Session 3

Professional Identity, Competence, and Resilience in Social Work

Moderator: Dr. Ning Tang (CEO, Dawning Consulting, China)

O3.1  Learning to Be a Social Worker: Professional Identity Formation Among Chinese Migrant Social Workers in Australia

*Xulong Zhi¹,²

¹J Social Work, Australia; ²Acknowledge Education, Australia

 Abstract

As global crises intensify, social work workforces are increasingly transnational and mobile, yet migrant practitioners’ professional identities remain under-examined. In multicultural Australia, Chinese migrant social workers practise within complex welfare systems while navigating language, culture, and shifting organisational expectations under managerialist and neoliberal service regimes. This study explores how Chinese migrant social workers in Australia construct, negotiate, and sustain professional identity across qualification pathways, workplace socialisation, supervision, cultural translation, and organisational conditions, and identifies strategies that support culturally responsive and sustainable practice. Using a practice-informed action research design, we conducted in-depth interviews and focus groups with China-born, Australian-qualified social workers employed across mental health settings. Data were analysed iteratively to identify patterns in identity negotiation, culturally specific ethical tensions, and the influence of practice environments on identity formation. Professional identity emerged as fluid and context-dependent rather than a stable attribute carried into Australian practice. Participants described identity formation as “learning to be a social worker” in Australia. Although they brought strong relational skills, collectivist ethics, and cross-cultural sensibilities, many entered roles without the tacit knowledge that local practitioners often develop through Australian education and everyday life experiences—particularly detailed understanding of the welfare system, statutory thresholds, eligibility rules, referral pathways, and interagency conventions. This “system literacy gap” generated anxiety, slowed professional confidence, and increased reliance on informal peer learning, especially when navigating Centrelink and income support processes, housing pathways, family violence risk frameworks, mental health referral routes, and child protection interfaces. Participants noted that these transition needs were seldom recognised as structural; instead, gaps were sometimes interpreted as individual deficit, intensifying self-doubt and identity strain. Bicultural positioning simultaneously enabled distinctive practice contributions. Participants reported strengths in culturally responsive engagement, working with stigma and somatic/relational expressions of distress, family-systems mediation, and bridging institutional logics with community meanings. Many acted as cultural brokers, translating rights-based language, service expectations, and safety planning into culturally intelligible terms, while advocating for culturally safe communication and more nuanced interpretations of client behaviour. However, this work often involved invisible labour and heightened ethical complexity. Practitioners described recurring tensions between Confucian ethics of relational harmony, duty, and face/shame and Australian social work emphases on individual rights, autonomy, and risk management. Workplace conditions strongly shaped identity trajectories. Participants reported racialised labour hierarchies, credential devaluation, role narrowing to “language support,” precarious employment, high caseloads, and limited access to culturally responsive reflective supervision—factors that eroded belonging and professional integration. Supportive supervision and organisational recognition of bicultural expertise strengthened confidence and identity coherence. We propose a collective identity-building approach that treats professional identity as a shared, co-constructed resource. Implications include structured welfare-system orientation for migrant practitioners, culturally responsive and critically reflective supervision, CALD-led professional learning communities, and organisational policies that recognise bicultural competence as specialist professional expertise rather than ancillary “language support.”.

O3.2  The Impact of Relational Embeddedness on Social Workers' Turnover Intention: The Mediating Roles of Professional Identity and Job Satisfaction

*Qijia He¹

¹Hunan Normal University, China

 Abstract

Background and Purpose: High turnover rates among social workers have become a critical barrier to sustainable development in the social work profession, particularly in China. While previous studies have largely focused on individual and organizational factors such as salary and burnout, limited attention has been given to the role of social relationship networks in shaping turnover decisions. Drawing on embeddedness theory and classical turnover models, this study introduces "relational embeddedness"—defined as trust-based, affect-laden, and reciprocal dyadic relationships between social workers and their supervisors, colleagues, and clients—as a core explanatory variable. The study aims to investigate (1) whether relational embeddedness significantly reduces turnover intention, and (2) whether professional identity and job satisfaction serve as mediators, particularly in a sequential chain pathway.

