NADDP Module 5 Coaching Guide: Workforce Development and Retention

Description: Workforce development is the process of recruitment, screening, selection, retention, and training. Retention is the ability to keep staff and reduce turnover.

Learning Objectives:

Understand the challenges in recruiting and retaining the Adults Services workforce. Discuss and describe the workforce landscape and agency workforce needs.
Create Workforce development framework.
Identify and establish relationships with key workforce organizations to support agency needs.
Organize and oversee collaboration with key workforce development organizations to support agency needs.
Develop and strive for a stable workforce.
- Understand that Adult Services is new compared to Child Welfare, so far less articles and documents support Adult Services, so in this Module, there will be Child Welfare supportive documents/videos that will be used.

Module Name: Workforce Development and Retention

Total Time (Learning Objectives, Reading, and Activities): 5.5 to 11 hours

Total Coaching Time: 6 hours

Segment #: 1 – Leadership’s role in workforce development LO, Reading and Activities: 2 to 4 hours (longer if Director needs to complete leadership assessment) Coaching: 1.5 hours
Learning Objective	Understand the importance of the Director’s role in recruiting and retaining Adults Services staff for every level of the organization. Discuss and describe the active steps a Director can take to address effective workforce development. In this section, “staff” refers to line staff, support staff, supervisors, and managers.
Content	Effective leaders identify the recruitment and retention of excellent staff, whether line staff, supervisors, or managers, as a top priority. Leadership is a primary determinant of staff retention. Workers’ perceptions of leadership are related to their job satisfaction and commitment. Adult Services agencies can improve worker performance and effectiveness by strengthening the quality of Adult Services management and leadership. The Director’s vision and the agency’s code of ethics can guide workforce development (e.g., where are we going, who is leading us there, what approach will we take to get there?). An effective Director has a long-range recruitment plan which includes: Examination of the labor market. Evaluation of compensation and benefits packages. Guarantees of equal opportunity, cultural sensitivity, competence, and fairness. Understanding the skills and attributes necessary for Adults Services jobs. Relationships with colleges/universities to promote Adults Services as a career. An effective Adults Services Director seeks to address common reasons positions remain vacant: Budget limitations causing hiring freezes. Slow recruitment and administrative delays. Inadequate or unqualified applicants. Internal changes (promotions, transfers, retirements). High turnover and retention challenges. Non-competitive salaries. Lack of benefits or overtime compensation.
Coaching Session	The coach will engage with the Director in a discussion about the importance of the Director’s role and responsibilities in developing a long-range recruitment and retention plan. Reflection Questions: What skill(s) do I need to develop to take on the leadership role for workforce development? How will I do that? What help do I need to do that? How will I know if I’m successful? What would be a realistic timetable for me? Are your vision and mission statements effective in guiding the workforce development process? What active steps can you take to create a positive organizational environment? How can you involve staff in planning and implementation processes for workforce development? Wrap up reflections: What’s currently working well or what are your strengths in this area? What are your worries about addressing this area? What needs to happen next so that you feel successful in this area? Based on the responses, the coach should help the Director identify activities to try new behavior and plan follow-up at the next session. Coach ends the session by reviewing next module LOs and planning activities before the next session.
Activities	Review long-range recruitment and retention plan elements. Does your agency have these elements in place? Meet with your Executive Director and direct reports about strategies. Meet with your HR Director to assess what is in place, what works, what doesn’t, and what is needed. Review reasons positions become vacant. Which apply to your agency? How can you obtain accurate information? What steps can you take to address these issues? Talk with leadership, staff, and HR to gather full perspective. Create a document assessing managers: Evaluate each manager’s performance. Develop learning plans. Identify needs individually and as a team. Take a strength-finder assessment (or submit one from past 6 months): StandOut Strengths Assessment – https://www.tmbc.com/standout-assessment CliftonStrengths – https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/252137/home.aspx VIA Character Strengths Survey – https://www.viacharacter.org/survey/account/register
Materials	10 Practices: A Child Welfare Leaders’ Desk Guide to Building a High-Performing Agency APS TARC Article – APS TARC \| Briefs Overview of Use of Specialized Staff in APS Practice (acl.gov) Training Supervisors in APS: Guidance and Resources (acl.gov)
Preparation for next segment	Take a strength finder assessment (or submit one completed in last 6 months): StandOut Strengths Assessment – https://www.tmbc.com/standout-assessment CliftonStrengths Assessment – https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/252137/home.aspx VIA Character Strengths Survey – https://www.viacharacter.org/survey/account/register

