Policy & Practice | Spring 2024

Beyond the practical support are the impacts on worker well-being— another critical component of retention and recruitment. Haley Grimm, social service worker/intake investigator for Jackson County JFS, says she feels safe and seen by having a trusted profes sional to talk to who knows her work and has navigated similar situations. “Case Aide Services has definitely helped with my stress level and my well-being,” Haley said. “I don’t have as many things that I have to do. It’s not as overwhelming.” Walker says Case Aide Services gives Jackson County JFS workers the support they need to be successful. “It’s not a luxury. It’s more of a necessity now to have that additional support to do this work,” she said. “The peace of mind of knowing that they had help has just been such an added value. It’s irreplaceable.” Proactive n You are bold and fearless because you give power to the process and not to your response. n You are action-oriented and ensure that the hard topics get discussed and are often comfortable with the uncomfortable. Collaborative n You empower and encourage others to connect and seek diverse perspectives. n You accept different ideas, input, and suggestions to meet the mission of the organization. Clarity n You are unwavering, clear, and concise in your communication with others. n You take a clear stand on issues and know that communication is the building block to solid performance.

maximizing outcomes for all children and families that we serve in our human services organizations. Donna L. Wilson , PhD, LPC, is the Director of Operations and Community Engagement for Child and Family Services at WellPower and Co-Chair of the APHSA Equity,

To activate these

nine elements, consider building an “Inclusive Roadmap.” 2 This roadmap will include using SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) goals and enlisting an accountability partner or mentor. Know that the journey of becoming an inclusive leader might be messy

Leading Upstream: Cultivating an Inclusive Leadership Stance to Promote Well-Being Your Roadmap to Success

Inclusive Leadership

APHSA 2024

Donna L. Wilson, Ph.D., LPC

Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (EDIB) Peer Community.

at times. There will be cultural stum bling blocks because you will make mistakes. Keep in mind that it’s not the mistake that matters most, but how you recover. Inclusive leaders always have a recovery plan when missteps happen. Most important, remember that an inclusive leader is focused on

Reference Notes 1. Adapted from Trust Matters: Leadership for Successful Schools (2014) by Megan Tschannen-Moran. 2. https://bit.ly/WilsonRoadmap

FROM OUR PARTNERS continued from page 5

Providing systemized support for caseworkers is one of many strategies that can make a difference, as well as: n Prioritizing safety culture. Create a workplace culture that’s grounded in psychological safety—one where workers feel connected, engaged, and accepted—to help protect workers from emotional exhaustion and secondary trauma. n Aligning benefits with worker well-being. Rethink benefits from a wellness perspective, such as offering stipends that employees can use to support their mental health or mandating well-being through paid time off. n Providing purpose-built tech nology. Allow workers more time to do the mission-driven work they signed up to do. Demonstrating that an agency is committed to helping workers grow as both people and professionals is critical for retention and supporting safety culture. Moving Forward Jackson County JFS’ story brings to life how agencies of any size or staffing level can benefit from having an added

layer of support to help them meet program goals. Healthy, engaged, and supported workers have more time and energy to promote child and family well-being and drive deeper system change that is critically important to providing holistic, equitable services. Investing in your workers’ well-being can have ripple effects beyond just those that you employ. It can also positively impact the community you serve. Laura Haffield is the Director of Advocacy at Northwoods. She draws on her experience in public child welfare to be the bridge between Northwoods’ internal teams and the human services agencies they partner with. Reference Notes 1. Colorado General Assembly, Joint Budget Committee. (2023). FY 2024–25 Long Bill Human Services Fiscal Year 2024–25 Joint Budget Committee Recommendations. https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/ files/fy2024-25_humbrf2.pdf 2. National Child Welfare Workforce Institute, https://ncwwi.org/files/-- Documents/Child_Welfare_CAN_Address_ Burnout.pdf

Empowering a Sustainable Workforce

Stabilizing the human services work force takes a multipronged approach and a deep understanding of contribu tors of retention, along with innovative strategies for recruitment.

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