best visions of who we are and who we can and want to be ... if we want to change things, we first need to understand why people have come to believe that nothing can or will be different, (p. 27)

Rees (1991) continued to suggest, "Such pessimism occurs when political, social and economical constraints are internalized: objectively, people have few positive experiences; subjectively, they have adopted the view that these discouraging past experiences are their own fault" (p. 27). Handel (1982) corroborated this statement with a similar view:

The recipients of social services are ... subject to a variety of behavioral rules reflecting the agency's notions as to what is good for the recipient; the rules are administered in a seemingly informal manner highly individualistic to the particular worker that the client is dealing with; and, as a practical manner, the client has no real alternative but to submit, (p. 311)

The role of the social worker then, including those at Adult Services Unit, is to recognize the basic human dignity in a person. Instead of being a thing the welfare bureaucracy must manipulate, the client should be recognized as an individual with some input into the management of the system that affects their life and lifestyle deeply. An outgrowth of on-going client involvement with workers and the overall system should Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 32

foster the client's self-esteem and self-confidence: two areas, where, as persons, they are

often scarred deeply (Horejsi et al., 1977, p. 131). In fact, a fundamental governing

principal of social service professionals is the "belief that all humans have potential and

that this potential is best nurtured in an environmental context governed by mutuality and

respect" (Turner & Turner, 1995, p. 24).

However, as Handel (1982) put it, welfare is generally viewed as a method of

"receiving income that brings with it judgment of lesser worthiness from other members

of society who receive their income in other ways" (p. 6). Recipients often feel that they

suffer a loss of dignity and are set apart from other members of society. As noted by

Handel, recipients are the

modern day counterparts of people of earlier times who felt the loss of dignity when they became dependent upon charity or relief. Charity, relief, welfare— these three terms in succeeding historical periods, have represented methods of receiving income that were regarded as imposing dishonor upon the recipients. (P-7)

This brings me to a burning question: Do we, as a society, really want to help people in

need, or would we rather strip people of their dignity first and then help? The answer

seems obvious to me.

It is interesting to note that, as discussed throughout this entire literature review,

forms of welfare have been around for centuries, and while it is useful to think of social welfare as a category "of human activity that has developed over time" (Handel, 1982, p. 7), it is misleading to assume that this development has actually made much progress

(p. 7). Therefore, it is here, with this action research project, that I hope to create positive change in recreating what it means to access social assistance. Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 33

Welfare and Workfare

It is true that many welfare recipients are unemployable by current

industrial/educational standards (Horejsi et al., 1977, p. 65). This is also demonstrated through the onion metaphor (Popple et al., 1998, p. 159); however, here in Canada, we

have choices that we are not using. Instead of being creative and innovative with the diverse population of welfare recipients by creating more than a pan program—which does not account for diversity, but offers the same support to all—our governments chose to create policy-driven programs, such as workfare. Workfare may not be suitable for all; meaning everyone is put into the same pan (program) whether it works for them individually or not. Unwritten consensus from society indicates welfare recipients should be working. Handel (1982) posed the following question: "Of all those people claiming to be in need of public assistance, how many could be and should be earning their own livelihood by working?" (p. 91). This notion, of course, represents the thoughts of the majority of our tax-paying citizens who share the laissez-faire and self-reliant views of

Canadian society.

Workfare, as described by Shragge (1997), "is part of governments' stated objectives of getting the poor back to work and reducing the deficit" (p. 18) and is also meant to "combat dependency" (Morel, 2002, p. 8). In order to achieve this, Shragge

(1997) suggested that

income support programs for those able to work must be "active". Workfare is the means of transforming a "passive" income support program, one in which it is assumed that people remained at home, to an "active" one in which people are "out there" preparing for and searching for work. (p. 18)

Workfare demands that recipients participate in such programs and is rooted in a punitive ideology that "those who physically can work and who end up on welfare need to be Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 34

pushed off it through the discipline of workfare measures" (Shragge, 1997, p. 20),

because the government "champions the idea that any job is a good job" (Morel, 2002,

P- 19).

Workfare is also intended to improve the employability of welfare recipients and

is supposed to "increase the human capital both indirectly, by instilling a sense of

responsibility or the work ethic, and directly, by building skills through well-structured

work experience" (Morel, 2002, p. 8). However, in my opinion, workfare does not work

for many recipients, and it has only created a large pool of cheap labour for employers.

Shragge (1997) made an obvious argument, which illustrated the quandary of workfare

programs versus the importance of perhaps an education first and foremost: "I have an

absolutely dominating belief that in this chicken-and-egg conundrum of whether you

should have jobs or training first, the answer is you need training first. If you have the training the jobs will take care of themselves" (p. 27).

Perhaps training and education is the answer, unfortunately many Canadian welfare programs limit funding caps for training geared to obtaining courses that are

short in duration—less than two years, which unfortunately places these people into the pool of clients tied to the middle layer of the onion; those who have basic skills, training, and education and who may struggle to stay off the system.

Concluding thoughts have led me to believe that welfare administrators push and pull recipients in different directions by encroaching into private matters, and by moving them into programs they may not be ready for. One can only assume that these behaviours only add to the feelings of being undeserving and less than equal in society.

What does this approach really accomplish? Do we as Canadians feel better knowing that Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 35

welfare recipients struggle with day-to-day activities? Does it accomplish a sense of

accountability to our taxpayers because we feel threatened by tax-eaters? Do we feel so

strongly that welfare recipients need to be fixed, that we will try and rehabilitate them

through programs such as workfare? Popple et al. (1998) have gotten to the heart of the

issue with what really matters:

The current somewhat apologetic emphasis on rehabilitation (of welfare recipients) seems almost obscene—as if rehabilitation would not cost more (at first at least), as if rehabilitation is always possible (in the face of 4,000,000 jobless among other things), as if rehabilitation is a substitute for relief for everybody and at all times. I think we all need to make a forthright declaration that direct public assistance in our competitive society is unavoidable, necessary, and even socially useful, (p. 175)

There are many things about the current welfare system that need to be improved.

However, as a society, we need to recognize that in a large, rapidly changing, urban, post-

industrial society, we will always need a large welfare system. In other words, welfare is

simply a condition with which we should make peace (Popple et al., 1998, p. 175), because it is always going to be here. Why is it that we cannot hope and wish the best for everyone? As Maslow (1968) wrote, "Improving individual health and well being is one approach to making a better world" (p .6). If this is somewhat achievable through our current welfare system, then so be it.

Summary

Active Canadian perceptions of welfare and dependency have contributed to the government's response of implementing workfare. However, there is no evidence or framework to suggest that the concept of dependency on welfare even exists. In fact, many people do not access welfare because they want to, but because of outside environmental factors or health issues that provide them with no other choice. Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 36

Programs, such as workfare, may provide some recipients with a way out of the

system. However, because of bureaucratic policies and decisions, these opportunities are

limited, and work placements are often meaningless and do not fit with the client's goals

or aspirations.

In conclusion, I would like to reiterate that cycles of dependency do not exist. If,

in fact, people do find themselves in a rut, on and off the system, I believe it has more to do with our responses to welfare than anything else. It is through this research project that

I intend to be a part of changing the perceptions of welfare and what it means to access social assistance by educating Canadians about the myths and untruths associated with welfare dependency and also about the limitations of the benefits of workfare.

The following chapter will provide the reader with an overview of action research. Research methods, project participants and ethical considerations will also be reviewed. After reading the next section, the reader will gain insight into the connection and correlation of the literature review in relation to the study. Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 37

CHAPTER THREE: CONDUCT OF RESEARCH

Research Approach

The intent of this action research project was to exert influence in relieving

welfare recipients of unwarranted stereotypes, pressures and stigmas by determining how

staff at Adult Services Unit could be involved in the process of relieving applicants of

unnecessary negative feelings. The research question that guided me through this action

research project was "How can Adult Services Unit be involved in recreating what it

means to access social assistance?"

Action research, as defined by author Ernest T. Stringer (2007), "provide[s] the means for people to engage in systematic inquiry and investigations to 'design' an appropriate way of accomplishing a desired goal and to evaluate its effectiveness" (p. 6).

Community-based action research works on the notion that all people who are affected by the issue under review should be included in the process of inquiry. Such stakeholder

involvement has been defined as the "participatory process" (Stringer, 2007, p. 6), and in very direct ways, it is anticipated action research will enhance the quality of lives

(Stringer, 2007, p. 6). Action research, in essence, is not about "learning on action but on learning in action" (Coghlan & Brannick, 2005, p. 32) and reverses the traditional learning process where one learns something, and then applies it, by starting in the action

(Coghlan & Brannick, 2005, p. 15).

Action research involves three key stages: "look, think, act" (Stringer, 2007, p. 8).

The look stage involves gathering information and describing the situation. The thinking stage involves exploring and analyzing what is happening and interpreting how or why things are the way they are. Lastly, the act phase involves the final report, Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 38

implementation, evaluation of the information gathered, and the action plan (p. 8). There

are several reasons why I believed that action research was the methodology best suited

to my project, which ultimately involves changing mind sets, perceptions, and attitudes

towards welfare recipients.

Firstly, the intended change in an action research project typically involves re­

education, which requires collaborative exploration between researcher and stakeholders,

in order to gain a deep understanding of problems and issues. Stringer (2007) suggested,

"As [participants] rigorously explore and reflect on their situation together, they can

repudiate social myths, misconceptions, and misrepresentations and formulate more

constructive analyses of their situation" (p. 11). By discussing the issue of welfare and

bringing about awareness/re-education instead of tolerating the untruths and myths, I recognized we, as a group, could work at beginning the changes required for people to

reconsider negative attitudes concerning social assistance recipients.

A purpose of action research is to "assist people in extending their understanding of their situation and thus resolving problems that confront them" (Stringer, 2007, p. 10).

By sharing information, knowledge, skills, ideas, opinions, and experiences with each other and by putting the information together in a constructive manner, the relationship between the issue, the outcomes, and the recommendations for change become more closely knit, and the move towards change can transpire. Furthermore, as staff of Adult

Services Unit become more aware of the issues and recognize the need to create change, people's lives—mostly welfare recipients—will become enhanced, which is a key factor in action research. Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 39

Secondly, by inviting staff to participate through the process of this action

research project and by exploring ideas from the inside, we have contributed to a sense of

ownership and empowerment and have felt more committed to changing the manner in

which welfare recipients are treated. By committing to listening, observing, and

recognizing the difference each single person can make, by paying attention to how we

treat each other, and by recognizing how, through a web of systems and connectedness,

little changes can go a long way in the lives of others in making a difference, we learn to

acknowledge that even the smallest steps towards change are critical. This concept was

supported by Coghlan and Brannick (2005) who described how "changing the role of

those being studied from subjects to clients so that help, if effective, could improve the

quality of life and lead to more valid knowledge" (p. 9).

The third and final reason why I believed action research was appropriate for my

research project was because of the cyclical nature that exists within the process. Because

my organization had incorporated values into their long-term vision plan that mirrored my research project, the opportunity to follow through with many cycles of change in respect to my research was prevalent. For example, after submission of my thesis, the

action research cycle will still continue, and I will be able to persist with the constant process of observation, reflection, and action that is required for change in an organization.

Project Participants

The aim of this inquiry is to recreate what it means for clients to access social assistance in Yukon Territory. In order to achieve this, my inquiry began within the Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 40

organization in which I was employed. The intended participants of my action research

project included staff of Adult Services Unit.

The invitation to participate (see Appendix A) went out to approximately 40 staff

and included social workers, case managers, reception staff, financial clerks, Supported

Independent Living workers, and Employment and Training counsellors: a vast,

experienced, and knowledgeable group of people. Seventeen people responded to the

invitation to participate: seven participants in two separate focus groups and three one-

on-one interviews.

At this point, I think it is important to recognize that clients of my agency are

major stakeholders of this action research project. However, considering the fragility of

many of the clients and keeping in mind the ethical consideration of "do no harm" (Royal

Roads University, 2007, Section D, ^f 2), I chose to limit my research with agency staff

only. An additional consideration was the importance of two central questions threading

through my research project: Who will be affected? How will they be affected (Coghlan

& Brannick, 2005, p. 78)?

Furthermore, I believed that it was important to start within the agency to determine how and what we as a group could do to recreate what it means to access social assistance; perhaps another time will lend to working more closely with clients.

With a wide range of staff with varying backgrounds and expertise, I felt I would be able to gather a sufficient amount of information-rich data that could potentially provide a wide range of perspectives and solutions. In addition, opening the research to all staff lessened the chance of bias by me inadvertently choosing (a) staff who may have been more interested in the study, thus helping minimize research bias; (b) those who might Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 41

have had concerns about the issue; or (c) those who were close to me (Krueger & Casey,

2000, p. 80).

For the purpose of this research project, participants were defined as all staff

working within the agency at the time. This population included full-time, part-time,

casual, auxiliary, and those in temporary assignments. I felt that a wide range of staff

with varying degrees of experience and insights would provide more well-rounded

information and thus benefit my research more greatly.

Action research is conducted based on the belief that participants understand the process and thus proceed with taking part in the progression of the research under their own accord (Goghlan & Brannick, 2005, p. 77). However, due diligence requires the researcher to fully explain the ethical considerations to all participants.

In terms of focus group and face-to-face interviews, participants were required to sign an informed consent form (see Appendices B and C), whereby they acknowledged an understanding that their participation was voluntary, that they could withdraw from the study any time, and they were made aware that information would remain confidential and anonymous at all times. Other ethical considerations that were factored into my action research plan included: (a) negotiating access with participants,

(b) keeping relevant others informed, (c) keeping good faith by demonstrating that I was someone who could be trusted and—checked with others for misunderstandings, and

(d) informed participants that data obtained would be used for thesis publication and would be accessible to students and faculty of Royal Roads University. Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 42

Research Methods

Data Collection Tools

My preferred action research methods included focus group and face-to-face-

interviews. By incorporating at least two methods of research into my project, and by

giving each method equal relevance, I felt the validity and credibility of the study would

be enhanced (Stringer, 2007, p. 58). Originally, I had intended to incorporate surveys as

well so that I could include regional social workers. However, I decided against this

option when I realized that there were potential roadblocks as a result of different layers

of government and important considerations when conducting surveys in a government

organization; I had to keep the research within my agency.

Focus Groups

I chose the focus group method for my action research project for several reasons.

Firstly, my research required gathering qualitative data that would provide me with a

range of ideas and thoughts from the group concerning how Adult Services Unit could be

involved in recreating what it means to access social assistance. Secondly, I was trying to gain an understanding of the differences in perspectives between the groups of staff who participated (i.e., finance, social workers, Supported Independent Living Workers, etc.).

Lastly, I saw focus groups as an efficient method of data collection, as this method would allow a large number of people access to the discussion at the same time. Considering the large number of people who potentially could have been interviewed, focus groups appeared to be the most appropriate method (Glesne, 2006, p. 104; Krueger & Casey,

2000, p. 24). Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 43

Data were collected through two medium-sized focus groups. I thought that two

groups would provide this study with sufficient information that would allow "saturation"

(Krueger & Casey, 2000, p. 26), meaning no new information would be coming forward,

because everything that could have been said was said (p. 26). Once information was

obtained, the information was analyzed and patterns and themes were identified across

the groups.

