2020-2021 Grant in Aid of Research
Understanding the Attitudes and Perceived Needs of Staff Regarding Their Personal Psychological Health and That of the Children and Youth They Serve: A Cross-cultural Descriptive Case Study of a Bolivian Children’s Home
Mikelle Wile
The economic, social and political situation in Bolivia create a volatile environment for many children which sometimes results in institutionalization. Without the care of a biological parent, relationships with primary caregivers in institutions become extremely important for each child’s healthy development. The proposed research focuses on understanding the attitudes and needs of caregivers regarding their work at El Sauce Children’s Home in Bolivia, in the area of psychological health. The necessity for this study arises from the expressed need of El Sauce’s director for building the capacity of caregivers to effectively address the psychological needs of the children residing at the Home. Furthermore, as per a 2017 government report, some of the noted lacks in the country’s child welfare institutions are in the areas of caregiver training, human resources and psychological services for youth (Defensoría del Pueblo, Estado Plurinational de Bolivia, 2017). The primary researcher, an MSW intern, will be travelling to El Sauce with the overall objective of building capacity among caregivers to address psychological issues of the youth they serve, and providing direct mental health services to the youth. In order to accomplish these objectives, the proposed research will be conducted over the course of the 18-week internship, to provide a foundation for identifying psychoeducational needs and developing useful interventions. The study design is a descriptive qualitative case study aimed at describing the current target issue within its real-life context. Participants of the study include 11 staff and volunteers of El Sauce involved with caregiving in some capacity. Data will be collected through semi-structured focus groups, individual interviews and field observation over an 18-week period.