Methods: Data were drawn from the 2019 China Social Work Longitudinal Study (CSWLS 2019), a nationwide large-scale survey covering 56 Chinese cities. After listwise deletion of missing values, 3,912 valid cases were retained. Relational embeddedness, professional identity, job satisfaction, and turnover intention were measured using validated scales (Cronbach's α > 0.90). Control variables included gender, age, marital status, religious belief, education, and medical insurance provision. Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted using SPSS 27.0. The Bootstrap method with 5,000 resamples and bias-corrected 95% confidence intervals (Preacher & Hayes, 2008) was employed to test the significance of indirect effects.

Results: Relational embeddedness exhibited a significant direct negative effect on turnover intention (B = -0.235, p < 0.001). The total effect was -0.3761 (p < 0.001). The overall indirect effect through professional identity and job satisfaction was -0.1018 (95% CI [-0.1188, -0.0858]), accounting for 27.06% of the total effect. Notably, the independent mediation path via professional identity alone was non-significant (effect = -0.0006, 95% CI [-0.0064, 0.0054]), whereas the path via job satisfaction alone was significant (effect = -0.0818, 95% CI [-0.0975, -0.0672]). Critically, the sequential chain pathway—"relational embeddedness → professional identity → job satisfaction → turnover intention"—was statistically significant (effect = -0.0195, 95% CI [-0.0246, -0.0147]), confirming the hypothesized cognitive–affective sequence.

Conclusions and Implications: This study makes three contributions. First, it operationalizes "relational embeddedness" as a context-sensitive construct capturing relationship quality (trust, affect, reciprocity), moving beyond the Western-centric "links" dimension of job embeddedness. Second, it empirically verifies a cognitive-to-affective chain mechanism, demonstrating that professional identity (cognitive evaluation) precedes job satisfaction (affective reaction) in shaping turnover decisions. Third, it highlights the unique value of relational resources in public-service professions, where leaving the job implies severing deeply embedded emotional ties and trust networks. For practice and policy, social work agencies should actively foster high-quality relational connections among colleagues and between staff and supervisors. Regular team-building activities, clinical supervision emphasizing emotional support, and recognition of mutual reciprocity may significantly enhance professional identity and job satisfaction, thereby reducing costly turnover. Future research should adopt longitudinal designs, incorporate individual and organizational antecedents, and disaggregate the heterogeneous effects of different relational targets.

O3.3  Dual Pathways to Well-being: The Distinct Roles of Spiritual Health and Death Attitudes among Social Work Students in Macau

*Kai Hong Ip¹, *Chi Hou Ieong2

¹Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Macao Polytechnic University, Macao, China; 2Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai, China

Abstract

Background and Purposes: Social work students may encounter different challenges such as clients’ loss, mortality and suffering in their future careers, which may impact their personal well-being. While both spiritual health and attitudes towards death have been associated with well-being, their distinct mechanisms remain underexplored, particularly in Macau. This study examines the pathways through which spiritual health and death attitudes influence well-being, with life meaning as a mediator. The research questions are as follows: (1) To what extent do spiritual health and death attitudes influence well-being in social work students? (2) Does life meaning mediate these relationships? (3) Do these pathways differ based on students' levels of spiritual health and death attitudes?

Methods: A cross-sectional quantitative design was used. 138 social work students from Macau participated recruited through convenience sampling, with 118 valid responses. Data were collected using validated instruments: Spiritual Health Scale, Attitude Towards Death Scale, Meaning in Life Questionnaire, and Well-Being Scale (Cronbach's α > 0.70). Data were analyzed using SPSS 31 and PLS-SEM with SmartPLS 4. Bootstrapping with 5,000 resamples tested path coefficients. Multi-group analysis examined differences between high/low groups of spiritual health and death attitudes.