Face-to-Face Interviews

The second method used within the context of my research was face-to-face

interviews. Interviews provided opportunities for participants to describe situations on their own terms and provide an account of their views and perspectives, while allowing me, as the researcher, to recognize the legitimacy of their experiences (Stringer, 2007, p. 69).

Interviews were effective because they allowed for flexibility and a means of scheduling meeting times with management staff of the agency, who are otherwise somewhat difficult to co-ordinate into group settings. My goal was to conduct four interviews. I planned to interview the Director of Adult Services, the Manager of Adult

Services, the supervisor of Persons with Disability Unit, the finance supervisor, and two

Senior Case Managers who directly supervise the front-line staff. However, as a result of time constraints, staff holidays, and a number of other variables, I was unable to interview the Director or the Finance supervisor. As a result of staff shuffling, the

Supervisor of the Disability Unit moved into another position, which allowed her to join a focus group instead. Subsequently, from the management team, I was only able to interview the Manager and one Senior Case Manager. However, I also interviewed a Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 44

Supported Independent Living worker who preferred to be interviewed rather than

participate in a focus group.

The benefits of completing interviews with representatives of the management

team and the Supported Independent Living worker were threefold. Firstly, ambiguities

and clarification of misunderstandings were able to be accomplished by the interviewer

through dialogue as the conversation unfolded. Secondly, I thought having the flexibility

to schedule a time and a place would result in a higher rate of participation—as opposed

to drafting a questionnaire and giving it to the participants to complete on their own.

However, hindsight suggests that I should have utilized questionnaires as well, in order to

get information from those who were not available for an interview. Lastly, as an

interviewer, I was able to pay attention to cues that the interviewee emitted, which provided me with hints about how well the interview is proceeding (Palys & Atchison,

2008, p. 156).

Although the interview process generated less feelings of anonymity than through a questionnaire, as the interviewer, I made participants well aware that information obtained through the interview process would be held confidentially. I felt that considering the positive relationships and good rapport between the management team and me, the issue of trust and anonymity would stand with high regard and would not be an issue. However, the option of a third-party interviewer was available if the participant preferred that option.

In order to manage the data and to free myself from having to write interview responses verbatim, I obtained permission from the interviewees to tape record the sessions (see Appendices B and C). The plan was that, afterwards, the recorded Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 45

information would be transcribed and organized with the data obtained from the focus

groups. However, as a result of a technological mishap, the brand new tape recorder did

not work. Therefore, for consistency, I hand recorded the notes for each interview and

focus group. Luckily, I have a lot of experience with hand recording verbatim notes!

Objective of Data Collection

The objective of this inquiry was to determine how Adult Services Unit can be

involved in recreating what it means to access social assistance. Therefore, questions for

the focus groups and interviews were developed in such a way as to obtain data that

would provide meaningful ideas and recommendations in relation to changing the

perceptions, attitudes, and stereotypes related to welfare. The same questions were asked

of both the interviewees and focus groups (see Appendix D).

From the obtained data, I hoped to acquire information that would determine five main points: (a) provide me with ideas and recommendations about what processes within the agency need improving; (b) identify the non-financial stresses and anxieties

associated with accessing welfare; (c) identify ways in which staff could be involved in reducing the stresses and anxieties linked to accessing welfare; (d) identify resources, tools, processes, and educational supports required to change perceptions of welfare; and

(e) identify staff roles in changing the perceptions of welfare.

Study Conduct

My research project was composed of two focus groups of seven participants each and three face-to-face interviews. As described through the thread of this thesis, all participants were treated professionally, respectfully, and with dignity. Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 46

Prior to beginning my research within Adult Services Unit, permission to proceed

with internal focus groups and face-to-face interviews had to be granted by the

appropriate governmental body. To obtain permission, I e-mailed my Director, who in

turn contacted our communications person. The interview questions were then recommended to the government's Access to Information Privacy Protection coordinator; the coordinator reviewed each question, confirmed with me that there would be no way to

link answers back to the individuals, and confirmed that the interviewees would be

signing a consent form (see Appendix C).

To begin my research, all Adult Services Unit staff were sent an e-mail explaining my research project, how to obtain confirmation of credentials through Royal Roads

University, the location of the study, the length of time allotted for focus groups and interviews, and security of information (see Appendix A).

All front-line staff members were invited to participate in the study by volunteering to take part in either a focus group or a face-to-face interview. Supervisors were invited to participate in face-to-face interviews. Dates were set for two focus groups scheduled consecutively mid-week after working hours. As a result of wanting to keep the focus groups relatively even in numbers, the first responders were given a choice of date. As seats became limited, I had no option but to offer seats that were remaining to people who came forward last. Face-to-face interviews allowed more flexibility and were scheduled as determined by the interviewee. However, because of strict timelines, I kept all research limited to a two-week time line.

Participants were provided with an informed consent form, which was fully explained with the understanding that whoever was going to participate would need to Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 47

sign this form (see Appendices B and C). The informed consent form was e-mailed to all

staff, but most did not remember to bring it to the focus group or interview, so the forms

were signed in front of me. The informed consent forms remain with me in a secure area

and will remain there until professionally permitted to destroy.

Participants knew that anonymity was guaranteed, and they were assured that

confidentiality would exist in terms of knowing who said what, but the words that were

stated would be printed and accessed through the final research document. On the other hand, although general information would be shared with participants through the

progression of the study, specifics and details remained confidential.

Setting the tone and creating a comfortable and inviting environment was paramount through each focus group session. I ensured that the meeting room was tidy and neat, and I provided fruit, treats, and drinks for all participants. To ensure an added element of comfort, all participants in the focus groups were of equal status in terms of the hierarchal ranking of the organization. For example, supervisors were not part of the focus group comprised of front-line staff.

In terms of comfort for the interviewees, I provided a flexible schedule as well as provided options for the location of the interview. Furthermore, I ensured the participants the interview would not take longer than thirty minutes.

Developing Questions

Distinguishing between the purpose of the research question and the research methods questions was an important consideration while I was planning and preparing the research questions. I became aware of this concept when I read the following quote from the text Becoming Qualitative Researchers: "Novice researchers sometimes confuse Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 48 the research questions with the interview (and focus group) questions, thinking that they can modify their research questions to produce their interview schedule" (Glesne, 2006, p. 81). However, it was also interesting to note that, as a researcher, I had to write the research question in a way that I would gain the right information about what I was trying to gain from the study. As such, "the interview and focus group questions are what the researcher asks participants in order to get to that understanding" (p. 81). Though a relationship is required between the research question and the research methods questions, the latter "tend to be more contextual, and specific than research questions"

(p. 81).

Developing smart questions for research methods takes time, help from friends, and attention to a few guidelines. Questions for my research project were developed by me and were piloted prior to finalizing and implementation.

Guidelines for my questions were developed by taking into consideration the qualities of good questions as suggested by authors Krueger and Casey (2000). For example, I ensured that the language I used included words that were familiar to the participants; I did not use acronyms, jargon, or technical lingo. I made sure that the questions were easy to say, so that I, as interviewer, did not stumble over words or phrases. The questions were clear so that participants understood what was being asked, and the questions were short and open-ended, which allowed participants to explain, describe, and illustrate their thoughts (p. 40).

Glesne (2006) suggested that researchers should include questions from a variety of different approaches and suggested that good questions should include experience/ behaviour questions, opinion/values questions, feelings questions, knowledge questions, Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 49

sensory questions, and background/demographic questions (p. 82). Glesne further stated

that researchers can ask questions of the past, present, and future (p. 82). For the purpose

of this research project, given the value of responses that each type of question might

extract prior to implementation, I imagined that I would use a variety of each. Process of elimination through pilot testing helped me determine the style of questions that I used; considering this project was forever changing and needing tweaks, it was difficult to determine final decisions until the questions were tested.

Reliability and Validity

Reliability, validity, and trustworthiness of an action research project must be continuously checked through the research cycle. As Stringer (2007) stated,

Rigor in action research is based on checks to ensure that the outcomes of research are trustworthy—that they do not merely reflect the particular perspectives, biases, or worldview of the researcher and that they are not based solely on superficial or simplistic analyses of the issues investigated, (p. 57)

Taking Stringer's (2007) checks for trustworthiness into consideration, the following attributes guided and were the foundation of my research. To ensure credibility, I conducted an information session with staff to provide them with an opportunity for questions and answers regarding the study prior to participation. Furthermore, I provided staff with updates throughout the duration of the project. I kept a journal and recorded information to confirm the veracity of the study and to provide me with a paper trail.

Pilot testing questions for each of the identified methods helped me design more reliable interviews and focus groups. Additionally, "pilot testing bolsters reliability and validity because it can help you see that all topics are included and that sufficient variety in the responses is available" (Fink, 2006, p. 32). Furthermore, as Glesne (2006) Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 50

suggested, the idea of the pilot "is not to get data per se, but to learn about your research

process, interview questions, observation techniques and yourself (p. 43).

In terms of preparation for pilot testing my methods process, I anticipated the

actual circumstances and chose a small representative of participants, similar to those

participating in the actual project. Focus was given to clarity of the questions and the

general design of each of the three methods (Fink, 2006, p. 31). Feedback from the test

individuals was used to adjust, fine-tune, and amend questions before I proceeded with

the final product.

Reliability and validity of my project were also checked and verified through data triangulation. Data triangulation "refers to the use of different data sources" (Flick, 2006, p. 389). Considering I have utilized two separate focus groups, three face-to-face interviews, and I have incorporated literature to support my findings, the validity and reliability of my research was boosted and enhanced, which has been proven by the fact that similar answers have been determined from each research method.

Data Analysis

Analyzing and interpreting data gathered through the research process is termed, by Stringer (2007), as the "think ... [stage of the] look, think, act... [cycle of the] Basic

Action Research Routine" (p. 8). Thus, the focus of the following discussion describes the process used for analyzing and interpreting the data gained through the methodologies of face-to-face interviews and focus groups used in this action research project.

Key concepts that helped me manage the mass amounts of collected data through this project included color-coding information, cutting, pasting, and hi-lighting key points. Additionally, I made use of a journal through the entirety of the project to ensure Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 51

that I had an opportunity to capture my thoughts as they occurred. This enabled me to

visualize the moment, the person, the setting, and the day when I referred to my notes at a

later date (Glesne, 2006, p. 56). Managing large amounts of data required flexibility in

categorizing during the preliminary phases of an ever-changing process, so I began

coding at the onset of data collection in order to keep a constant comparison of the

information obtained.

Analysis began by going back to the intent of the study. Though vast amounts of

information may lead a researcher down a different path, it is always important to be

reminded of the purpose of the study and to manage the data in a manner that brings us

back to the intent (Krueger & Casey, 2000, p. 127). Thus, I kept a copy of my research

question posted on the wall in order to keep me focused and on track.

In the first step of analyzing the research data, I defined the material by sorting it

into units of meaning. This included categorizing and coding data "to identify the

significant features and elements that make up the experience and perception of the people involved in the study" (Stringer, 2007, p. 98). Reviewing the data helped me

identify information that was relative to the study and which was irrelevant (p. 100).

A consideration for me when sorting through data was to ensure that I was not blinded or influenced by what the mass amount of information was suggesting. I was constantly asking myself: what will I do, and how will I conduct myself if the data suggests and exposes weaknesses within the organization? Feeling that my work might be jeopardized or feeling that co-workers and employers might not be satisfied with the outcomes created an awareness for me, as a researcher, as to what the implications doubling as an employee could be. Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 52

The second step required of data analysis was to identify themes from the

categories that were distinguished through the meaning phase of analysis. This step

involved determining issues or experiences that people have in common by comparing

categories and subcategories across the groups (Stringer, 2007, p. 102). It was interesting

for me to see the different ideas, concepts, and opinions of the different groups.

Furthermore, it was also interesting to see the similarities and commonalities that shaped

the unit and ultimately defined how we as staff could address the issue of reframing what

it means to access social assistance.

Ethical Issues

Ethics is "the conscious reflection on our moral beliefs" (Hinman, 1998, p. 5).

Ethics are our personal values and morals that guide us through our work and impact our

daily individual and professional decisions. Professionally, the purpose of ethics is to guide practitioners in resolving ethical dilemmas, protect the public from incompetent practitioners, protect professionals from litigation, and enable professional colleagues to have a set of standards for interaction (Congress, 1999, p. 7). In essence, ethics involves principles that specify what is good and what is wrong and helps to clarify what should and should not be done through the process of decision-making. In preparation for my action research project, I was given the opportunity to familiarize myself with the eight guiding principals of Royal Roads University (2007): respect for human dignity, respect for free and informed consent, respect for vulnerable persons, respect for privacy and confidentiality, respect for justice and inclusiveness, balancing harms and benefits, minimizing harm, and maximizing benefit (Section D, ^f 2). In the next section I examine how each of these eight principals relates to guiding my action research study. Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 53

Respect for Human Dignity

Respecting individuals' sense of self-worth and dignity was essential to my action

research project. Being respectful, understanding, and mindful of my interactions,

questions, and conduct with all participants, regardless of sex, age, race, and culture, was

paramount through all aspects of the case study.

Respect for Free and Informed Consent

Each volunteer participant was provided with the details surrounding the intent of

the study with care and due diligence. Participants were provided with written

information regarding the roles and responsibilities expected of each, which also included

information regarding the roles, responsibilities, and duties of the researcher. Informed

consent forms requiring a signature briefed each participant with the purpose of the study,

the length of the study and advised participants of what their participation entailed (see

Appendices B and C). Furthermore, the informed consent described possible

disadvantages and potential benefits and risks that may have been involved (Palys, 2003, p. 74).

Respect for Vulnerable People

Originally, I was considering including Adult Services Unit clients as participants through the process of my study. However, given the fact that many clients are vulnerable, and I do not have the expertise or resources to ensure safeguard of feelings post interview (or focus group) I decided not to include clients. My fear of including clients was that they may be triggered through the interview or focus group and not know how to channel unwanted thoughts and feelings in a healthy manner. Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 54

Respect for Privacy and Confidentiality

Participants were advised of their right to privacy and were made aware that

personal information, identity, and data would be held confidentially (Coghlan &

Brannick, 2005, p. 73). They were provided with a definition of confidentiality and

informed as to what extent confidentiality exists in relation to this study. Participants

were informed that data collected was to be obtained for the purposes of a thesis project,

which would be available to learners and staff of the Royal Roads University. As such,

anonymity would be absolute, but confidentiality would be limited.

Participants were also informed of their right to access information provided by them if requested. Files were locked in an office filing cabinet and will be destroyed as per Royal Roads University requirements.