Segment #2: Workforce Development Framework LO, Reading and Activities: 1 to 3 hours Coaching: 1.5 hours
Learning Objective	Learn how to provide a framework for all activities related to workforce development.
Content	Screening and selection – how do we hire people who have the right values and bring a skill set that will easily facilitate their use of the practice behaviors? Training – how to ensure all staff receive orientation to Adult Services and on-going training Coaching – how to provide staff, supervisors, managers and leaders with coaching to translate the practice and leadership behaviors to actual practice. Understanding your staff learning styles. Modeling – how to ensure leaders, managers and supervisors are modeling the leadership behaviors to provide a critical parallel process for how they want staff to work with families. Strength-based approach Discuss the strength finder assessment: StandOut Strengths Assessment https://www.tmbc.com/standout-assessment CliftonStrengths Assessment https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/252137/home.aspx VIA Character Strengths Survey https://www.viacharacter.org/survey/account/register Discuss Adaptive Leadership Approach and how it can be beneficial to developing a strong leadership team. Discussion on workforce strategies: Article: American Public Human Services Association (2010)… link
Coaching Session	The coach will review the strength finder results with the Director... Reflective questions: Where and what are my strengths? From the assessment, was there anything that surprised me? The areas where I need to improve? What steps can I take to improve? What concerns do I have about our current agency performance evaluation process? Wrap up reflections: What’s currently working well? What are your worries? What needs to happen next? Coach works with Director to identify activities and opportunities before next session. Coach ends the session by reviewing next module LOs and planning upcoming activities.
Activities	What resources and services exist for professional development? Is coaching available? Are performance evaluations meaningful? Should the Director have the team complete a strength finder assessment?
Materials	Arizona Adult Protective Services Action Plan (2020) – link Adaptive Leadership Approach article APS TARC Resources: APS TARC \| Specialized Staff Overview
Preparation for next segment	Review video: Keeping Track of Our Most Valuable Resource: Using Workforce Data to Improve Adults Services Programs (9 minutes) https://youtu.be/ODxsZUKGsDA

