DirectConnect: A Guide to A Direct Care Career Jennifer Rabalais, - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

DirectConnect: A Guide to A Direct Care Career

Jennifer Rabalais, MA Project Director Institute on Disability University of New Hampshire

DirectConnect

• 3 year, $2.9 million dollar grant funded by the

Department of Labor

• Addresses multiple issues in the direct care

workforce

• Including issues around current and projected

workforce shortages, training and retention

• DirectConnect presents a multi-prong approach

to these issues across all populations

Background

NH Coalition for the Direct Care Workforce

• Formed in 2007
• Identify workforce related issues
• Propose solutions, shape policy
• Broad base of stakeholders represented

Carsey Institute

• In 2009 created a policy brief entitled “Home Care

Workers: Keeping Granite Staters in Their Home as They Age”

DirectConnect

March 2010 DOL grant is awarded

• UNH Institute on Disability
• Grant focus: 3 main areas.
• Workforce recruitment
• Training and education
• Retention of workers in home and community

based settings

Recruitment

• Comprehensive career awareness campaign

that focuses on the value of the work and highlights the benefits of many direct care positions.

• Direct care workers: can make a significant

difference in the lives of others. Work is meaningful and can be very fulfilling.

• Outreach campaign includes use of a dedicated

website, posters, brochures, public service announcements, and print advertisements.

• Development of a cross sector career lattice

Training and Education

• Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute (PHI)
• The College of Direct Support
• NH Community College System
• Lutheran Social Services Refugee

Resettlement Program

• Connect NH formerly Granite State Distance

Learning Network (GSDLN)

Training and Education

Granite State Distance Learning Network (GSDLN)

• UNH non-profit bringing affordable distance learning

technologies to all areas of New Hampshire

• Used as part of the College of Direct Support

implementation allowing for facilitated discussion among staff throughout New Hampshire

• Other trainings will be made available using this

technology

Retention

• Examination of best practices related

to increased retention of workers and creation of 2-3 briefs that will be included as part of a tool kit for employers.

• PHI training offered through the grant.
• Development of a Direct Care Career

Lattice

Career Lattice

• Designed to be a graphic

representation of potential career paths within the direct care workforce.

• “Up is not the only way”
• Career lattice will be used for

addressing retention, awareness/recruitment campaign, skills standards collaboration.

Industry Career Lattices

Industry Career Lattices:

• attract individuals to an industry by showing

potential career progression beyond entry points

• focus workforce development efforts
• show workers how different jobs interconnect

within careers in an industry

• inform workers about the training, education,

and developmental experiences that would enable them to accomplish their career

• bjectives.

A Guide to a Direct Care Career

Interactive web version

http://client.millennium-im.com/direct_connect/careerguide_002.html

How we are using the Career Lattice

• Recruitment-

 attract individuals to the direct care industry by

showing potential career progression beyond entry points

 Change public perception of direct care positions as

“dead end jobs”

• Retention-

 Keep workers in the industry rather than leave for

another industry

 Encourage development of organizational career

lattices

Why create an Organizational career lattice?

• Challenging times create opportunity to

build employee commitment and loyalty

• Pro-active planning leads to better decision

making

• Demonstrates commitment to employees
• Not costly to create a career lattice
• Turnover IS costly

Why employees leave

Linking career lattices to retention

• Employees don’t need to look

elsewhere for career development

• pportunities
• Attention to employees

needs/interests builds loyalty and commitment

How to create an Organizational Career Lattice

• Organize a team or committee to

develop the career lattice

• List jobs within your organization
• Decide on format or layout for

graphic view

Creating a career lattice

• Create a visual/graphic

representation that portrays your structure showing each job and possible paths to and from it.

Creating a career lattice

• Include tasks and responsibilities of the
• position. Include educational and

experience requirements

• Create competencies and critical

development include knowledge, skills and abilities

• Review with non members of work group
• Identify and address system and cultural

barriers

• Communicate, distribute, disseminate!

Supporting a Career Lattice

• Organizational culture needs to support the

career lattice

 Attract and hire people with the potential to

grow who also share the organization's values

 Train and nurture them  Promote them  Keep their skills up to date  Honor, recognize and reward them regularly

and consistently

 Maintain a culture of community, teamwork,

mutual respect and lifelong learning.

Resources for building career lattices

 Career One Stop: Competency

Model Clearinghouse

http://www.careeronestop.org/CompetencyModel/

 O*Net: tool to design ladders/lattices

http://www.onetcenter.org/ladders.htm.

Summary

The DirectConnect project team is available to discuss your specific needs and help you determine how to best leverage this exciting resource. Contact information: https://directconnectnh.org careers@directconnectnh.org 1-855-MyNewCareer (855-696-3922).

THANK YOU!

Questions