Keeping Competent and Committed Staff A Strategic Imperative

Keeping Competent and Committed Staff: A Strategic Imperative By Freda Bernotavicz and Nancy Dickinson Spring 2008, Pennsylvania Leadership Academy 1

Impact on Children & Families Human Cost of Turnover: Decreased trust, self-esteem, sense of control Decreased quality and continuity of relationship • 9/25/2020 —Folman, 2000; Hess, Folaron & Jefferson, 1992 Keeping Competent and Committed Staff 22

Workforce Development Issues Impact of Demographics: workforce trends - salary, vacancy and turnover rates Impact on Organization Financial Impact on Outcomes 9/25/2020 Keeping Competent and Committed Staff 33

Demographics: More Jobs, Fewer Workers 165 Million Jobs h 160 b In Millions d P 140 2002 9/25/2020 te jec Jo Gr th ce for ro 150 162 Million Workers t ow te jec d row G rk o W Pro Years 2012 Keeping Competent and Committed Staff 44

Demographics of Social Services Growing need for workers (BLS projects 36% growth) Disproportionate aging of social service workforce Millennial workers – value work fulfillment & work/life balance • 9/25/2020 —Nittoli, 2003; Light, 2003; Anderson, 2007 Keeping Competent and Committed Staff 55

Workforce Trends in Child Welfare Salaries Vacancy rates Turnover: • Desirable • Unpreventable • Preventable 9/25/2020 Keeping Competent and Committed Staff 66

Workforce Trends: Salaries NOT COMPETIVE: ¨ NOT KEEPING UP: ¨ 9/25/2020 Average caseworker salary is lower than for nurses, teachers, policemen and fire fighters Average annual salary of CPS worker increased by 6% in 2000 -2004, consumer price index rose by 9. 7% —DOL - BLS, 2006; APHSA, 2004 Keeping Competent and Committed Staff 77

Workforce Trends: Vacancies & Turnover Vacancies are staying open longer (7 -13 weeks) as compared to 2000 (6 -7 weeks) Vacancy rates for public child welfare workers are significantly higher (9%)than those of other state and local government workers (1. 5%) Turnover is slightly higher: CPS - 20% in 2000; 22% in 2004 compared to 9. 6% for state & local government workers Preventable turnover stable at 12 – 13% 9/25/2020 —APHSA, 2004 Keeping Competent and Committed Staff 88

Impact on the Organization 9/25/2020 Increased workload for those who stay Decreased morale Increased difficulty of cases & forming relationships New & inexperienced workforce Resources to train new workers Keeping Competent and Committed Staff 99

Financial Costs of Turnover: Direct Costs: Turnover costs per worker in Maine = $16, 273 50 -70 -200% of the salary of the position $18 – 72, 000 Costs to train new worker in New York = $24, 000 Cascio, Lawson & 9/25/2020 — Kaye & Jordon-Evans, 1999; 1987; Cowperthwaite, 2006; Claiborne, 2005 Keeping Competent and Committed Staff 10 10

Direct Financial Costs of Turnover to an Agency of 200 Workers Annual Cost of Turnover $2, 400, 000 X X Cost $2, 000 $1, 600, 000 X X $1, 200, 000 X $800, 000 $400, 000 X 10 20 30 40 50 60 Turnover Rate 9/25/2020 Keeping Competent and Committed Staff 11 11

Impact on Outcomes Workforce Issues: large caseloads and worker turnover • Delay timelines of investigations • Limit frequency of worker visits • Hamper attainment of safety and permanency outcomes —GAO, 2003 9/25/2020 Keeping Competent and Committed Staff 12 12

Outcomes: Safety – Recurrence of Maltreatment High, moderate and low functioning counties Highest functioning had lowest turnover (9%) & lowest recurrence (6– 15%) Lowest functioning had highest turnover (23%) & highest recurrence (15– 23%) Delinquency, 2006 9/25/2020 —National Council on Crime and Keeping Competent and Committed Staff 13 13

Outcomes: Decreased Chance of Permanency January – September, 2004, turnover rate 34 – 67% of ongoing case managers Over 40% of the family cases had more than one worker 40% of the 2, 899 children in the Bureau’s care had more than one worker. • 9/25/2020 —Bureau of Milwaukee County Child Welfare, 2005 Keeping Competent and Committed Staff 14 14

Fewer Changes in Caseworkers Increases the Chances of Permanency for Children Entering and Exiting Care to Permanency: January 1, 2003 through September 2004 (N=679) 9/25/2020 Keeping Competent and Committed Staff 15 15

Outcomes: Decreased Services & Worker Contact Turnover results in: Fewer services to children and families Fewer contacts with children and foster parents Fewer visits with family of origin 9/25/2020 —Unrau & Wells, 2005 Keeping Competent and Committed Staff 16 16

Outcomes: Length of Stay & Reunification Children with multiple caseworkers have longer stays in foster care Turnover is associated with a decrease in likelihood of reunification —Ryan, Garnier, Zyphur & Zhai, 2006 9/25/2020 Keeping Competent and Committed Staff 17 17

Workforce Issues & PIPs Acknowledgement of workforce issues Improvement in caseloads/workloads Staff recruitment and retention Supervision and supervisory training Current and incoming worker training Staff education/certification/licensing 9/25/2020 —Children’s Defense Fund & Children’s Rights, 2006 Keeping Competent and Committed Staff 18 18

Strategies for Success Highlight promising strategies for ¨ Recruitment ¨ Selection ¨ Retention Examples from the Child Welfare Recruitment and Retention Grantees 9/25/2020 Keeping Competent and Committed Staff 19 19

Children’s Bureau: Recruitment & Retention Grantees NYS University at Albany University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Michigan State University of Iowa 9/25/2020 University of Michigan University of Southern Maine Fordham University of Denver Keeping Competent and Committed Staff 20 20

Characteristics of the R&R Projects Data driven: Organizational assessments, Human Resources data, surveys and focus groups with workers, supervisors and managers, exit interviews, etc. Strong University – Agency partnerships Focused on building organizational capacity 9/25/2020 Keeping Competent and Committed Staff 21 21

UNC R&R Project Conceptual Framework Influences on Recruitment, Selection, and Retention External Environment ·Agency’s public image ·Awareness of jobs The Work ·Role clarity ·Role expectations ·Workload Agency Conditions ·Shared mission ·Affirmation & recognition ·Shared authority ·Growth & advancement ·Organizational commitment 9/25/2020 Worker Characteristics Recruitment ·Desire to help ·Self-efficacy ·Education ·Depersonalization Selection Retention Supervision ·Team support ·Emotional support ·Practice support Keeping Competent and Committed Staff 22 22

Why do they stay? Individual characteristics ¨ Avoiding Burnout (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization) ¨ Goodness of Fit : Worker and the Work ¨ Professional and Organizational Commitment Supervision Organizational Characteristics • Practices (salary and promotion opportunities, flex scheduling, caseload and workload, communication, autonomy, worker safety, technology access, etc. ) • Organizational Climate (respect, fairness, inclusion, leadership, etc. ) 9/25/2020 Keeping Competent and Committed Staff 23 23