Policy & Practice October 2018

with agencies who are further along the road in addressing workforce challenges will inform us and allow us to better understand potential successes as well as challenges. 6. Through the development of orga- nizational needs assessments and consultations, we hope to provide county and state agencies with a personalized toolbox of offerings that can meet the cultural needs of each organization. 7. The H/HS toolbox will also include specifically tailored trainings, executive coaching, and assistance with installing health and well- being programming. Interventions will be designed based in the data collected. These evidence-based programs will be designed using the latest research in social neuro- science and best practices. 8. If study data reveal the need to rebrand H/HS cultures, we intend to address this process. Community education would then follow to provide a realistic understanding of H/HS work and its impact on both workforce and community members. 9. The definition of “first responders” may need to be expanded to include more H/HS professionals. Our H/HS workforce interacts and intervenes daily, often as the first line of contact. Also, the work expectations of H/HS profes- sionals during community crises, disasters, and critical incidents fall squarely within first responder responsibilities. 10. And even more data! We need baseline metrics, ongoing assess- ments, and post-intervention data. The goal is to measure outcomes and assess program effectiveness in order to inform and guide orga- nizational cultures in the most adaptive ways. We have come a long way from those days when the word “stress” threatened organizations. Igniting the Potential is a timely initiative as community needs and demands increase across the nation. I am excited to have come full circle. There is power in patience. Once again, “no” really did mean “not yet!” The time has arrived.

funding. Research consistently shows a significant return on investment when organizations focus on employee well-being. There are direct correla- tions between healthier workforces and employee satisfaction, motivation, meaning, and creativity. Organizations also report reductions in worker’s compensation and disability claims, as well as in absenteeism. In other words, healthy workforces serve their commu- nities more efficiently and effectively. Not surprisingly, the invitation to partner with APHSA was not only a great honor but also a fantastic culmi- nation of a long career committed to building workforces that thrive, not merely survive. A lot of us spend many hours at work for many years. Don’t we all deserve to feel productive, engaged, excited, and purposeful? In his article about data and analytics (see page 12), Phil Basso eloquently discusses their actual value—not as dictates, but as adaptive guides for us all to use. After a search of the relevant literature, our team discovered that there is minimal data collected, to date, on the health status of the H/HS work- force. Research on social determinants, those aspects of work-life that impact H/HS physical and psychological health, is also limited. We are gaining more and more clarity in this beginning stage of the Igniting the Potential initiative. Let me share a bit of what we know so far, our proposed research questions, and what we hope to offer: 1. We need data! What is the current state of H/HS workforce health and well-being? What are the primary health concerns? We aren’t sure yet. 2. We need more data! What aspects of H/HS work specifically impact (both positively and negatively) workforce health and well-being? 3. Once we have data, we need ana- lytics. The critical examination and analyses of all the data will inform and guide how we build an H/HS toolbox for individual and organiza- tional health and well-being. 4. We need H/HS experts! Building a national advisory committee of selected H/HS professionals will be invaluable to our efforts. 5. We don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Utilizing bridge building

stress, burnout, and secondary trauma. What was also striking were the high levels of empathy in the individuals I met. They truly desired to help, but often experienced helplessness. Many discussed their diagnoses, physical and psychological health challenges, as well as how the work affected their personal lives. Staff members reported significant frustra- tion when struggling with individual and organizational limitations as they attempted to meet client and customer needs. Management and staff consis- tently reported retention as a primary challenge and discussed issues they experienced while trying to solve the problem of keeping employees on staff. After a couple of years of bearing witness and collecting data, I felt com- pelled to share my concerns about the H/HS workforce. As a social scientist, I greatly understand the limitations of anecdotal evidence. However, the similar stories, frustrations, and symptoms I was consistently hearing about were clearly beyond coincidence. Many agreed with my assessment and evaluations. Despite the overwhelming entrenched H/HS cultural norms, I nonetheless met leaders who were already struggling and committed to updating their cultures. They were experiencing an urgency to focus on workforce health and well-being. I could feel it was the beginning of a movement. It would just take time. And then it was time! Health and human services leaders all over the nation began to identify their concerns for workforce health and well-being as well as the need for intervention. I have had the opportunity to work in those county and state agencies that were already traveling down this dual focused road—both looking outward to those served and also looking inward to those who choose to be in service. They were already reaping benefits. They reported increases in retention, staff morale, as well as employee engagement and productivity. It is now clear that addressing staff needs as they work tirelessly to better their communities will increase their impact. Additionally, attending to workforce needs will allow us to be even better stewards of government

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October 2018   Policy&Practice