Segment #3: Recruitment, Screening, Selection, & Hiring LO, Reading and Activities: 1.5 to 2 hours Coaching: 1 hour
Learning Objective	Understand what a comprehensive recruitment and hiring process includes.
Content	CWDA 2006 turnover study recommends: Collect data continuously to track vacancies, turnover, and exit reasons. This will help you identify trends and craft recruitment and retention strategies. Provide realistic job previews. Offer tuition reimbursement as an incentive. Offer increased incentives to Journey and Advanced Journey level Social Workers. They experience burnout at these levels. Offer leadership training and mentoring as an incentive. Expand recruitment efforts to non-traditional local sources. See full report here: The County Welfare Directors Association of California Turnover Study (2006) https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=a31ca0f020f8e818c4cfb15040400f34ef961067801a0da29da19bce4e262130... 2014 County Welfare Director Association Conference CalSWEC: Improving the Child Welfare Workforce by better understanding Employee Retention, Organizational Culture and Climate https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=eaee784139013fed19b37841caa9c416... It is important for the Director to understand their role in the collaboration with Human Resources… Job descriptions… Recruitment: ongoing strategies include: University-agency partnerships Job announcements Early recruiting Continuing education emphasis Personal contact with candidates Engage all management levels Recruit continuously Screening & Self-screening… Web-based screening “Is this work for you?” assessment Telephone screening Application… Interviews… Behavioral questions Commitment assessment Written/verbal vignettes Simulated tasks Skills inventory Discuss Article: American Public Human Services Association, 2010… https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TXP0LFTpee75xSAfDNaK1peuD5KOREcM/view?usp=sharing
Coaching Session	The Coach will review... Reflection questions: After reviewing this segment, what aspects… Which aspect… Do I need any specific learning… What is the current agency recruitment process… Challenges/barriers… Wrap up reflections: What’s working well? What are your worries? What needs to happen next? Based on responses… Coach ends the session…
Activities	Review Strategies for Staff Engagement… https://ncwwi.org/files/CW_Staff_Engagement__Retention_1-pager.pdf Meet with HR colleagues… Individual Exercise: Review job descriptions…
Materials	A Day in the Life of APS Investigator – Sonoma County The Role of Sonoma County Adult Protective Services (APS) A Day in the Life – Arizona Bing Videos Child Welfare Job Preview – California Recruitmentv2.mov Realistic Job Preview – Vimeo https://vimeo.com/97872205 APS Action Plan Adult Protective Services Action Plan (az.gov) APS TARC APS TARC \| Briefs Professional APS Training Recruitment & Retention \| ACL Recruitment & Retention \| ACL Administration for Community Living APSWI Leaders Institute – PDF Microsoft PowerPoint - 2020-11-16 CA ACL Grant Workshop-REVISED HR & Recruitment Trends Human Resources and Recruitment Trends For 2024 Staff Engagement & Retention Article: https://ncwwi.org/files/CW_Staff_Engagement__Retention_1-pager.pdf The County Welfare Directors Association of California Turnover Study (2006): Full Link 2014 CalSWEC Workforce PDF PDF Full Link American Public Human Services Association 2010 Full PDF