Respect for Justice and Inclusiveness

Providing all stakeholders with the opportunity to participate in my action research project was essential to the success of this assignment. Respect for justice and inclusiveness provides all Adult Services Unit staff with a voice that allowed them to provide opinions and feedback regarding the study. By listening and providing participants with equal opportunities to effect change, relationships of mutual trust and respect were developed.

Balancing Harms and Benefits

Creating an environment where no harm, physical or emotional, was imposed on participants was first and foremost in this study. I was cognizant of situations that might create unsafe circumstances for participants as well as for myself. Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 55

Minimizing Harm

Coghlan and Brannick (2005) asked two important questions of action research:

"Who will be affected? How will they be affected" (p. 78)? These questions kept me

focused and were the driving force behind ensuring minimal harm, if any, to participants

of my project. Having a deep understanding of the research systems, being insightful of

the implications and consequences, and continually "looking, thinking and acting"

(Stringer, 2007, p. 8) prior to proceeding into new processes assisted in minimizing harm.

Maximizing Benefits

The purpose of my action research project was to determine ways in which "Adult

Service Unit can be involved in recreating what it means to access social assistance".

Through this project, I maximized benefits by creating an opportunity for change that may ultimately benefit welfare recipients. Additionally, through action research I created an environment of learning and teaching for myself and for others on many different levels and through many different systems. Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 56

CHAPTER FOUR: ACTION RESEARCH PROJECT RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

Introduction

This chapter will inform the reader of the findings and observations resulting from

an action research project I conducted within Adult Services Unit, Health and Social

Services, Yukon Territorial Government. The study findings are the product of two focus

groups that involved front-line staff, and three one-on-one interviews comprised of

supervisors and front-line staff who preferred the interview method. Statements from

individual participants were not tracked in an effort to maintain anonymity. Throughout this chapter I will refer to participants as a Participant, Focus Group Participant, or

Interview Participant. The research question guiding this study is as follows: How can

Adult Services Unit be involved in recreating what it means to access social assistance?

Study Findings

The study findings of my research result from synthesized and analysed information obtained from the interviews and focus groups. The gathered information was coded, themed, and organized into six findings:

1. Staff recognizes that attitudes, perceptions, and stereotypes of welfare

recipients and welfare workers are an issue in Yukon.

2. Community organizations, services, and members play an important role in

changing perceptions of welfare.

3. Staff see the need to educate the public about welfare through various creative

outlets.

4. Staff recognizes the importance of ongoing training and personal development

to ensure high quality work at Adult Services Unit. Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 57

5. Staff engagement is important to the staff of the Adult Services Unit.

6. Administration of social assistance needs to be efficient and caring.

The next section of this study will discuss each of the six key findings in detail.

Finding One: Staff Recognizes that Attitudes, Perceptions, and Stereotypes of Welfare

Recipients and Welfare Workers are an Issue in Yukon

Finding one resulted in data that detailed general societal attitudes regarding

welfare and also resulted in the perceived image of the welfare workers at Adult Services

Unit. Thus, this finding is broken down into two parts: (a) general societal perceptions,

attitudes, and stigmas about welfare, and (b) image of welfare workers at Adult Services

Unit.

General Societal Perceptions, Attitudes, and Stigmas about Welfare

Data gathered from the focus groups and one-on-one interviews for this study

showed that participants recognize that perceptions of welfare recipients are stigmatized.

Participants stated that they know this as a result of conversations with clients who voiced concerns, and through conversations with various merchants and professionals throughout Yukon. One participant noted how they get tired of trying to justify the work that they do in social assistance, they are tired of people who see welfare as negative, as a waste of public tax dollars, and are tired of people who think that welfare encourages negative habits in people, such as laziness and dependency (see Table 1).

On the other hand, it was also noted that there are people amongst the welfare population that do have alcohol and drug problems, problems with the law, mental health issues, and low education. It was suggested that there are reasons why some stereotypes have become attached to social assistance recipients. Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 58

It is important to note that each focus group and every one-on-one interview noted

the implications of clients using vouchers to purchase items from vendors—mainly

groceries and prescriptions—and the ramifications of clients needing a landlord to sign a

Rental Verification form prior to social assistance issuing rent. Participants noted that

these requirements carried a lot of weight in terms of how a person is perceived.

Furthermore, it was also noted that many clients have been turned away from new

doctors once determining the patients were social assistance recipients. The reasoning behind this seems to be that it is assumed many recipients have extensive health needs.

One participant also stated that parents have shared experiences concerning their children being tormented and attacked as a result of the family accessing social assistance (see

Table 1).

Table 1. Participant Responses Regarding General Societal Perceptions, Attitudes, and Stigmas about Welfare

Participant Responses

Focus Groups Many of the clients cannot find accommodation, and when they do they face other issues, such as mould in these places. People renting to [social assistance] clients often assume they don't have to pay attention to the rental units, because it is [social assistance] recipients.

Doctors will interview to decide whether or not they will take you on— related to income and lifestyle.

Last year a number of clients lost their doctors and could not get a replacement. Care became disjointed and adhoc. [These people] have the most complex needs for care.

One negative experience I have heard about where it comes to people on [social assistance] is their kids being mocked, ridiculed, teased, and outright attacked. Other kids find out that child's parent is on [social assistance] and they gang up on the child. Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 59

Participant Responses

One-on-One Interviews Waiting in line at the store with an [Authorization Order voucher], everyone in line knows that the person is on [social assistance]. It slows down the process, [the] Supervisor [at the store] needs to sign the voucher.

Trying to find people an apartment—there are stereotypes [about] people on [social assistance]. Perception is that people will be dealing drugs or wrecking the place.

[Social assistance recipients] are stereotyped as lazy, useless, unmotivated. Others have told me that clients are uneducated.

Some people have been identified as drinkers or users because they have come to the office.

Image of Welfare Workers and Adult Services Unit

Staff participants observed that not only are welfare recipients stigmatized, but they also felt that the agency and the welfare workers were also distanced, disregarded, and viewed as the lesser of the helping professions. Staff suggested welfare work is

"stigmatized by the classification" (Focus Group Participant). Staff felt the classification wage assigned to the work demonstrated that it is undervalued and that welfare work needs to be more reflective of the highly stressful work that is accomplished within the agency.

One issue is the issue of job classification as suggested by a focus group member: how we are classified as public servants relative to other groups. We have been given a low classification, which speaks on a professional level in our community about the status of our clients and our work as perceived by the public service as a whole. This is one part of the problem where it comes to the perception of our work, our clients, and our organization as a whole. Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 60

One focus group participant stated, "There is a status thing based on our job. A

negative perception [regarding] people who seek social assistance and people who work

there. If more of the middle class became in need, it might close that perception".

Finding Two: Community Organizations, Services, and Members Play an Important Role

in Changing Perceptions of Welfare

Finding two of this research study resulted in data that determined that staff

participants felt a responsibility to be accountable to the public regarding fraudulent

cases. This finding also resulted in participants recognizing changes to the Social

Assistance Act (2002) as providing more inclusive community opportunities for

unemployable clients. Participants also stated a need for front-line welfare workers to be

more involved in decisions made regarding human service initiatives. Thus, this finding

discusses accountability to the public and community involvement.

Accountability to the Public

The notion of accountability to the public was apparent through this study.

Participants acknowledged that responding to fraudulent cases is an issue that needs to be

dealt with appropriately. It was suggested that there should be an avenue for the public to recognize this work so that the community would understand that issues, such as fraud, are being dealt with appropriately. Furthermore, it was suggested that there should be a balance in terms of keeping a client's history confidential, while on the other hand being accountable to landlords if it is known that a client has a history of fraud, and/or alcohol and drug problems (see Table 2).

Participants also noted that without the services provided by Adult Services Unit the community would be an entirely different place. Some describe the services as a Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 61

method of social control, whereby social assistance provides the basic needs to people to help keep them off the streets, which is thought to have a direct impact in the community

(see Table 2).

Table 2. Participant Responses Regarding Accountability to the Public

Participant Responses

Focus Groups We have a responsibility to identify clients who have a history of problems that they might bring to a landlord; problems such as fraud, and drug and alcohol problems. We should not send this type of person to a landlord— without the landlord having any idea that he or she might be victimized by that client.

When we become aware of fraud we need to respond appropriately and it needs to be seen that way as well.

I point out that Social Services provides a safety net for the entire community, not only individual [social assistance] clients. By helping single mothers survive and take care of their kids, by helping people with mental health problems or alcohol and drug problems, meet basic survival needs, and other needs, we help the whole community.

Without our services we would not have a good community to live in.

Community Involvement

Participants noted that the recent changes to the Territorial Supplementary

Allowance (Yukon Health and Social Services, n.d.) as a significant and important modification. The new regulation allows people on social assistance to work, which promotes inclusion in the community. One focus group participant commented, "[With the] old [Territorial Supplementary Allowance], people could not work. The new

[Territorial Supplementary Allowance] recognizes that people with disabilities can contribute to society". Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 62

On several occasions participants referred to the expertise and knowledge that they have. Participants expressed that Adult Services staff should be recognized more in the community for their awareness and understanding of pertinent community issues.

Many of the staff feel that because they are involved in front-line work they are reminded on a regular basis of the gaps and flaws of various services offered in the community.

The participants suggested that they have insights and experience that could contribute to the improvement of these services and feel that they should be included in discussion panels that are relevant to the improvement of human services agencies (see Table 3).

Table 3. Participant Responses Regarding Community Involvement

Participant Responses

Focus Groups We, as the front line workers, see the implications of the gaps, flaws, and outright failures of various services offered in the community, such as alcohol and drugs, the education system, Mental Health [Services]. The clients we see are often suffering due to gaps in these services and systems. We, as professionals on the front-lines in social services, have insights to offer some of these other sectors of the community.... We should be included in discussions—planning exercises—where it comes to these other sectors and departments.

We are a safety net in Canada.

We have a role in the community to try and identify where [Alcohol and Drug Services], Mental Health Services and the education systems can improve. [They] need to be more responsive.

[We need to] identify problems before they become a crisis and they can't manage anymore.

It was also suggested that effort should go into identifying programs in the community that have worked for people and to replicate those, or perhaps to take bits of Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 63

several programs and build on the pieces of those that work. Our staff need to continually

look at ways of improving our services for our clients was identified as being important.

The notion of prevention was also suggested. If there was a way to identify

potential social assistance clients prior to them becoming destitute, then perhaps there

would be a softer impact for the applicant. It was noted that there is a bias against being

pro-active with social assistance; however, it was also suggested that this bias was

beginning to shift (see Table 3).

Finding Three: Staff See the Need to Educate the Public about Welfare Through Various

Creative Outlets

Staff research participants of Adult Services Unit were asked in the focus group

and interviews what they would recommend to improve the public perception of welfare.

These participants see a need to educate the public about welfare. They feel that the

media, much of the general public, and many professionals view welfare as a negative

service. These will be discussed in more detail in the following sub-themes.

Public Campaign

Adult Services Unit staff that participated in the study feel that the media only

portrays negative stories about welfare, and they feel that if Adult Services Unit were

able to share success stories through radio and newspaper than perhaps basic myths about welfare would be contradicted and positive attention would be brought to the service and what is has to offer.

Furthermore, Adult Services Unit staff feel that if a public campaign was supported, this would raise awareness and educate people in the general public about the needs of the poor and working poor. It was suggested in a focus group that there may be a Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 64

time when many people of the middle class may need to access social assistance, and the

more diverse the population becomes, the more of an increase in awareness, and thus an

increase and heightened recognition of the need to invest in such programs (see Table 4).

Table 4. Adult Services Unit Staff Participant Responses Regarding Public Campaigns

Participant Responses

Focus Group We could launch a public campaign to raise awareness and educate people about the needs of the poor and working poor and services we bring to people.

Once in a while we could use the media to talk about social services. We could raise certain issues in the media, such as the rising price of oil and how this impacts all of us, but especially the working poor.

We could have discussions in the media, as in radio, and open the discussion to questions as a way to raise the awareness of social assistance, the range of people that seek these services and the range of services we offer.

Personal stories do a lot more to raise awareness than dry statistics.

One-on-One Interviews [There should be] information in the newspapers about how and where to access [social assistance].

Bring [social assistance] out in the schools.

Stress that it is not just a hand-out. We are here to help people be[come] successful.

Educating Professionals in the Helping Sector and the General Public

Many of the Adult Services staff research participants feel that other professionals

in Yukon do not understand the dynamics of welfare and suggested that other professionals tend to stigmatize and stereotype welfare recipients. It is also felt that other Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 65 professionals view welfare workers as staff who do nothing but write out cheques to the recipients without understanding the work involved (see Table 5).

Adult Services Unit research participants feel that there should be bridge building between agencies; this would, in effect, promote the services to other agencies. Bridge building would include educating other professionals by conducting in-services at other

departments, or alternatively by having other professionals come and learn about the

services in-house (see Table 5).

Table 5. Adult Services Unit Staff Participant Responses Regarding Educating Other Professionals and the General Public

Participant Responses

Focus Groups [We need] to educate about what [social assistance] is about. Hold in- services; educate other professionals.

I am always educating members of the public about my job—letting people know that I do more than hand out cheques for basic food and shelter costs.

Perhaps we should arrange to give presentations to other professionals in the community, including social workers, about the range of services we offer as well as the limits in what we can do for people.

One-on-one Interviews [We should have] in-services with other agencies ... schools, Chamber of Commerce, we need to help other people understand that we help people maintain or gain independence.

We need to be out in the schools.

Workers could be a resource by spreading the word about what we have to offer. Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 66

Brochures, Pamphlets, and Website Development

Research participants feel that the Adult Services Unit needs to enhance the agencies pamphlets and brochures. It was suggested that these should be distributed to

support groups and other helping agencies. Staff also recognized the need for the creation

of a user-friendly website containing information, such as Frequently Asked Questions, a description of the application process, and an outline detailing the limitations of social assistance. Staff also suggested that a DVD could be created for applicants to listen to. It was stated that adding these resources to the agency would help in educating and informing the public about Adult Services Unit's social assistance program (see Table 6).

Table 6. Adult Services Unit Staff Participant Responses Regarding Brochures, Pamphlets, and Website Development

Sample Staff Responses

Focus Group [We need] comprehensive and short brochures.

[We need] a website—this is what to expect of [social assistance].

[We need] DVDs to listen to regarding the process of [social assistance]. A website explaining the services and processes at [social assistance] would be a positive move.

One-on-one Interviews [We need] a website with the [Frequently Asked Questions] on the website.

[We need] to utilize brochures and pamphlets and distribute them to support groups and agencies. Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 67

Finding Four: Staff Recognizes the Importance of Ongoing Training and Personal

Development to Ensure High Quality Work at Adult Services Unit

Finding four contains synthesized data related to training and ongoing personal

development for all staff at Adult Services Unit. A relationship between training, staff

development, and employee attitudes will be discussed. This section will be divided into two sections: (a) training for novice staff, experienced staff, and staff development; and

(b) staff attitudes.