Results: The model explained 62.1% of the variance in well-being and 54.8% in life meaning. Spiritual health showed strong direct effects on life meaning (β = 0.740, p < 0.001) and well-being (β = 0.526, p < 0.001), with a significant indirect effect on well-being through life meaning (β = 0.141, p < 0.01). Death attitudes exhibited a significant direct effect on well-being (β = 0.300, p < 0.001), but no significant effect on life meaning (β = 0.023, p > 0.05). Multi-group analysis revealed that the path from spiritual health to life meaning was stronger among students with lower death attitudes (β = 0.812 vs. 0.669, p < 0.10), while the path from death attitudes to well-being was stronger among those with lower spiritual health (β = 0.418 vs. 0.183, p < 0.05).

Conclusions and Implications: This study identifies two independent pathways contributing to social work students' well-being: a meaning-construction pathway through which spiritual health influences well-being both directly and indirectly via life meaning, and a direct acceptance pathway through which death attitudes exert a unique influence on well-being independent of meaning-making processes. The findings challenge assumptions that spiritual health necessarily transforms death attitudes, instead revealing them as distinct psychological resource systems. For social work education in Macau, the results imply that curricula should incorporate both spiritual development and death education as complementary but separate components. The differential effects observed in multi-group analysis suggest that interventions may need to be tailored, with students reporting lower death attitudes potentially benefiting more from spiritual cultivation, while those with lower spiritual health may require more direct death education. These findings provide empirical groundwork for developing targeted strategies to enhance student well-being in an increasingly demanding profession.

O3.4  Success Stories of Workers Handling Clients with Ambivalent Pregnancy: The Case of Grace to be Born

Alysa Simone Camba¹, Ruby Anne Dela Torre¹, Janzen Mia Gabayan¹, Jeff Reiner Guevarra¹, Ma. Elena Garcia¹, *John Carlo Perez¹, Milagros Reusora¹

¹Centro Escolar University, Manila, Philippines

Abstract

Grace to Be Born is an agency that caters to pregnant women who are caught in dysfunctional relationships and are contemplating whether they should get an abortion. The agency acts as a temporary shelter for the woman, providing them with an alternative intervention that empowers them to deal with their current issue. Focusing on the program given by the Grace to Be Born, viewing from the experiences of the seven workers at the agency. This study aims to explore the experiences of the workers with their clients, how their interaction with the clients affects them personally, emotionally, and professionally, and what recommendations they could offer as an idea for Agencies. By analyzing the collected responses of the workers, the researcher came up with themes that would highlight the experiences of the workers and the uniqueness of Grace to Be Born agency. The data collected were generated from an in-depth structured interview and are analyzed through thematic analysis. The analysis revealed Grace to Be Born Institute's programs, representing a holistic approach to support pregnant women in crisis. By addressing not only the physical needs such as shelter, medical care, and nutrition, but also providing psychological support and spiritual guidance, an environment that represents the healing and empowerment of a woman can be created. Emphasis on education and counseling that empower women to make informed decisions regarding their pregnancies. By offering sexual education and counseling services and through the sharing of lived experiences and the establishment of partnerships with other organizations, GTBB contributes to a broader network of support systems. And lastly, the incorporation of spiritual and moral formation into the program's services adds a unique dimension to the care provided. Participants have emphasized the importance of faith-based activities.

