Advisers

Mrs. Helen P. Oreto, Rsw

Discipline

Social Work

Abstract

This study explores the level of emotional intelligence (EI) among Registered Social Worker graduates of St. Mary's College Inc. and how it influences their professional practice, resilience, and personal well-being. Guided by the work of Peter Salovey and John D. Mayer and further supported by Daniel Goleman's competency framework, emotional intelligence is understood as a set of important skills, namely self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills. Considering how demanding social work is in the Philippine setting, where professionals often handle trauma cases, poverty-related concerns, limited resources, and heavy caseloads, the study aims to determine their EI levels and how these help them manage stress while staying effective in their roles. The study uses both quantitative and qualitative methods. Nine licensed social worker graduates from 2018 to 2024 who are currently practicing are selected through purposive sampling. Data are gathered through structured and open-ended online questionnaires. The numerical data are summarized using frequencies and percentages, while the written responses are analyzed to identify common themes related to emotional intelligence, coping strategies, workplace challenges, and training needs. The findings revealed that participants frequently dealt with heavy workloads, limited staff support, emotionally challenging cases, administrative demands, and job uncertainties. Despite these pressures, they showed healthy and practical coping strategies connected to emotional intelligence. These included setting goals, organizing tasks, communicating openly, practicing patience, reflecting on experiences, and managing their emotions properly. In their self-assessment, 66.67% rated their emotional intelligence as moderate, while 33.33% rated it as high. None reported having low EI. The findings showed that emotional intelligence was a core skill in social work practice. Although the participants demonstrated functional emotional intelligence skills, most of them fell at a moderate level. This suggested limited formal training on emotional intelligence or a lack of strong institutional focus on developing emotional competencies. Considering the emotionally demanding nature of social work, further strengthening emotional intelligence beyond the moderate level could greatly improve resilience, job satisfaction, and long-term professional sustainability.

Keywords

resilience, emotional intelligence, social work practice, professional boundaries, registered social workers