Training for Novice Staff, Experienced Staff and Staff Development

Staff participants of Adult Services Unit recognized the importance of ongoing training and personal development. Participants also recognized the importance of experienced staff taking on the more complicated tasks (i.e., the information session) rather than letting new workers or students taking duties like this on alone. Focus group members suggested that, for quality control, more experienced workers need to be the primary presenters of the information session. Furthermore, it was identified that new staff do need to know the technical aspect of the work, but more training has to go into the values and ethics of how clients should be approached and treated. It was also stated that training should involve more work with social assistance policies so that interpretations were not so varied (see Table 7).

Staff also noted that the work environment at Adult Services offers natural opportunities to become educated in the workplace, and as workers become more experienced, they become more insightful into the details of the work involved. It was recognized as a positive initiative that Adult Services Unit now has specialized staff for the Services to Persons With Disabilities Unit (see Table 7). Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 68

Table 7. Participant Responses Regarding Training and Staff Development

Sample Responses

Focus Group When we recruit and hire new workers we give them a six-month period of probation. We could be taking new recruits and really giving them guidance as to the work here. We need to do more than impart technical skills to the new workers, skills pertaining to assessment of financial needs and the processing of cheques. We need to impart values, ethics, and ideals in respect to how clients should be approached and treated.

[New staff completing the intake information session] means a lack of quality control as to what is actually occurring during the interview.

One of the intake members has worked at [Adult Services Unit] for a decade and brings a great deal of knowledge, experience, and compassion to the intake interviews.

For people with special needs, such as cognitive disabilities, there are specialized staff in [the Services to Persons with Disabilities Unit] to take disabilities perspectives where it comes to the intake, and a special intake process for such individuals.

One-on-One Interviews [We need] additional training in dealing with different situations—personal development.

Enhance communication skills.

Sometimes we need to be mindful of our boundaries, values, and beliefs.

Staff Attitudes

Adult Services staff participants brought up the concept of how they feel their attitudes and general stress level can filter into their work. Staff in a focus group suggested that they would benefit in terms of personal growth if they could take workshops relating to concepts and ideas about handling stress. Participants felt it was Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 69

important to be healthy in order to be able to contend with the stress associated with the

work (see Table 8).

Table 8. Participant Responses Regarding Staff Attitudes

Participant Responses

Focus Groups It all goes back to working on ourselves.

We need to work on more than program and skills. We need to work on our own inner selves. We need to work on our own perceptions, thoughts, attitudes, biases, prejudices, and assumptions that we ourselves as individuals carry about some of our clients.

For staff continuity we need to educate staff about what we can do for staff. Spend the time with staff.

We need to empower [each other] by solution focus instead of problem focus.

We need to improve our attitudes.

We would benefit from personal growth, and benefit [from] how you handle stress.

One-on-One Interviews It's important for case managers to understand the value of what they can bring to a person's life.

Dealing with angry people, it can create some frustration.

Staff admitted that they do get tired of hearing clients complaining and cannot understand why some recipients cannot find work. Thus, they find it takes a lot of personal insight to remain focused instead of becoming frustrated. It was suggested that staff attitudes and perceptions held about clients could be brought out into the open in Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 70 group discussion forum. Participants felt that facing the issues might engage in efforts to improve attitudinal levels (see Table 8).

Some staff felt it might be worthwhile reviewing the Code of Ethics (British

Columbia Association of Social Workers, 1999) every six months or so. This would help them stay on track and possibly improve staff attitudes (see Table 8).

Finding Five: Staff Engagement is Important to the Staff of the Adult Services Unit

Participants of the study felt that staff engagement initiatives would contribute to the overall success of the unit. For example, staff stated that there could be more top- down contact. Participants said they would feel more respected if higher management would acknowledge the work being done. Participants thought that this was especially important for the young workers that are being hired (see Table 9).

Table 9. Participant Responses Regarding Staff Engagement

Participant Responses

Focus Group [We need] more top-down contact. [There is] a young crop of people trying to do good work. They need to understand and respect the work that is being done.

[We need] recognition and respect from the top.

If we knew the Director and those above were proud of [social assistance] and the services and work here in what they share with others, we would know whether there needs to be improvements on that level. We don't know the attitude of the Director, Assistant Deputy Minister, and Minister where it comes to clients who seek social assistance or staff. The attitude on that level is what the overall regulations and policies are all part of the system that impacts the clients.

A flexible work arrangement would [create a] better situation for the client. Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 71

Participants also felt that if there were more flexibility in terms of the working

hours they would be more rested and have more energy, which would result in healthier

lifestyles and attitudes. Staff felt that work flexibility is important considering the

mentally and emotionally draining work that is accomplished by working at Adult

Service Unit.

Finding Six: Administration of Social Assistance Needs to be Efficient and Caring

Finding six of this research study determined the need for the administration of

social assistance to be efficient and caring. The following discussion relates to the

effectiveness of the present intake process and also examines the benefits and flaws of current social assistance administrative procedures. Finding six is divided into two sections: (a) intake process, and (b) administration.

Intake Process

The intake process at Adult Services Unit was viewed by participants as being responsive, timely, and individualized. It was stated that having one-on-one interviews allows for confidentiality as well as provides the opportunity for some depth to client- case manager interviews (see Table 10).

Participants also felt that the intake process at Adult Services Unit is caring. It was stated that staff make people feel at ease when they come in for an appointment by informing applicants that there are many reasons why people access social assistance and by staff attempting to normalize the situation. Furthermore, it was stated that in terms of people with disabilities, we accommodate in unique ways as often as we can.

In terms of improvements for the intake process, it was suggested that the pre- intake session could be changed from a group session to a one-on-one session. A research Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 72

participant stated that many applicants have expressed shame by having to sit with a

group of people and having them know that an application for social assistance is being

considered (see Table 10).

Table 10. Participant Responses Regarding the Intake Process

Participant Responses

Focus Group The whole intake process is responsive and timely ... and responsive to individual needs.

[We] see people right away, [there is] no three-month waiting period.

People phone and we go to their home.

People can have intakes in Spanish, and French, [as well as English].

When I meet a client I acknowledge their potential discomfort with the process and what I can to normalize the situation and put them at ease. I let them know that I am aware that there are many types of situations that bring a person to a point where they need [social assistance]. These circumstances happen to all types of people.

One-on-One Interviews More [of a] human touch, not seeing people through glass.

It's an individualized process where we can sit down with a person. In other jurisdictions [intakes] are done on computer, more personal here. In [British Columbia this is done] only when you require emergency.

The pre-intake session, get rid of it. People feel uneasy about applying for [social assistance]. Shameful about people knowing they are applying.

Administration

Participants of this research study stated many opinions in relation to the general administration of social assistance and defined how processes directly and indirectly contribute to positive and negative perceptions of welfare recipients. For example, it was Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 73

stated that if everything could be issued by way of cheque or petty cash, and vouchers were no longer issued, recipients might feel less stigmatized when accessing social

assistance. It was stated that recipients cannot be invisible when they have to utilize vouchers to purchase groceries.

Some participants suggested that always having to answer to somebody (i.e., worker-client relationship) can be demeaning. They also wondered if some workers target certain clients by being more strict and stringent with the policies. The phrase used by one focus group participant was, "Is it personal or policy?"

Table 11. Participant Responses Regarding Administration

Participant Responses

Focus Group Why can't we issue cards to people, such as Walmart cards, so they can purchase things without everyone knowing they have brought a welfare voucher.

We buy bus tickets for clients.

Anything we do to make the system more efficient and more client-friendly would be an improvement. An example is the drug cards, improving the way these are dealt with.

Wingspan brought in an improvement to Adult Services because workers became faster and more efficient where it came to paperwork. More efficiency on the part of the case managers where it comes to processing requests had the potential to make a better situation for the clients.

One-on-One Interviews [There should be] a more standard process between [Supported Independent Living] workers and Case Managers. Notes should be sent from Case Managers to [Supported Independent Living workers] and vice versa. The notes should be acknowledged. Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 74

Participants also suggested that recent improvements to technology in the agency

have also assisted with positive client-worker relationships. For example, workers are

now faster in the way in which they process information, and thus better situations for the

clients are created (see Table 11).

One participant felt that there was a disconnect between the Case Managers and

the Supported Independent Living Workers. This person felt that there should be more

communication between all workers on a case and that even acknowledgement of

receiving a client note would benefit all involved (see Table 11). Another person

expressed faith in the system, and stated that it is working the way it is supposed to, this

comment was supported by the yearly client surveys that have consistently rated good or

exceptional in terms of relationships between clients and front-staff/case managers.

Study Conclusions

The intent of this research study is to answer the following research question:

"What can Adult Services Unit do to recreate what it means to access social assistance?"

Three sub-questions also guided the study:

1. What pivotal event, information and approach may be most beneficial in

effecting this change?

2. What are the non-financial stresses and anxieties associated with receiving

social assistance? And in what ways can I be involved in reducing these

stresses and anxieties.

3. What resources, tools, processes, and educational support is required to

empower social assistance recipients? Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 75

These questions have been answered through my research study and are supported

by the data gathered through focus groups and one-on-one interviews as well as through

corroborating literature. I have determined four study conclusions based on my

interpretations of the study findings:

1. Stigmas of welfare recipients are evident in Yukon.

2. A social marketing campaign is vital to changing the stereotypes tied to

welfare.

3. Staff development and training is important to keeping staff interested and

current with their work.

4. Innovative ideas and effective administration of social assistance is key to

reducing non-financial stresses linked to welfare.

Conclusion One: Stigmas of Welfare are Evident in Yukon

Evidence gathered through data analysis is conclusive in determining that stigmas

of welfare recipients are evident in Yukon. Information obtained through focus groups

and interviews illustrates that the general public, helping professionals, merchants, and

even some staff have displayed negative attitudes towards welfare recipients. This creates

frustrations for welfare staff as they witness the ramifications felt by the clients. As described by Horejsi et al. (1977), "As welfare workers we have witnessed a growing public indifference to the needs of the poor. As in previous times of economic uncertainty, the public seems to take a punitive stance towards those outside the middle- class context" (p. 107).

Statements from participants demonstrate that they often have to justify their work to others by explaining the need for and the nature of welfare work. Participants Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 76

also noted that various landlords and merchants have commented about welfare

recipients, and landlords have taken advantage of recipients by lowering rental standards

as a result of tenants accessing welfare. Participants also noted that it has been perceived

that some Yukon doctors have turned away welfare recipients as a result of the extensive

and involved health care requirements needed by many welfare clients. As such, many

recipients accept this treatment of disrespect believing that this is what welfare represents

and what a person deserves for accessing financial aid. Armitage (1991) supported this

idea:

Stigmatized persons are, unfortunately, second-class citizens. As such, they learn that a variety of social conditions usually enjoyed by others, such as reasonably adequate income will be denied. The recipients come to view their social situation as one that is deserved, if not personally, at least by other members of their class.... As individuals, it has the effect of making them amenable to the idea that they should accept with gratitude whatever the society should offer them. (p. 49)

Participants also made it clear that they recognize that there are some welfare recipients who do have alcohol and drug problems, trouble with the law, mental health, issues, and low education and thus the reasons society justifies the stigmatizations.

However, despite reasons people may need to access social assistance, the stigmas should not exist. As Horejsi et al. (1977) described, "The bureaucracy was invented not to destroy people, but to support and sustain them" (p. 46). Of course public welfare is expensive, and this is often the root cause for public dislike of the program. Subsequently there have been attempts by federal, provincial, and territorial governments to control welfare growth, but as a result of limited job opportunities and a demand for greater expertise for many poor people welfare is the only option. Horejsi explained:

We are engaged in a systematic effort to withdraw marginally productive persons from the labor force. As we do this, welfare is the only mechanism for allowing them to have a subsistence level livelihood. In the Third World we have Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 77

subsistence farmers; in the developed world we have subsistence welfare recipients, (p. 63)

Even though Horejsi's literature is 30 years old, it is surprising to me how relevant it still

is in the welfare community.

Participants also stated that there should be a way for staff to be accountable to

landlords by being able to balance client confidentiality with best interest of the landlord

(i.e., informing the landlord if the client has a history of fraud or drug and alcohol problems). After all, as welfare workers are concerned, they are accountable to tax payers' dollars, how could they be required to turn a blind eye for the sake of confidentiality if a client has a proven track record of illegal activity related to previous rentals? It seems to be a double standard; take care of the taxpayers' purse, but give out rental dollars even if you have good reason to believe it is going to be misused or cause the landlord grief. However, confidentiality, as per the Code of Ethics (British Columbia

Association of Social Workers, 1999), supersedes accountability, unless it involves the safety of the client, safety of someone else, or workers are obligated legally to release information.

The results of this study also lead me to conclude that without a welfare program in Yukon, the communities would be entirely different places in which to live.

Participants referred to the program as a form of social control; welfare provides a person with the basic necessities—food, shelter, and clothing, which ultimately keeps that person off the streets, and thus indirectly provides residents with safer communities.

Furthermore, welfare also allows a sense of freedom for recipients and as John

Romanyshyn (as cited in Armitage, 1991) described, "Free men living in a community of free and equal men is the democratic idea" (p. 59). Moreover, the mission of the Yukon Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 78

Party Government is to "assist disadvantaged Yukoners to live as safely and

independently as possible," (Yukon Government, 2006, p. 7) , which, of course, affects

all Yukon residents by ensuring that all have access to basic needs.

Conclusion Two: A Social Marketing Campaign is Vital to Changing the Stereotypes Tied

to Welfare

Through the process of data analysis, the importance of a social marketing

campaign geared towards reducing stereotypes, perceptions, and stigmas of welfare became apparent to me. Participants raved enthusiastically about the notion of bringing positive success stories to the newspapers and radio as a means of putting a constructive

spin to the welfare program and the recipients it serves. Staff feel that by educating the general public with information about Adult Services Unit's programs and by taking a

stand through advocacy, perceptions could be changed. As it stands now, staff participants feel as though it is only the negative and punitive stories that are heard through the media and thus suggested that a social marketing campaign would be a worthy endeavour in moving towards changing perceptions.

Staff also recognized that there would have to be additional methods of delivering social assistance information to the public, and methods could not be limited to the newspapers and radio. The methods that were recognized as being important additional vehicles of information included organizing in-services for professionals, creating a website with social assistance information, preparing DVDs with sound for receiving

From A Shared Vision: Together to Make a Difference (p. 7) by Social Services Branch, Adult Services Unit of Health and Social Services, 2006, Whitehorse, YT, Canada: Yukon Territorial Government. Copyright 2006 by Yukon Territorial Government. Reprinted with permission. Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 79

information, and updating brochures and pamphlets for the agency as well as for

distribution to other human service agencies.

Participants recognized that achieving such a feat would, of course, require the

support and cooperation not only from the front-line staff, but would also require support

from upper management of Adult Services Unit. As Weisbord (2004) explained:

Any time you include more people and help them to look at the whole thing before fixing the parts, any time you get people to focus on shared aspirations rather than problems, any time you set it up so people control and coordinate their work, that's a higher system of change.... Getting everyone improving whole systems, I conclude, is an existentially right goal no matter what comes after (p. 467).

