Policy & Practice | February 2022

PRESIDENT’S MEMO continued from page 3

reverberating throughout the work- force, with a particular strain on staff directly responsible for working with impacted families. Comprehensive approaches to the health and well-being of the workforce have gained more traction in recent years (see, for example, our “Igniting the Potential” series in 2018), and there have been many examples of agencies increasing staff morale and retention rates as investments are made and staff feel valued as true partners in the work. When COVID-19 struck, many jurisdictions were just undertaking these endeavors—and while the pandemic understandably halted some of those efforts, it rapidly accelerated change in others. Hybrid and remote work environ- ments have become more of a norm, at least for parts of the health and human services workforce, with many agencies vowing to keep those options open for workers post pandemic. We have also seen the rapid deployment of new technology—in some cases accel- erating three-year planned rollouts to a fraction of that time. The experience of the pandemic has also heightened awareness that human services workers are part of the essential workforce, and must be supported accordingly. As we look to the future, one thing remains clear—the issues are complex and multidimensional. Achieving solutions requires our understanding that some issues are rooted in the chronic lack of investment in the workforce, others shaped by the changing dynamics and expectations of the workforce itself, and still others directly impacted by the cumulative stressors that the pandemic has layered onto an already challenging work envi- ronment. Staff at all levels of the public health and human services workforce, and the community partners they work alongside, are experiencing the realities of working under prolonged stress from extreme demand on the human services system, coupled with a growing distrust of government, as well as countless other factors weighing heavily on society.

the community, we can solve problems together.” Today, those words feel truer than ever. The way forward requires ingenuity, intentionality, and adaptability. We have witnessed what’s possible when we come together to share our learn- ings and innovations. To this end, we seek your stories of innovation and impact: What is helping your organization get under- neath the needs of the workforce, and adapt to those needs quickly and effectively? What efforts in continuous quality improvement are making a dif- ference, and how does the workforce itself contribute to continuous learning and growth? What changes spurred from the pandemic are you working to keep? How are you approaching enhancing and embedding those practice and operational changes? What are you seeing as the biggest pressure points for the workforce now and into the next few years? How are you assessing what’s a temporary gap versus a long-term need? What invest- ments are being made through ARPA or other dollars? For our part at APHSA, we are com- mitted to sharing practical resources for leaders that support individual and organizational workforce health and well-being. Our Organizational Effectiveness team has continued to distill lessons from on-the-ground experiences of health and human services agencies and will be sharing new tools (and a new learning man- agement platform) this spring. And, to help increase awareness of the contributions of human services workers worldwide, be on the lookout for shared stories of impact with our partners at the European Social Network (details coming soon). If you have a workforce story to share with your peers across the country, please contact Jessica Garon at jgaron@aphsa.org.

For the human services system to prevent issues before they happen and help advance economic mobility, we must trust and invest in the very people we all rely on to do the work day in and day out. And the time is ripe for doing so. As states and localities make key investment decisions with the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars, the human services workforce should be front and center, and include the community-based organizations that are integral to the human services delivery system. In 2018, I wrote the following as part of our “Igniting the Potential” series: “When we see and engage the human services workforce as helping “ unlock and ignite human potential,” we both energize and honor our workforce and we create an important mindset shift about their role in partnership with families and communities. When we can create an authentic sense of con- nectedness between the workforce and cumulative stressors that the pandemic has layered onto analready challengingwork environment. Achieving solutions requires our understanding that some issues are rooted in the chronic lack of investment in theworkforce, others shaped by the changing dynamics and expectations of theworkforce itself, and still others directly impacted by the

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February 2022 Policy&Practice