Hello, my name is Cheryl Dolan and I work in human services.
I moved from the UK in 1999, when many humans service agencies could not find staff and went overseas to hire them. We still have this problem today. We need to look at why this is and what we can do to change it.
Why is there a shortage in staff?
- More people need support and services than before so need more staff
- Wages are low and not too many ways to get promoted
- Lack of people who are trained to do the job well
How does this affect people?
- People have high turnover or unqualified staff working with them
- People not getting the best care
- Programs have to close, People are losing services or are on wait lists
- Families become stretched and have no help
What are human service agencies doing to address the issue?
- Looking at how technology can be used to support people and reduce some staffing needs
- Working with local and federal government to support them by applying initiatives for state employees to human service agencies
- Looking at how to attract, train, and retain skilled employees.
How can you help fix this?
- Make your voice heard! Make the people you vote for know you want to see increase in funding for wages
- Support agencies seeking increased funding to provide higher wages for staff
- Join advocacy movements like The Caring Force
Additional materials
Who Will Care? The Workforce Crisis
Boston Herald: Opinion Workforce Crisis Threatens Community
Chicago Tribune: Article– Care Worker Shortage