Many staff participants acknowledged that they have already engaged in

educating the public about welfare though informal processes. They recognized these accomplishments as being achieved by way of informing people of the work they do and by sharing positive information with anyone who makes derogatory statements about the program. Furthermore, because of the encouraging and helpful manner in which staff treat recipients, participants concluded that some situations have been normalized by making applicants feel less stigmatized and stereotyped. In essence, staff have started the process of change. In the words of Popple et al. (1998), "Because behavior change is so difficult to accomplish, we should be happy with any positive results at all" (p. 313).

Conclusion Three: Staff Development and Training is Important to Keeping Staff

Interested and Current with Their Work

Study results have led me to believe that Adult Services Unit participants recognize the importance of ongoing personal development and training. This conclusion results from participants identifying this need and also stems from staff participants suggesting the need for communication enhancement and stress reduction techniques to Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 80

help them maintain positive attitudes towards their work including interactions with staff

and clients.

Given the fact that the work at Adult Services Unit is often crisis-driven, it is

important for staff to learn various theories and skills to help them deal with the

multifaceted issues of their clients. As identified through study findings, participants

suggested that learning and personal development deepens the knowledge inherent to the principals of the work and could help new and experienced staff make sense of the work they are doing. This notion is supported by MacKeracher (2004) who also supported the concept of learning to help people make sense of what is happening around them. "The activity of learning stems from a need to make sense of experience, to reduce the unknowns and uncertain aspects of life to a manageable level, and to act skilfully in ensuring one's survival and security." (MacKeracher, 2004, p. 6) MacKeracher also suggested that learning helps us "make sense of the chaos and confusion of raw, uninterpreted experience [and helps us] develop ways to predict how best to respond to and interact with both internal and external environments" (p. 6). Thus, ongoing personal development and training for staff would keep them current and composed in an ever- changing and often stressful work environment.

Staff participants described feelings of frustration and stress as a result of demanding work. The participants acknowledged that these feelings occasionally contribute to negative attitudes towards clients. The participants felt that if they could obtain training and information regarding managing stress, and if they could have a healthy outlet, such as a group forum or staff meeting where they could discuss frustrations, they would possibly feel better about their work, which would ultimately Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 81

affect their attitudes and create a healthier work environment. Considering a systems

approach to thinking, this concept would certainly be true; for example, if we were to

consider Wheatley (2006) and her theory regarding systems and relationships, we would

clearly understand that staffs connection between their attitudes, stress, personal

development, and information all do connect and affect one another.

People need to be connected to the fundamental identity of the organization of the community. Who are we? Who do we aspire to become? How shall we be together? And people need to be connected to new information. What else do we need to know? Where is this new information to be found? And people need to be able to reach past traditional boundaries and develop relationships with people anywhere in the system. Who else needs to be here to do this work with us? As a system inquiries into these three domains of identity, information and relationships, it becomes self-aware. It has become more connected to the truth of who it is, more connected to its environments and customers, more connected to people everywhere in the system. These new connections develop greater capacity; the system becomes healthier, (p. 146)

Staff noted that the Code of Ethics (British Columbia Association of Social

Workers, 1999) should be reviewed on a regular basis to help keep everyone on track and focused with the ethical requirements of the work as well as to help keep a healthy attitude and approach with the work they do. I think that this thought could be expanded to include not only reflection of the Code of Ethics but also review and reflection of the mission, mandate and vision of the agency. By keeping an eye on the core values of the agency Frangos (as cited in Bolman & Deal, 2003) suggested, "Attitudes and morale can't change unless people believe what they're doing has intrinsic worth to the market place, and makes a contribution to other peoples lives" (p. 391). Therefore, by revisiting the reason staff are working at the agency and by reaffirming the positive influence they are contributing to many poor people's lives, staff will be reminded of the good work that they are doing on a regular basis. Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 82

Experienced workers managing the more in-depth tasks (i.e., Information Session

for new applicants) was clearly expressed as a critical component of quality control as

described by research participants. It was noted that the more experienced workers have

insightful knowledge that is beneficial to the welfare applicant, and the participants felt

that because of the vulnerability of the clients, it was in the client's best interest to leave

the presentation of the Information Session to the experienced staff. Participants felt that

novice staff could be present through the Information Session, but should not lead the presentation. Participants also felt that novice staff should receive more in-depth training regarding values, ethics, and treatment of clients. It was also suggested that there was too much training focused on the technical component of the work and not enough focus on policies, which is important for interpretation consistency.

Considering the number of tasks and the depth of knowledge required to accomplish case management in Yukon welfare agencies, data analysis leads me to believe that a mentorship program would benefit new employees. "Mentoring is a relationship in which a more experienced manager helps a less experienced protege....

Mentors can facilitate adjustment, learning, and stress reduction during difficult job transitions" (Yukl, 2006, p. 209). Hence, offering new staff a mentor to help build necessary skills to work independently through the Information Session would eventually benefit the entire welfare system.

Participants stated that because Adult Services Unit's work environment offers natural opportunities to become educated in the workplace, novice staff will eventually become experts as well, which will lead to the overall constructive functioning of the unit as a whole. Yukl (2006) referred to this type of learning as "Action Learning" (p. 208), Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 83

this approach to learning "is often used for combining formal training with learning from

experience" (p. 208) and usually "facilitates the development of cognitive and

interpersonal skills rather than technical knowledge" (p. 208). "Many action learning

projects are linked to formal training, but an alternative approach is to link the projects to

a process of mutual coaching and mentoring" (p. 208). Given the diverse and highly

experienced number of staff at Adult Services, novice employees would benefit a great

deal with a more formalized approach to action learning.

Conclusion Four: Innovative Ideas and Effective Administration of Social Assistance is

key to Reducing Non-Financial Stresses Linked to Welfare

The next section of this paper will discuss how policy, technology and bureaucracy, and communication are important considerations in any effort to diminish the stigmas and stereotypes related to welfare and welfare recipients.

Policy

Results from data analysis determined that changes to the administration of some welfare policies are crucial to reducing the non-financial stresses linked to social assistance. Participants felt that having to contact employers to verify employment, having to contact landlords to confirm residency and issuing vouchers for the purchase of groceries all contribute to the non-financial anxieties tied to receiving social assistance.

Participants also noted that parents expressed stress as a result of their children being mocked, teased, ridiculed, and attacked as a result of the family receiving social assistance. Chappell (1997) understands the stigmas linked to social assistance and wrote,

"People who use social welfare programs ... are often regarded by others not merely as poor, but as different in other ways as well from regular people". Thus, to be identified as Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 84

a welfare recipient through policy-driven phone calls to landlords or employers, or to

have to provide identifying paperwork adds to the non-financial stresses tied to welfare.

Participants also recognized the recent changes and implementation of the Territorial

Supplementary Allowance (Yukon Health and Social Services, n.d.) regulation as a

positive initiative, which promotes inclusion and employment in the community by those

with medical or disabling conditions.

Technology and Bureaucracy

"Come into my parlour" said the computer to the specialist. (Horesji et al., 1977, p. 50)

Staff also recognized the importance of some technology as a means of improving the

administration of social assistance. The recent implementation of modern computer programs has reduced paperwork required to process client requests and notes. This has resulted in quicker response times and more efficient use of time, which has contributed to Case Managers having more time available for their clients. Smaller caseloads have also contributed to workers being able to become more involved with their clients and the recent distinction between the Services to Persons with Disabilities Unit and the general caseloads has offered better client service.

As noted by Horejsi et al. (1977), moving away from the bureaucratic demands of welfare is an important concept in helping the poor. Horejsi et al. stated,

An alignment between workers and recipients has the potential for the most severe impact on business as usual for it would substitute pro-client activities for administration-oriented operations.... The fact is workers and administrators are trapped just as much as the clients they serve. It is important therefore that they constantly examine themselves and their practices, (pp. 129-130)

Given the responses from the data collection obtained from this research, I have concluded that Adult Services Unit has made recent administrative changes that have Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 85

benefited the worker-client alliance; however, it is important to keep with the changing

trends of society and recipient's needs by ongoing evaluation of program operations.

Horejsi et al. (1997) supported this:

Many welfare developments are the result of changes in the economy, the family, and even the application of science to medicine. Welfare policy reflects the new political power of the middle class majority.... Public welfare is the invention of an industrial society and is now forced to face the novel circumstances of the new post-industrial social era. Like all institutions, it has a long way to go before it can meet its new tasks and reconcile the conflicting pressures that are working upon it. It has yet to integrate the economizing mode with the participatory and self- actualizing modes. It may eventually have to recognize that such a task is impossible, and that it may have to respond with a new priority of values and operating principals, (p. 53)

Communication

The results from this study also led me to conclude that the there needs to be more effective communication between Case Managers and Supported Independent Living workers. It was suggested sending information and acknowledgement of receipt of client notes is important feature of keeping the lines of communication open. Authors Kouzes and Posner (2003) solidified the importance of sharing information, "People realize that they can achieve cooperative goals when day-to-day organizational norms of reciprocity encourage them to share information, listen to each other's ideas, exchange resources, and respond to each other's request through positive interdependence" (p. 262). Kouzes and Posner continued by stating, "You can't do it alone.... You simply cannot get extraordinary things done by yourself (p. 265).

Data analysis results also led me to conclude that the lines of communication between front-line staff and upper management needs to be enhanced. Staff stated that they did not know if management recognized their work as being important. Staff made a Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 86

direct link to the quality of their work and the communication and respect received from

management.

Scope and Limitations of the Research

Ample evidence for this research study was gathered through the process of one-

on-one interviews and focus groups. However, limitations of the research were constrained as a result of excluding surveys as a third research method. Should I have

included a survey along with focus groups and interviews a broader degree of triangulation would have been obtained, which would have strengthened the validity and increased the confidence of this research project.

Furthermore, a survey would have allowed me to obtain data from community welfare workers who work indirectly with the staff of Adult Services Unit. Including the community workers would have provided me with evidence from a more objective and unbiased group of individuals as compared to those participants directly linked to the agency.

In terms of further research limitations, I feel that I was too worried about being wary of my own personal biases and how they might influence the research. I feel that I was too cautious when I conducted the one-on-one interviews and focus groups. During the interviews and focus groups I felt that if I said anything it would sway the direction of thoughts being conveyed by the participant or participants; therefore, I held back from speaking and thus did not rephrase and reframe as much as I should have. More reframing and rephrasing during the interviews and focus group discussions would have provided me with deeper meanings and richer data of the statements being said. Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 87

A third and final research limitation I would like to address relates to data collection and time constraints. All staff were invited to participate in the study by volunteering to take part in either a focus group or a one-on-one interview. Dates were set for two focus groups scheduled consecutively mid-week after working hours. As a result of wanting to keep the focus groups relatively even in numbers, the first responders were given a choice of date, however, as seats became limited I had no option but to offer seats that were remaining to people who came forward last. One-on-one interviews allowed more flexibility and were scheduled as determined by the interviewee. However, because of strict timelines, I kept all research limited to a two-week time line. In hindsight, I recognize that had I left this timeframe open longer participation in the study would probably have been better. My study occurred at the beginning of July and many staff were away on summer vacation. Considering the evolution of my project and the length of time it actually took me to analyze the data, I wonder if it would have been all right to straggle the data collection over a few months. Perhaps doing this would have increased the participant attendance. Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 88

CHAPTER FIVE: RESEARCH IMPLICATIONS

Study Recommendations

In this chapter, I focus on recommendations resulting from conclusions and study

findings based on my research project conducted through Adult Services Unit. The study

findings come from statements made from all levels of staff employed at the agency, and

so it is with their interest in mind that these recommendations are based. The research question that has driven this study is: "How can staff of Adult Services Unit be involved

in recreating what it means to access social assistance?" The recommendations that I finally put forth are as follows:

1. Implement a social marketing campaign.

2. Provide on-going opportunities to review the code of ethics, mission, and

vision of the agency.

3. Implement a formalized mentorship or coaching program.

4. Build strong relationships through communication enrichment.

Recommendation One: Implement a Social Marketing Campaign

In order to reduce the non-financial stresses associated with social assistance and to directly and indirectly empower welfare clients, it is necessary for Adult Services Unit to venture into a social marketing campaign. The purpose of such a campaign would be to educate the general public, raise awareness, and increase knowledge regarding social assistance. In order for society to become desensitized and more accepting of social assistance, it is important to talk about welfare and to provide general information about the benefits of the program, which will provide knowledge of the truths and facts and dispel the stereotypes, stigmas, and untruths. Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 89

The challenge will be to enlist Yukon residents into engaging and connecting to

such an initiative. Quinn (2004) supported the notion of telling people about situations

and making logical arguments in order to promote change: "The Telling strategy assumes

that people are guided by reason. If others decide it's in their best interest to change,

they'll gladly do so. Any resistance to change could only be the product of ignorance"

(p. 70). Hence the notion of putting information about welfare services out to the public.

As it stands now in Yukon, outside the agency there are no advertisements or notices

displayed for public view. The only recognition that welfare services receive results are from negative press from unsatisfied and disgruntled community members; this, of course, only perpetuates the negative attitudes and stereotypes.

Promoting change through such an initiative will undoubtedly oppose many deep- rooted values and ideals that much of society holds in relation to welfare principles.

These deep-rooted values and ideals will be questioned and contested through such a campaign and may cause discomfort and uneasiness for some people. Yukl (2006) explained:

Change that appears to be inconsistent with strong values and ideals will be resisted. Threat to a person's values arouses strong emotions that fuel resistance to change. If the values are embedded in a ... culture, resistance will be widespread rather than isolated, (p. 159)

The challenge then will be developing campaign strategies that are convincing and persuasive enough to influence residents into buying in to the idea of changing perceptions. Here again, I am reminded that much of what society hears about welfare are the untruths and misconceptions of welfare recipients and so developing a social campaign would help manifest the realities. Short (1998) described how being open to different perspectives and ideas can assist a person into realizing their stance or position Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 90

on a particular notion may not be correct: "To be open to influence from other

perspectives, you risk the discovery that the only reality you have is inaccurate" (p. 30).

Subsequently, part of this social marketing campaign may have to be focused on having

people reflecting on and evaluating their personal morals and beliefs about welfare.

Although all people may not accept this proposal, the goal would be to reach as

many as possible. Quinn (2004) made a good point when he suggested, "This is how

social movements work. We never convert everyone. We do not need to. To move the

organization where it needs to go, we need only the critical mass" (p. 68). Quinn

continued to suggest that if critical mass is achieved then "new energy will be present...

[which leads the group to a] new perspective and new capacity... [and lends to making

the] unimaginable seem to happen with ease" (p. 68). Hence, a snowball effect could

possibly influence the minds of some people about welfare, which ultimately would lead

to positive and constructive results.