Segment #4: Partnerships that Support Workforce Development and Retention LO, Reading and Activities: 1 to 2 hours Coaching: 2 hours
Learning Objective	Organize and oversee collaboration with key workforce development organizations to support agency needs. Working towards maintaining a stable workforce.
Content	An effective leader will have effective working relationships with the following organizations: Schools of Social Work - Find out what Schools of Social Work are in or near your county or state. California has 27 colleges and universities with Master’s Programs in Social Work. 11 of these 27 offer programs emphasizing aging. There are 61 colleges and universities that also offer Bachelor of Social Work degrees. Some agencies facing difficulty finding MSW candidates may want to consider BSW candidates. Your Regional Training Academy (RTA) - California has a network of 3 regional training academies for Adults Services that covers trainings to the state’s 58 counties. These are UC-Davis, Fresno State and San Diego State. For counties RTA designations, use this link for the maps on pages 2–4 Home - NAPSA. APS MSW Stipend Program - . Under the current agreement between CDSS and CalSWEC, the APS MSW Training Program will provide specialized training and stipend support to 50 foundation and advanced-year MSW students at 10 universities in academic year 2023–24 and to 60 students at 12 universities in academic year 2024–25. Planned additional funding allocations will enable the program to serve 100 students at 20 universities each year by academic year 2026–27. Interested MSW students will apply to the APS MSW Training Program one year at a time but may participate for a total of two academic years. APS trainees will be selected by participating in MSW programs through a competitive application process. Selection will highlight applicants’ demonstration of long-term interest in and commitment to work in APS settings. The students are committed to working in Adult Services agency within the state for a minimum of one year for every year of support received. Program Overview \| SDSU National Adult Protective Services Association (NAPSA) – Supporting APS across the country since 1989. A forum for sharing information, solving problems, and improving the quality of services for victims of elder and vulnerable adult mistreatment. Home - NAPSA. NAPSA offers a National Certificate Program and it is highly encouraged for all APS staff to complete 205-The-NAPSA-Certificate-Program.pdf The National APS Training Center (NATC) - serves as a source of quality education for APS professionals throughout the United States. APS professionals encounter a vast array of situations in their daily work that require them to be well trained to respond to older adults and adults with disabilities who may have experienced abuse, neglect, or exploitation. Home \| NATC UC Davis has a Center for Human Services which provides continuing education for Adults Services and other social services professionals. They offer core training based on the National Adult Protective Services Association (NAPSA) curriculum, as well as topics such as policy and practice, aging and long-term care, service plans and cultural competence in adult services. All curriculum reflects current legislation, the latest research and best practices in adult services. Adults and Aging \| Continuing and Professional Education \| Human Services CalSWEC - After 33 years at UC Berkeley, the California Social Work Education Center (CalSWEC) sunset operations at UC Berkeley on June 30, 2024. Programs administered by CalSWEC have transitioned to other host institutions. The Title IV-E Stipend Program is now administered regionally by two new hosts, UC-Davis and UCLA.
Coaching Session	The Coach will review with the Director the various workforce development resources within the region, the state and nationally. Reflection questions: Does your agency have a regular meeting with any of the partners referenced in this segment? If so, do you know the history? What are your thoughts about supporting part-time students at your agency? What are your thoughts about supporting internships at your agency, do you have experience with internships? Think about active steps can you take to develop good relationships with yet another partner — the media — and have positive stories in the news? Wrap up reflections: What’s currently working well or what are your strengths in this area? What are your worries about addressing this area? What needs to happen next so that you feel successful in this area? Based on the responses to these questions the coach should work with the director to identify activities and/or opportunities to try out new behavior and test it over time with a plan to review how things are going with the coach at the next coaching session. Coach ends the session by looking at next module LOs and activities and makes a plan with Director on activities to complete before the next session.
Activities	Get to know the leaders of these organizations. Have an introductory meeting with them and find out what their working relationship with your agency has been like previously, and what kind of relationship they would like. At that meeting or a subsequent meeting, share with them what you have learned about your agency and its workforce development strengths and challenges. Ask for their feedback and about how they might be able to help. Find out how you might be able to support them. Find out if your agency has MSW internships. With what schools? Do the schools have a particular expertise or focus? Think about who else can you partner with, both internally and externally, e.g., local media, to improve staff recruitment and retention? Think about active steps can you take to develop good relationships with yet another partner — the media — and have positive stories in the news?
Materials	Recruitment and Retention \| Child Welfare Information Gateway – although it focuses on child welfare, it has really good briefs and articles about recruiting and retaining. National Adult Protective Services Association (NAPSA) – Supporting APS across the country since 1989. Home - NAPSA. NAPSA offers a National Certificate Program and it is highly encouraged for all APS staff to complete 205-The-NAPSA-Certificate-Program.pdf The National APS Training Center (NATC) - serves as a source of quality education for APS professionals throughout the United States. Home \| NATC
Course summary and wrap up	Following the completion of module 9 the coach will review the professional development plan (PDP) with the Director to make any final updates, additions or changes reinforcing the concept that the PDP is a living and working document that will continually be updated and modified as the Director continues to learn and grow within their position as a Director. The coach will offer themselves as a resource for the Director and will review briefly the materials available to the Director through the course to include the assessment tools, the e-learning modules, the reading materials, and the core practice model website. The coach will ask the following reflective questions: Now that you have completed the course what are your thoughts about the course? Which modules did you find most helpful? Are there modules that you think need additional content, materials, activities or time? What are your thoughts about the total time the course takes? What are your thoughts about the amount of coaching time built into each module? Which modules and activities do you believe best engaged your management/leadership team in your learning process? Are there specific activities that you can highlight as having the most impact for you and your team? How have things changed for you in this role over time? Any additional thoughts or recommendations you have about this course?

NADDP Module 5 Coaching Guide: Workforce Development and Retention

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