O3.5  Mainstreaming  Indigenous Knowledge in Social Work Education:  Constructs, Current Practice, and  Challenges Among  Social Work Schools  in Davao City

*Rommy John Landas¹, Chloe Denise Cabarde¹, Gester Soria¹

¹Ateneo de Davao University, Philippines

Abstract

This qualitative study examined the mainstreaming of Indigenous Knowledge (IK) in social work education in Davao City, Philippines, highlighting key constructs, prevailing practices, and existing challenges. Utilizing a descriptive research design, the study gathered insights from 14 social work professors and students across four academic institutions in Davao City. Findings revealed that Indigenous Knowledge is a holistic, relational, and community-based framework, differing from individualistic Western paradigms. IK emphasizes experiential learning grounded in Indigenous traditions, languages, and Filipino values like bayanihan and pakikipagkapwa. Integrating Indigenous Knowledge in social work education remains mostly informal and faculty-led, relying on personal experience and community immersion. Without standardized materials, institutional support, or a formal curriculum, teaching is inconsistent, and student exposure is limited—contributing to cultural insensitivity and reinforcing stereotypes. Participants recommend institutionalizing IK through curriculum reform, educator training, resource development, and stronger engagement with Indigenous communities. The implications for Mindanao’s diverse social work education call for systemic curricular decolonization by integrating Indigenous Knowledge (IK) as a core, mandatory component. This requires curriculum reform, institutional commitment, dedicated funding, faculty training, and co-creation of culturally grounded materials. Central to this process is active collaboration with Indigenous leaders and communities as authentic knowledge holders. Cultivating actual cultural competence involves holistic teaching, formalized immersion, and direct community engagement to develop culturally responsive practitioners.

O3.6  A Practice-Oriented Online CPD Model for Chinese Helping Professionals: Evidence from a Four-Week Reading-Based Learning Club

Xulong Zhi¹, Binbin Wang2, *Qiongyao Xu3

¹JZ Social Work, Brisbane, Australia; ²Dawning Consulting, China; 3Taizhou Jiaojiang Puzhen Social Work Service Center, Taizhou, China

Abstract

Background and Purposes: Access to structured, practice-oriented continuing professional development (CPD) remains uneven for many Chinese social workers and allied helping professionals, particularly where training is not locally contextualised, relationally supported, or sustained through reflective supervision. While existing professional learning pathways often emphasise examination performance, credentialing, or theory transmission, fewer opportunities are available for skills rehearsal, modelling, and reflective integration into day-to-day counselling and mental health practice. This contributes to a persistent gap between formal training requirements and practitioners’ ongoing developmental needs. This study reports on an emerging practice-based CPD initiative developed by Dawning, a private social work organisation providing professional learning support for Chinese practitioners through culturally responsive, practice-informed formats. The initiative was delivered as a four-week online reading-based learning club aimed at strengthening counselling competence, with a particular focus on micro-skills and applied helping techniques. Participants were recruited across mainland China and represented social work, counselling, mental health, and related helping fields, with varied levels of professional experience.

Methods: The program adopted a blended pedagogy integrating guided reading, facilitator input, video-assisted learning, skills demonstration, role modelling, and structured group discussion to support observational learning and peer reflection. A pre–post evaluation design was used to examine short-term learning outcomes. Participants completed measures before and after the program assessing self-reported counselling confidence, perceived micro-skill development, and the perceived quality and relevance of the learning experience.

Results: Preliminary findings indicate positive short-term improvements in perceived counselling competence and confidence, alongside stronger perceptions of professional support and practice relevance. Participants consistently valued the program’s relational and practice-oriented features, particularly video-based observation of micro-skills, facilitated discussion that normalised uncertainty and learning, and opportunities to reflect with peers on how skills might be adapted to client needs and local cultural contexts. Practical takeaways most commonly reported included renewed attention to foundational skills (e.g., empathic listening, reflection, summarising and clarification), increased flexibility and “intentionality” in selecting interventions, and greater confidence that even single-session or brief structured conversations can produce meaningful change.

Conclusions and Implications: These findings suggest that brief, online, community-based CPD models may provide a feasible and effective mechanism for strengthening capability and confidence among Chinese helping professionals. More broadly, the initiative contributes to ongoing discussions about indigenous and indigenised CPD design by highlighting the importance of culturally relevant, skills-focused, and context-responsive professional learning ecosystems that prioritise practice integration rather than knowledge transmission alone.