Through this process of change, it must be recognized that no blame be put

forward to anyone for the beliefs that they hold. We will have to acknowledge that the purpose of such a campaign is not to point fingers and encourage guilt, but to educate and provide information in order to work towards changing the way poor people are perceived and the way they feel about having to access welfare. Rees (1991) made a compelling argument that appropriately applies to this thought:

The question of how people change their views and adopt new ideas is addressed by the premise that... it is wise to anticipate the beliefs which an audience already possesses. When discussing empowerment with any group, it is a mark of respect to enable them to declare the contents of their own ideological and theoretical baggage. They should be able to do so without fear or favour, encouraged by the belief that it is not where you are coming from but where you are going that matters, (p. 83) Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 91

It is with conviction that this recommendation of a social welfare campaign be

designed to send a convincing and encouraging message to persuade the general public to

rethink their truths concerning welfare and recipients. As in all change, this

recommendation will purposefully look forward instead of backwards.

I end this recommendation with powerful words by Robert F. Kennedy (as cited

in Wheatley, 2006) that supported the concept of standing-up for a cause in order to get

good things done:

Each time a person stands up for an idea, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, (s)he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance, (p. 136)

Recommendation Two: Provide Ongoing Opportunities to Review the Code of

Ethics, Mission, and Vision of the Agency

Conclusive study findings reiterated the importance for staff to find grounding in their work by being reminded of the importance of the efforts they accomplished and by finding grounding and focus through clarity of direction. Specifically, staff spoke of using the Social Workers Code of Ethics (British Columbia Association of Social

Workers, 1999) as a guiding tool. However, for the purpose of this recommendation, I will take this one step further to recommend grounding staff not only through ongoing review of the Code of Ethics, but also through ongoing review of the agency's mission and vision.

The goal of this study is, "How can Adult Services Unit be involved in recreating what it means to access social assistance". Study findings have resulted in the indirect approach of making life easier for social assistance recipients by reaffirming frustrated and stressed workers that the work they do is important and essential. This indirect Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 92 approach of awareness and looking from the inside is what Senge, Scharmer, Jaworski, &

Flowers (2004) referred to as "seeing from the whole" (p. 41).

An empowering awareness of the whole requires a fundamental shift in the relationship between "seer" and "seen." When the subject-object duality that is basic to our habitual awareness begins to dissolve, we shift from looking "out at the world" from the viewpoint of a detached observer to looking from "inside" what is being observed. Learning to see begins when we stop projecting our habitual assumptions and start to see reality freshly. It continues when we see that reality more clearly. (Senge et al., 2004, p. 41)

In other words, by starting with the staff and by looking inward at who the team is and how they operate as a whole would provide grounding and thus benefit the people that utilize the services by having clearly guided and focused staff. This can also be achieved by ongoing review of the agency's mission statement.

Somewhere, buried deep in the pages of the various policy manuals, lays the

Adult Services Unit mission statement. This statement outlines the purpose of the program, the principles of the program, and the goals. My recommendation would be to have this mission statement more broadly and boldly broadcasted. For example, it could be transferred from policy pages and shaped into posters or signage for daily reminders of the purpose of the agency. Staff participants indirectly requested such information to support them through the work to help them feel more connected. Wheatley (2006) supported this concept when she made the following claim:

People need to be connected to the fundamental identity of the organization or community. Who are we? Who do we aspire to become? How shall we be together? And people need to be connected to new information. What else do we need to know? Where is this information to be found? And people need to be able to reach past traditional boundaries and develop relationships with people anywhere in the system. Who else needs to be here to do this work with us? As a system inquires into these here domains of identity, information and relationships, it becomes more self-aware. It has become more connected to the truth of who it is, more connected to its environment and customers, more connected to people everywhere in the system. These new connections develop greater capacity; the system becomes healthier, (p. 146) Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 93

Subsequently, by offering support and guidance to the staff, through information such as

a mission statement, the way can be paved for enhanced team unity and ultimately a

healthier system.

The importance of reviewing the agency's vision on a regular basis is another

important recommendation that could help facilitate and foster the clarity of the work to

help give staff direction. Adult Services Unit staff spoke clearly about losing focus and

becoming frustrated with their efforts as a result of the ongoing negativity and hostility

emerging from some client situations. Staff stated that as a result of the demanding work

environment, sometimes they could not help but reciprocate the same treatment initiated

by some clients. Reviewing the agency's vision would offer staff purpose, support, and

motivation through such difficult and stressful situations by reminding them of the

importance of the work they do.

A successful vision tells you not only what an organization does, but why it is worthwhile and exciting to do it. A successful vision makes a typical dull, abstract mission statement come alive, infusing it with excitement, arousing emotions, and stimulating creativity to achieve it. (Yukl, 2006, p. 168)

A vision conveys an image of what can be achieved, why it is worthwhile, and how it can be done (Yukl, 2006, p. 169). Of course when people become overloaded and stressed as a result of workload they can easily lose sight of their purpose, thus the importance of using those opportunities for reminders and grounding. Ken Kudo (as cited in Kouzes & Posner, 2003) explained how people can become distracted and lose sight of meaning as they become overloaded and stressed as a result of being pulled in several different directions:

There's a lot of external noise out there that would cause people to not understand what [they're] all about, what your company's all about, what their unit's all about.... Because of voice mail, because of e-mail, because of the different electronic means ... people many times are in overload situations, (p. 114) Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 94

The result of overloaded staff can also lead to other difficulties in an organization.

It can lead to short tempers and unsatisfied employees with different ideas and viewpoints about the value of their work and ultimately how clients should be treated.

Wheatley (2006) described possible outcome of divergent staff who have no clear vision of the agency:

When organizational space is filled with divergent messages, when only contradictions float through the ethers, this invisible incongruity becomes visible as troubling behaviours. Because there is no agreement, there are more arguments, more competition, more power plays. People say one thing and mean another. Nobody trusts anybody, (p. 55)

I should make it clear that there was no data obtained by staff participants of this study that suggested that the direction of the organization was in the state that the Wheatley quote discusses, I only bring this notion forward as a strategic way of thinking in terms of possible outcomes should the vision of the agency not be clearly identified. To keep with a positive theme of focus and clarity for staff through the agency vision the following quote seems to fit:

Even when a vision seems to come from the leader, as in the case of Ghandi, the vision moves others because it is deeply in touch with their reality and their hopes. That is why they respond. And the vision is credible because they can see that it is not a castle in the air, but a vision that is grounded in their lived experience, in bread and salt. (Quinn, 2004, p. 136)

My final thought in relation to this recommendation is to provide each worker with a copy of the British Columbia Association of Social Workers (1999) Code of

Ethics. Having a copy of this booklet to reflect on would remind staff of their ethical obligations in relation to their work. One such ethical requirement is "I will respect the intrinsic worth of persons I serve in my professional relationships with them" (British

Columbia Association of Social Workers, 1999, p. 6); an important reminder of how to treat the people who access the services of Adult Services Unit. Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 95

Recommendation Three: Implementation of a Formalized Mentorship or Coaching

Program

The concept of a formalized mentorship-training program being implemented for

new employees at Adult Services Unit results from research findings obtained through

my research study at that agency. Staff participants noted the importance of becoming

experts in the field of case management. Participants stated that they felt that experienced

staff held insightful knowledge, which is critical to crisis driven work involving threatening, vulnerable, or at risk people. Thus, the recommendation is to fully train new

staff through a mentorship program prior to having them work independently with

difficult cases or complex duties.

Given the vast number of experienced and knowledgeable staff at Adult Services

Unit, novice workers could benefit from realizing an internal mentorship program through a prolonged training period at the agency. As Yukl (2006) suggested, mentorship training can create win-win situations as they benefit the agency by increasing skill sets, which will ultimately benefit clients, and also benefits the employee "because it is likely to increase their job satisfaction and help them develop their own leadership skills"

(p. 209). This is, of course, another systemic approach to indirectly improving the views and perceptions of the clients of the agency; skilled staff learn the intrinsic skills of the job and clients feel better about accessing services.

Mentoring as described by Yukl (2006) is "a relationship in which a more experienced manager helps a less experienced protege.... Mentors can facilitate adjustment, learning, and stress reduction during difficult job transitions" (p. 209). Thus, having experienced staff participating in a supportive mentoring program would help in Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 96

transferring important knowledge and insightful information to newer case managers

through a smooth and less stressful transition period.

The importance of really knowing the work tied to case management/social work

at Adult Services Unit comes from really knowing the client you are presently with.

There is, of course, much paperwork that comes with the process of the application

during initial contact, but this is only the administration piece associated with the work.

Much of the rest comes with knowing who your client is, where they are coming from,

and being able to really listen and understand their situation. Goleman (1995) referred to

this skill as,

People skills [which] are social competences that make for effectiveness in dealing with others.... [Having such skills or abilities allows] one to shape an encounter, to mobilize and inspire others ... and to persuade and influence, to put others at ease. (Goleman, 1995, pp. 112-113)

To acquire the skill of handling emotions in someone else, Goleman (1995)

suggested that one must acquire the "ripeness of two other emotional skills, self- management and empathy" (p. 112). In my opinion, these skills take a lot of training and

self-reflection to master, and to apply these skills it takes a lot of experience that comes from on-the-job training. I would like to point out here that I am not suggesting that novice social workers do not possess these skills, what I am proposing is that by working with a mentor the new workers will be able to observe, learn, and reflect. Though these skills are not necessarily tangible, it is my opinion that they are also not always inherent to human nature, but can possibly be learned. Quinn (2004) made a good point, which sums up what I am suggesting:

When we take the time to integrate action and reflection, we behave differently.... As we become more purpose-centred, internally driven, other-focused, and externally open, we more fully integrate who we are with what we are doing. At Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 97

this point, what we are doing enlarges our best self, and our best self enlarges what we are doing, (p. 97)

The role of the mentor would not only be to provide support and guidance, but

would also provide the protege with constructive, strength-based feedback regarding the

progression of their skills. Several experienced staff at Adult Services Unit have

participated in appreciative inquiry training. Skills acquired through appreciative inquiry

training could be applied to the mentor-protege relationship. Given that appreciative

inquiry training involves helping people get to what is important to them, this method

seems appropriate for a constructive way to provide feedback in a working relationship.

Quinn (2004) described his perspective of appreciative inquiry training as the following:

This person is optimistic and constructive while also being realistic and questioning. The person seeks to find the most enabling and constructive aspects of the current reality. Appreciative questions tap into the issues people care about most deeply and surface possibilities that have been outside their consciousness. In this way, they unleash energy and move self and others to a more creative state, (p. 126)

The benefits of an appreciative inquiry training approach to feedback through the mentor-protege relationship will help a protege find their positive core (Quinn, 2004, p. 129), and help them discover their strengths (p. 130) and successes (p. 131) as they emerge through what can be a stressful experience of working in a new job. Ultimately, the goal is to use the skills gained through the mentor-protege relationship as an indirect way of the reducing anxieties of welfare recipients who access services through Adult

Services Unit.

Recommendation Four: Build Strong Relationships through Communication Enrichment

The fourth and final recommendation of this study is based on findings that imply the need for improved communication at all levels within the agency. From a top-down perspective, study findings revealed that participants felt unengaged with upper levels of Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 98

management and subsequently felt that they were not respected and suggested that their

work was not valued by management. Furthermore, participants identified the need for

more effective lateral communication with peers—including supported independent

living staff, financial staff, case managers, and employment and training counsellors—in

order for the system to work effectively and efficiently as a whole.

Thus, this last recommendation suggests the need for building strong working

relationships through direct communication from management to subordinates, and also

laterally between peers. In doing so, the benefits would ultimately provide opportunities

for a more productive, effective, and dynamic workplace. Otherwise, without improved

steps towards effective communication, the system may not be sustained and may even

eventually reach a breaking point and fall apart.

For a system to remain alive, for the universe to keep growing, information must be continually generated. If there is nothing new, or if information merely confirms what already is, then the result will be death. Closed systems wind down and decay, victims of the Second Law of Thermodynamics. The source of life is new information-novelty-ordered into new structures. We need to have information coursing through our systems, disturbing the peace, imbuing everything it touches with possibility of new life. We need, therefore, to develop new approaches to information—not management but encouragement, not control but genesis. How do we create more of this wonderful life source? (Wheatley, 2006, pp. 96-97)

The hope is that by increasing dialogue between the various players in the system the life force of the agency will stay alive and vibrant and workers will feel more valued, will trust each other, and feel respected. This may have a snowball or ripple effect, because when people feel acknowledged, accepted, and treated with respect their feelings of worth are enhanced, and the possibility that they will contribute actively in their work is maximized (Stringer, 2007, p. 31). Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 99

Good communication builds trust between people, and trust between staff leads to

a better working atmosphere, which reduces silos, gossip, and discontent. Wheatley

(2006) noted that everybody needs information to do their work:

We are so needy of this resource that if we can't get the real thing, we make it up. When rumors proliferate and gossip gets out of hand, it is always a sign that people lack the genuine article—honest, meaningful information, (p. 99)

On the other hand, Goleman (1995) suggested that people who trust each other in their

workplace have many networks with constructive working relationships which is vital to

the agency:

A petty office tyrant or micromanager may be high on expertise, but will be so low on trust that it will undermine their ability to manage, and effectively exclude them from informal networks. The stars of an organization are often those who have thick connections on all networks, (p. 162)

Trust that is developed through effective communication also makes for a better work environment, because it can also be said that people who trust others in a work place are happier and more content. Kouzes and Posner (2003) supported this notion by suggesting that people who are trusting

are more likely to be happy and psychologically adjusted than those who view the world with suspicion and disrespect. We like people who are trusting and seek them out as friends. We listen to people we trust and accept their influence, (p. 244)

When leaders create a climate of trust, they take away the controls and allow people to be free to innovate and contribute. Trusting leaders nurture openness, involvement, personal satisfaction, and high levels of commitment to excellence (Kouzes

& Posner, 2003, p. 247). Furthermore, trust building through communication encourages team members to be more open with their feelings and generates a closer bond with management teams (p. 248), thus building respect and fostering collaboration within the Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 100

unit and outside, and systemically improving what it means for people to access social

assistance.

Organizational Implications

The intent of this action research project has always been to create positive

change at Adult Services Unit with the hope in mind that stigmas, perceptions, and

stereotypes of welfare recipients would be reduced. In this section, I determine the

systemic implications that the recommendations of this study will promote, should they

be considered. I will focus on the positive changes that may result from acting on the

recommendations of this study.

Promoting Change through Social Marketing

Strategic thinking, in terms of change, involves looking at the big picture and determining how to effect positive change and how to be prepared for the outcomes of resistance. How will the general public, helping professionals, clients, and staff of the agency respond to the concept of promoting change about the welfare system through a social marketing campaign? My guess is there will be mixed reviews, mainly because much of society has always held less than appreciative views of poor people. Thus, a starting point of such a strategy may be to look at where the roots of prejudice towards poor people originate, and to provide basic information to the public in order to help people understand from where their views and beliefs derive. As Goleman (1995) suggested, in order "to understand what can be done, it helps to first understand the nature of the prejudice itself (p. 156).

