Job satisfaction among qualified professionals working in community-based mental health and substance abuse agencies

The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine which factor(s) contribute to job satisfaction among qualified professionals working in community-based mental health agencies and the predictors that contribute to low morale, low retention and high turnover rates. The variables wer evaluated through valid and reliable surveys in determining predictors of job satisfaction among qualified professionals. The study of Job Satisfaction among Qualified Professionals working in community-based, mental health, and substance abuse agencies is founded on Herzberg's Motivation Hygiene Theory (Herzberg et al., 1959) and Maslow's (1943) Hierarchy of Needs. Herzberg and Maslow's theories has been used on numerous occasions to study job satisfaction and its relationship to variables such as intent to quit, job stress, and performance. The results determined job satisfaction as the significant factor that predicts retention among qualified professionals working in community-based mental health agencies. A multiple regression analysis was performed to determine if hours worked per week, highest level of education, salary, and benefits affect job satisfaction. Highest Level of Education was a significant predictor of job satisfaction. The implications from this finding suggest that mental health professionals need a sense of job satisfaction from their agency in order to remain at their current agency.