"Prejudices are a kind of emotional learning that occurs early in life making these reactions especially hard to eradicate entirely, even in people who as adults feel it is Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 101

wrong to hold them" (Goleman, 1995, p. 156). Thus, to expect changes towards welfare

recipients to happen rapidly is not to be aspired, and because people's long-held biases

cannot be easily weeded out, the most we may be able to hope for is changing what

people do with their prejudicial feelings (p. 157). For example, the workplace climate at

Adult Services Unit could change to incorporate zero tolerance towards derogatory

comments made against welfare recipients. Through daily efforts toward a common goal

there can be stereotype breakdown; this can happen naturally in the workplace, when

people work together as peers over the years (p. 159).

Change within the organization starts with the staff, if the staff were to make

individual changes involving their own attitudes and beliefs, these would slowly resonate

through the rest of society. Quinn (2004) stated, "All change is self-change. Even if we

are seeing a professional therapist, change still requires personal choice. In the end, we

must make a choice to change" (p. 197). Once a person makes the choice to self-change the organization will also change; "organizations are transformed when we transform ourselves" (p. 69). By changing ourselves, it means we are no longer in a self-focused

state that accepts the world as it is, we no longer turn a blind eye to prejudices and unfairness but instead look for ways to change the system.

In order for the change to be successful, such an effort would take commitment, resources and planning (Stringer, 2007, p. 147) and effort would have to be placed into a vision of the long-term plan of changing stereotypes, an operational plan that will define the projects and activities tied to the vision and an action plan that lays out the tasks and steps of each activity (p. 149). Developing a team whose focus would be to develop a Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 102

vision and define the activities and tasks tied to the endeavour would be an appropriate

first step in affecting change of this magnitude.

With educational information dispersed through Yukon communities, the general

public will gain better awareness and a better understanding of what welfare entails. By

putting information out in the open people will eventually become desensitized, used to,

and more familiar with the concept of welfare. This in turn will eventually result in a

culture and society that has better attitudes and perceptions of welfare recipients as a

result of informed and knowledgeable community members. As Bane and Ellwood

(1994) plainly stated, "Changing the welfare system can only occur when life outside the

welfare system also changes" (p. 27).

Connecting to Work through the Vision, Values, and Code of Ethics of the Agency

Connecting to work is vital to the lifeline of the staff population of Adult Services

Unit. In fact, literature suggests that connecting to work increases staff productivity,

attendance, and work performance. Without a connection, people are unhappy, become

stressed, and possibly bored, unproductive, and unengaged. Then again, those who are

engaged are enthusiastic, fully involved, and passionate about their work (Finney, 2008,

p. 2), One approach to promoting a workplace connection is through the workplace

vision.

Visions help people feel proud, excited, and part of something much bigger than themselves. Visions move people from a victim state in the workplace to a responsive

state that attempts problems from a more positive framework, which encourages

empowerment through a common aspiration. (Senge et al., 2004, p. 132). Senge et al. continued to explain: Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 103

When we learn to see our part in creating things that we don't like but that are likely to continue, we can begin to develop a different relationship with our "problems." We're no longer victims. When we move further, from sensing to presencing, we become open to what might be possible, and we're inevitably led to the question "So what do we want to create?" But the "we" in this statement is a larger "we". The visions that arise out of genuine presencing come from "the field knowing itself," a spontaneous expression of discovering the power to shape our reality and our responsibility to an emerging future, (p. 132)

Participants of this study noted the need for grounding, a reminder of workplace

meaning through times of stress, discontent, and frustration in the agency. Revisiting the

office vision on a regular basis could possibly facilitate grounding for some staff. In fact,

Senge et al. (2004) suggested,

Moments of real stress or real difficulty are "power points" in developing vision and integrating it into our lives-if we develop the discipline to first notice how we're truly feeling and be honest in acknowledging "what is," objectively, emotionally and physically. Becoming more able to simply discern physical and emotional reactions is a powerful practice in suspending and becoming less attached to the stories we tell ourselves about what is going on. (p. 139)

Thus, if through times of frustration and aggravation staff could learn to refocus their thoughts and energy and shift to internal concord through the workplace vision, and

if they could learn to refocus long enough to manage their emotions, they could learn that

it is possible to recognize what matters most in the moment and move forward and away from frustration with purpose and reason.

Values in a workplace are as equally important as a vision, values remind employees to walk their talk and "values are truthful representations of how [staff] want to conduct themselves, and everyone feels deeply accountable to them" (Wheatley, 2006, p. 129).

The values shape the organization, what it hopes to accomplish and how it hopes to behave. When each person is trusted to work freely with those principles, to interpret them, learn from them, talk about them, then through many iterations a pattern of ethical behavior emerges. It is recognizable in everyone, no matter where they sit or what they do. (Wheatley, 2006, p. 129) Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 104

Having a deep understanding of the values and principles that shape Adult

Services Unit would undoubtedly increase staffs realization of their purpose in the

organization and provide them with a sense of direction. Implementing visual

reminders—such as signage—of the core competencies of the agency could empower

employees by reminding them of the important contributions they are making to society

(Yukl, 2006, p. 169).

A reminder of the ethical requirements, obligations, and responsibilities of staff of

Adult Services Unit is important in terms of remembering the standards necessary to

accomplish the work in a moral manner. Staff participants of the study noted that they

would sometimes get caught up in the negative attitudes and hostility of some clients and

from time to time found it difficult not to reciprocate the same behaviour. By having a

constant reminder of the Code of Ethics (British Columbia Association of Social

Workers, 1999) readily available, staff could pause and reflect prior to engaging in a

difficult situation, in fact the code may remind staff of the vulnerable situations many clients are in and move them to a state of empathy. In fact, Martin Hoffman (as cited in

Goleman, 1995) suggested, "The roots of morality are to be found in empathy, since it is empathizing with the potential victims—someone in pain, danger, or deprivation ... that moves people to act to help them" (p. 105).

Finding grounding through the agency's mission, vision, and code of ethics may help staff feel the presence of a larger intention, one that just may need prompting and encouragement in order to come into effect. In fact, once this grounding has been found and staff recognize their place within the organization's identity, they will be able to focus on the bigger picture of their work and appreciate the good they are doing in Yukon Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 105

communities. One might assume that empowerment for people would occur naturally as

the ripple of confident, intelligent, and genuine staff made its way through the

connections of the agency and out into the wider world, ultimately making social

assistance recipients more comfortable and at ease with the idea of receiving social

assistance.

Strategic Training through Mentoring at Adult Services Unit

In a rapidly changing society with many influences factoring the needs of people

in Yukon, one can only wonder what the future holds for welfare workers and recipients.

I could make a bold observation and suggest that needs of people will become greater as

a result of more powerful illicit drugs. I could suggest, given the imminence of a

recession, a greater number of people will be in need of welfare. I could also suggest that

the need for more skilled and insightful welfare workers at Adult Services Unit will

become more necessary to keep up with the ever-changing and increasingly complex

issues of people in need. In fact, the FPT Directors of Income Support (2007) Strategic

Overview Paper stated:

All provinces and territories have adopted more intensive case management models. Rather than being viewed simply as a series of transactions between a client and his/her caseworker, ongoing and multi-faceted case management is now recognized as a key factor in the labour market success of persons with significant barriers to employment, (p. 27)

Not only did the FPT Directors recognize the need for intensive-trained and

skilled case managers, but so did the research participants of this study. Participants put forward the idea of the need for more extensive training for new staff prior to moving them into the more difficult and influencing tasks of case management. Thus, the implementation of an informal mentoring program may possibly be an effective way of responding to the need to effectively train new staff. Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 106

An informal mentoring program could benefit the agency, staff, and welfare

recipients threefold. Firstly, mentoring programs help to develop human assets of the

organization; secondly, mentoring helps with the transfer of important tacit knowledge

from one set of employees to another; and thirdly, mentoring aids in the retention of

valued employees (Harvard Business Essentials, 2004, p. 81).

Developing human assets is important to Adult Services Unit. As described

above, the needs of Yukon residents is rapidly changing, thus the agency will need to have skilled and knowledgeable staff geared with the right equipment to meet the ever-

changing needs of the people who utilize the services. By developing human assets through a mentoring program employees' perspectives will broaden and ultimately give people the opportunities to contribute at higher levels (Harvard Business Essentials,

2004, p. 82) as well as lateral levels of a different scope. Thus, a mentorship program at

Adult Services Unit will increase the skill set of the employees by offering a wide range of development opportunities through cross-training, which will systemically benefit the users of the services.

Implementing an informal mentorship program at Adult Services Unit will also benefit the agency by offering a channel to transfer tacit knowledge from a more experienced worker to a novice worker. Tacit knowledge is defined as knowledge that is

"difficult to codify and store in written or database form. It is the type of knowledge that is found in people's heads and nowhere else" (Harvard Business Essentials, 2004, p. 82).

Subsequently, if such a program were offered for new employees at Adult

Services Unit, important and valued information would be retained because the Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 107

experienced employee would essentially be transferring their tacit knowledge to the

newer staff.

Study findings of this research indicated a need for novice staff to become more

aware of the fundamental and inherent values of Adult Services Unit, spending time with

and observing the practices of a skilled worker would result in a mentor learning the

essential skills related to treating welfare recipients with dignity, respect, and care.

Furthermore, a mentoring relationship would help the protege build a system of star

networks and connections. As Stone (2007) suggested proteges may not have solid

connections and mentors should make these available to their mentees (p. 174). Building

a strong network of people will make it easier for the protege to solve difficult and

unanticipated problems (Goleman, 1995, p. 162).

The third and last implication of implementing a mentoring program at Adult

Services Unit relates to staff retention. The Harvard Business Essentials (2004) book

suggested, "Mentoring is one approach to retaining high-value-adding employees"

(p. 83). Mentoring sends the message that employers value their employees, it builds a personal bond and a sense of acceptance within the organization and it enhances job

satisfaction by making the protege feel like they are really learning something (Harvard

Business Essentials, 2004, p. 83). Furthermore, building mentor relationships can decrease the time it takes to train new employees as it puts the protege "on a high- performance fast track" (Stone, 2007, p. 161). At present, training for all new staff at

Adult Services Unit is predominantly achieved by the supervisors, this includes computer training, policy training, health and safety awareness, and many other aspects of the job.

This training is generally six weeks in duration. However, because of the intensity of the Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 108

work that is associated with the supervisor positions, training of new staff tends to be

drawn out and sometimes the experience is boring for the trainee. Having mentors take

on a piece of the training responsibility would solve the issue of prolonged and

unproductive training. Ultimately, strategic training through an informal mentorship

program at Adult Services Unit could have many systemic implications as they relate to

clients by offering highly engaged and trained staff able to meet the varied needs of each

unique client situation.

Workplace Engagement through Communication

Effective communication is the link to balance, harmony and intelligence of Adult

Services Unit. Participants of this study captured the need for not only top-down

communication, but also lateral communication to ensure positive and affirmative

working relationships with fellow staff as well as for effective and constructive working

relationships with clients. Wheatley (2006) supported the notion of effective

communication and transfer of information between all staff as a means of keeping

organizations intelligent and harmonized: "If a system has the capacity to process

information to notice and respond, then that system possesses the quality of intelligence.

It has the means to recognize and interpret what is going on around it" (p. 98).

Everybody needs information to do their work, and through improvements in

communication at all levels the greater the level of aptitude the agency will hold.

Through open communication and transfer of information and knowledge staff will be readily available to interpret and manage information effectively as it presents itself.

Wheatley (2006) compared information in organizations as salmon swimming in a stream: Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 109

If its organizational streams are well-stocked ... information will find its way to where it needs to be. It will swim upstream to where it can spawn. The organization's job is to keep the streams clear so that information has an easier time of it. The result is a harvest of new ideas and projects, (p. 100)

Implications of enhanced communication at Adult Services Unit will also result in

staff being able to respond to stressful situations more easily. Given that the agency deals

with crisis on a regular basis and research participants identified stress-reduction

techniques as a means to help them achieve their work more easily this might be a simple

solution available to all. Wheatley (2007) suggested,

People deal far better with uncertainty and stress when they know what's going on, even if the information is incomplete and only temporarily correct. Freely circulating information helps create trust, and it turns us into rapid learners and more effective workers. Often, it is not the actual situation that induces stress as much as it is that people aren't told what's going on, or feel deceived. The greater the crisis, the more we need to know. The more affected we are by the situation, the more information we need. (p. 120)

Thus, effective communication allows free flow of information, which builds trusting relationships and helps people to learn and become more effective and efficient workers, which helps reduce stress in strained situations—all positive attributes of a healthy organization.

Healthy communication at Adult Services Unit would also contribute to staff feeling engaged and connected to their work and would also promote a sense of ownership in relation to their daily tasks (Finney, 2008, p. 170). Generally, staff have a compelling need to know what is going on throughout their workplaces, they put a lot of effort into the work that they do and, therefore, deserve to know the goings-on that affect their careers. Furthermore, staff need to know how they are being perceived by the community and media so that they are prepared to handle situations pertinent to their work. By communicating such matters, staff will "give their all to their jobs" (p. 172) and Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 110

they will be "better positioned to make informed, adult decisions—one of which

preferably, will be to stay and continue giving their all for the company" (p. 172). Hence,

not only will effective communication help staff make good and informed decisions,

communication also aids in job retention by helping staff feel comfortable, educated and

successful in their work.

To accomplish extraordinary things at Adult Services Unit, the management team

must keep connected to influential sources of information and resources. It is through

flow of information and social connections that trust, reciprocity, collective action, and

happiness evolve (Kouzes & Posner, 2003, p. 260). It is also important that the

management team share information with staff if the information directly affects their

work. Sharing information will make the staff "more effective, more engaged in critical

tasks, and more satisfied with their lives and work" (p. 260). Furthermore, by consulting

with others and getting them to share information "leaders make certain that people feel

involved in making decisions that affect them" (p. 263). Additionally, by seeking and

sharing information trusting relationships are built which allows people to openly discuss their opinions and viewpoints.

leaders also help to get people's cards out on the table; they provide a more open forum for competing viewpoints to be aired and discussed. Knowing how other people feel about issues enables the leader to incorporate aspects of all relevant viewpoints into a project and demonstrates to others how their ideas have been heard and included. (Kouzes & Posner, 2003, p. 264)

Improved standards of communication at Adult Services Unit will help build harmony, respect, trust, balance, and intelligence at the agency. Systemically, this will build a better working environment, which will lead to happier staff who are motivated and positively engaged to their work; ultimately resulting in an enhanced atmosphere of respect and dignity for social assistance clients. Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 111

Future Research

As recently as last week, an experienced welfare worker from British Columbia

commented to me how in that province nineteen year old youth coming out of a welfare

home cannot apply for welfare on their own as an adult for a couple of years—youth

cannot stay on their parents file once they reach 19 years. This policy was implemented

to reduce the cycle of dependency of generational welfare recipients. I understand that I

do not have all the facts, nor do I know this policy, but it was still remarkable for me to

hear this comment considering that the literature I have read—and included into the

literature review of this study—suggests that there is little evidence supporting the notion

of generational dependence (Bane & Ellwood, 1994, p. 42). However, it is interesting to

note that policies are being implemented nonetheless. I question if this policy is doing

what it was intended, or if, in fact, it is creating more hardship and destitution than it is

doing good.

In considering future research, it would be interesting to explore the concept of generational dependence to determine whether cycles of dependency are passed down

from parents to children. I do believe in some instances, because welfare recipients are often more vulnerable and exposed to aggressive environments, and because there are less opportunities and prospects available to children and youth, there is a greater need for financial interventions as the youth become young adults. Bane and Ellwood (1994) supported this concept by suggesting,

[Welfare] parents may not have the resources to provide a strong educational base for their children. Poor children may go to poor schools, may have less access to labor market contacts, and may suffer a variety of deprivations which put them at far greater risk of poverty, (p. 92) Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 112

Thus one might conclude such a policy is doing more harm than good by making services difficult to access. One wonders if, in fact, there could be an increase in crime as a result.

A further consideration in future research as it relates to the present welfare system pertains to policies geared towards training for recipients. Policies now in Yukon concerning training are mostly geared towards recipients who cannot become self- sufficient on their own and have been in receipt of social assistance for five months or longer. One would think that training policies would be geared more towards those entering the system, rather than waiting to see if an applicant will be able to re-enter the workforce independently. As Bane and Ellwood (1994) suggested, "The problem with waiting before providing services is that in the meantime both the time that persons spend on welfare and the resources they have consumed are lost" (p. 63). Thus it might make more sense to pursue training opportunities for clients close to application date if they are deemed employable. It could be that waiting to see who becomes a long-term recipient and who does not could cost more than moving someone into training as soon as possible.

It would be interesting to research and explore this idea. Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 113

CHAPTER SIX: LESSONS LEARNED

"Learning involves the celebration, the affirmation, the enlargement of the full consciousness; the search for that part of the individual that is truly human.... [that is] uniquely me, uniquely I." (Roby Kidd, as cited in MacKeracher, 2004, p. 173). This quote is a firm reminder and perfectly describes my experience through the Major Project

Proposal process. I have celebrated little successes along the way, and I have affirmed and acknowledged who I am as a learner and who I am in the bigger sense of community.

Furthermore, I have become fully aware of the consciousness and awakenings with which this opportunity has provided me. The purpose of this chapter is to explore the lessons I have learned through the Major Project process, I will also make strategic suggestions and recommendations for future students, so they can avoid potential research drawbacks.

These are the lessons I have learned:

1. Communicate, communicate, and communicate!

2. Plan the work and work the plan.

3. Life happens.

4. Test questions.

5. Writing right?!

6. Finding a super supervisor.

7. Insight: can your passion for your project also be your bias.

Communicate, Communicate, and Communicate!

There is a lot of work to be done through the process of a Major Project Proposal and many different players will be a significant part of the successful achievement of a project; it just does not happen alone. In order for success to happen, it was important for Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 114 me to stay connected with those involved at the various stages of development of my project. It was also important to ensure I had a clear understanding of the expectations and requirements from each person involved. It was equally important for me to clearly articulate my intentions to the organization that I was representing.

To ensure a clear understanding with all involved I did not hesitate to ask questions and I documented the information received as quickly as it presented itself.

This resulted in a library of e-mails and a journal of various notes; all of which I relied on to the last word of my thesis. I believe that the flow of information between all involved resulted in the success of my project.

Plan the Work and Work the Plan

It was interesting to me how quickly into the program I was engulfed in determining my research question. What a process that was! I started with a big question, narrowed it down, and then narrowed it even more. I remember thinking that I would not be able to come up with a question that would be workable, but eventually I had my moment, a light came on and my research question was produced. Had it not been for the encouragement and help of my instructor and my advisory group, this process would have been much more difficult for me.

My advice to up and coming learners is to determine an idea for your project as quickly as possible after entering the program. This will ensure a well thought out plan and you will not be forced into a project for the sake of getting it done. Your project is an assignment that will be with you for many months Therefore, it is important that you are interested in researching and working the information to ensure a positive and constructive learning experience. Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 115

Life Happens

Several months will pass between the time you take on the responsibility and

commitment of your Major Project to the time that it is signed off, and as we all have

learned through this action research process, things change; life happens and may

interfere with the straight line anticipated from the beginning of your project to the end.

The important thing is to take the lessons learned about change and apply those to your

personal learning. Remember to be flexible and adaptable as people move in and out of

committing to helping you with your project. I found that when I originally presented my

idea to my organization there were many keen staff members that volunteered to help out.

However, by the time I was ready to delegate tasks, summer had emerged and many

people were away on vacation and others had moved into different jobs and were unable

to actively participate. The important thing is I had learned early not to commit to relying

on certain outcomes; I found that being flexible and adaptable helped me through what

may have been challenging times.

Test Questions

Testing questions that will be used for gathering data from focus groups,

interviews or surveys is imperative to ensuring that the researcher will obtain data that is useful, functional and related to the study. To make certain that I obtained useful data through my questions, I had my project supervisor review the questions, then I pilot tested the questions with three separate individuals, amended them as necessary, and finally had my supervisor review them again. In hindsight, I feel that I should have pilot tested the questions one more time. I did obtain sufficient data; however, I think the data could have been more precise and finely defined as related to my Major Project. My Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 116

suggestion to new learners is to pilot test your questions several times to ensure that clear,

concise, and relevant data is obtained from your focus groups, surveys, and interviews.

Writing Right?!

Our Major Project Proposals take us through several different and creative writing

styles. From writing the research question, to the literature review, data analysis,

recommendations and so on. At times I found it difficult to wrap my head around how

exactly to write from chapter to chapter. In fact, I often found myself staring blankly at

the computer screen hoping the words would magically appear—and eventually they did!

Thanks to my supervisor, Jo Volek, I was able to submit small pieces of each chapter; Jo

would let me know if I was on the right track or not before I proceeded with the

remainder of the chapter. This was an extremely useful arrangement that I am sure saved me a lot of time.

Obtaining an editor was also a benefit to helping me through the writing process.

My editor, Shanaya Nelson, was able to provide me with great writing tips, including

American Psychological Association (2002) writing requirements. I could not have accomplished this feat alone. My recommendation to new and up-coming learners is to suggest obtaining an editor as soon as you begin your thesis; the learning that will be gained from an editor is much easier than learning from the American Psychological

Association (2002) manual.

Another recommendation is to proof-read your material over and over, maybe even have someone proof-read it for you. I found that if I read my material out loud it was easier to tell if the words flowed. I would also like to suggest that learners arrange a deal with their supervisors that will allow them to submit little pieces of work before Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 117

getting too involved in each chapter; this will help ensure your writing style matches the

requirements of that particular section.

Finding a Super Supervisor

Finding a supervisor who matched my way of thinking, who had similar values

and interests was important to me when it came time to consider acquiring a supervisor

for my project. It was equally important for me to find someone who I knew would

challenge me and help me stretch in each competency requirement. I felt that all this was

important for me in developing a positive learning experience and also felt it was critical

for the success of my project.

My suggestion to new and upcoming learners is to find a supervisor that perhaps

you are familiar with, perhaps a previous instructor. If there is no one available, make

sure that whoever you consider is like-minded and harmonious with your way of

thinking. You will be learning together for several months and the more compatible, the

easier the learning will be. I write from a positive, encouraging, and affirmative

experience.

Insight: Can your Passion for your Project also be your Bias?

A comment from a peer at second residency made me rethink the manner in which I presented my information regarding my Major Project Proposal. This student made an observation and commented that I wore my bias on my sleeve. I was taken back by this comment and met with him afterwards to clarify the statement. What he said to me was that it appeared to him that I was too passionate about my topic and, therefore, this could also work against me and actually be a bias. I considered what he said, reflected on the surroundings of the observation and concluded that environmental factors Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 118 played some part in how I presented my information—I dislike public speaking.

However, I also realized that there is a fine line between showing passion for a project and projecting biases by not being able to look at information objectively and impartially.

A good lesson for me to have learned at that point in time with my project; from then on I was careful that I did not have blinders on and was able to see critical considerations from every angle.

My suggestion to new and up-coming learners is to be sure that you are aware about the depth of feeling and energy you are placing into your project. Ensure that you are able to be present and objective with the outcomes and information you uncover. If you are too passionate about your work real outcomes and learning may be influenced and distorted. Consider the fine line between passion and bias for your project.

Final Thoughts

In closing I would like to acknowledge the impact that systems thinking has had on me. I have always been intrigued by the notion that we are all connected through varying degrees of separateness, but to actually take that a step further and really examine how we as individuals have influence over so many people and so many different things is captivating to me. I have chosen my final words carefully; they are quoted from a

Chinese poem attributed to a Chinese sage, Wu Wei Wu (as cited in Senge et al., 2004):

Why are you so unhappy? Because ninety-nine percent of what you think, And everything you do, Is for your self, And there isn't one. (p. 184) Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 119

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Flood, R. L. (2001). The relationship of 'system thinking' to action research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 120

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APPENDIX A: INVITATION DISTRIBUTED TO ALL PARTICIPANTS VIA E-MAIL

Dear Colleagues,

My name is Cindy Densmore and I am involved in a research study as a requirement for the final stages of my Masters in Leadership degree being obtained through Royal Roads University. The purpose of my study involves looking at ways in which Adult Services Unit can be involved in recreating what it means to access social assistance. Confirmation of credentials can be established by calling Dr. Gerry Nixon, Acting Director, School of Leadership Studies, at (xxx) xxx-xxxx, Royal Roads University.

I am seeking staff at Adult Services Unit to take part in this study. Participants will be involved in one-one interviews (supervisors) or focus groups. The plan is to begin the study in late June 2008. Ideally, focus groups and interviews will be scheduled for June 26, and 30th, 2008. Arrangements will be made to use the Training Room in Adult Service @ 5:00 p.m. on June 26 and 30th; refreshments will be available. Interviews and focus groups will take no longer than one hour.

Your participation in the study would be voluntary and withdrawal from the study can happen at any time. If you would like to participate, I will send you the questions beforehand to allow you time to consider your answers. Additionally, I will distribute consent to release information forms that will need to be signed and returned to me.

Please note that great assurance is being taken to ensure all information is stored safely and will remain confidential at all times. Once the study ends, all data will be destroyed.

If you would like to know more about this study please contact me by e-mail at [email protected] or call me directly at xxx-xxxx.

Thank-you for considering,

Cindy Densmore Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 124

APPENDIX B: RESEARCH INFORMED CONSENT FORM

Focus Groups

This research project is part of the requirement for a Master of Arts in Leadership and is being sponsored by Adult Services Unit under the direction of Manager, Tim Brady. The purpose of the research is to examine ways in which Adult Services Unit can be involved in recreating what it means to access Social Assistance. By signing this consent form, the participant is agreeing to take part in this research project.

The name of the student is Cindy Densmore, confirmation of credentials can be established by calling Dr. Gerry Nixon, Acting Director, School of Leadership Studies, at (xxx) xxx-xxxx, Royal Roads University.

The focus groups will consist of a number of open and closed-ended questions with staff of Adult Services Unit. Each focus group will be approximately one hour.

Information will be recorded in hand-written format and will also as audio taped. A secondary release will be required from the participant prior to recording the session. By signing this form, the participant understands that audio taped recordings will be destroyed after they have been transcribed and verified by each of the participants. Furthermore, it is understood, that a participant may decline taping and do a written questionnaire as an alternative to the focus group.

The information gathered will be summarized in anonymous format in the body of the final report. At no time will any specific comments be attributed to any individual unless specific agreement has been obtained beforehand.

All raw documentation will be kept strictly confidential with the student. Raw data will be used for the purposes of the course only and the final thesis will only be accessible by learners and faculty of Royal Roads University. Through the duration of the study, interview results and questionnaires will be kept in a locked cabinet and will be accessible by the student and a small research team who will be involved through the process of data analysis only. All data will be destroyed shortly after convocation.

Prospective research participants are not compelled to take part in this research project. If an individual does elect to take part, he or she must withdraw prior to the onset of discussion as it will be difficult to separate raw data from individual statements.

By signing this form, the individual gives free and informed consent to participate in this project.

Name: (Please Print):

Signed:

Date: Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 125

APPENDIX C: INFORMED CONSENT FORM FOR FACE-TO-FACE INTERVIEWS

[Date]

This research project is part of the requirement for a Master of Arts in Leadership and is being sponsored by Adult Services Unit under the direction of Manager, Tim Brady. The purpose of the research is to examine ways in which Adult Services Unit can be involved in recreating what it means to access Social Assistance. By signing this consent form, the participant is agreeing to take part in this research project.

The name of the student is Cindy Densmore, confirmation of credentials can be established by calling Dr. Gerry Nixon, Acting Director, School of Leadership Studies, at (xxx) xxx-xxxx, Royal Roads University.

The interview will consist of a number of open and closed-ended questions with staff of Adult Services Unit. The interview will take no more than one hour to complete.

Information will be recorded in hand-written format and will also be audio recorded. The data will be summarized in anonymous format in the body of the final report. At no time will any specific comments be attributed to any individual unless specific agreement has been obtained beforehand. A secondary release will be required prior to audio taping the interview.

By signing this form, the participant understands that audio taped recordings will be destroyed after they have been transcribed and verified by the interviewee. Furthermore, it is understood, that a participant may decline the recording and information will only be gathered through note taking by the interviewer.

All raw documentation will be kept strictly confidential with the student. Raw data will be used for the purposes of the course only and the final thesis will be accessible by learners and faculty of Royal Roads University. Through the duration of the study, interview results and questionnaires will be kept in a locked cabinet and will be accessible by the student and a small research team who will be involved through the process of data analysis only. All data will be destroyed shortly after convocation.

Prospective research participants are not compelled to take part in this research project. If an individual does elect to take part, he or she is free to withdraw at any time with no prejudice.

By signing this form, the individual gives free and informed consent to participate in this project.

Name: (Please Print):

Signed:

Date: Acceptance for Social Assistance Recipients 126

APPENDIX D: FOCUS GROUP AND INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

1) What is one thing you like about the current intake process @ Adult Services

Unit?

2) What can staff at Adult Services Unit do to be proactive in changing the

perceptions of welfare recipients? What can we do as professionals? What can

we do on a personal level?

3) What are some of the negative experiences clients of Adult Services Unit have

shared with you that stem solely from the fact that they have received social

assistance?

4) What are some of the positive changes that have occurred at Adult Services

Unit that you recognize in being helpful in reducing the anxieties that many

welfare recipients experience? What requires improving?

5) What one thing would you change to make people feel more at ease when they

come to apply for social assistance?

6) What types of resources, tools, and educational supports will be helpful for

changing the stigmas of social assistance in the community?