Workforce experts nationally have been warning of a workforce crisis in the field of social work for years. To the OPEA DHS Council, it really comes at no surprise. What is surprising to the council is that very few DHS employees seem willing to work to solve the crisis.
“Just look around any DHS office and you can see the coming crisis,” said DHS Council Chair Jim Darst. “retirement of many older workers and the constant difficulty in recruiting and retaining new workers leaves no question that the workforce that is providing for the health and welfare of many Oklahoman’s will be only a fraction of what it is today very soon.”
According to some national groups, the workforce is dwindling rapidly. According to a recent study by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, “workers are retiring from the field and getting replaced by a cohort that is smaller. The next generation of workers has little interest in pursuing careers in social services considering the positions generally pay little more than minimum wage and involve a great amount of responsibility, exposure to tragic events and little recognition.”
“One thing that makes this job very unappealing,” said OPEA Executive Director, Sterling Zearley, “is the incredibly low status assigned to it. We like to say we care about families and kids in Oklahoma, but according to the U.S. Department of Labor, social services are consistently the lowest paid industry.”
Zearley said that according to most recent compensation report from the Office of Personnel Management, Social Service Specialist I lags the market by 15.78% while Child Welfare Specialist II’s lag behind by 14.52%.
Low salaries and lack of recognition lead to increased turnover. “The one thing that keeps social workers coming back is the hope that they can make a difference,” said DHS Board member Pat Dill. “Many times the agency does not have the resources to do the job the way it should be done.” Turnover rates nationally hover around 40%.
According to the Office of Personnel Management, DHS in Oklahoma does not fair any better. “Child Welfare Specialists and the Social Service Specialist turnover rates are 30 percent and 26 percent respectively,” said Zearley. “You have some of the most critical work in Oklahoma being done to save families and help Oklahoman’s have the best chance at meaningful lives, yet the people providing the service are ridiculously underpaid and underappreciated. And, because of the turnover, they’re ridiculously overworked, because they have to do someone else’s job when other workers quit.”
It is a vicious circle that OPEA wants to break.
One issue that is being worked through is hiring process. “It simply takes too long,” said Zearley. “We need to adopt a less bureaucratic process that allows the agency to hire directly from the colleges and to keep interested and qualified workers at the ready so when there is a vacancy, DHS can move in a new employee in immediately.’
But that is just the beginning he said. “The state has to respond with major salary increases for these positions and many others in DHS. Workers don’t expect to get rich in their field but simply to be recognized and the state should send a strong signal that Oklahoma is going to change the status of these jobs. Money is a strong signal.”
Another common problem that has been identified to OPEA is promotions. Promotion is often the only way to earn a raise. Workers are forced to choose between a job they may really enjoy or applying for a supervisory position they may not want. OPEA is suggesting that DHS consider adding three rungs to the social service jobs as well as pay. “Several years ago in New York,” said Zearley, “the state added 3 rungs and cut the turnover in half.”
WHAT CAN YOU DO? Three things!
First, the DHS Council has put together a survey to begin to gather information from the field. You may take the survey by CLICKING HERE.
Second, get everyone in your DHS office to join OPEA and begin participating locally in a chapter or in starting one at your office. Unity of purpose and voice is the best chance for changing the current situation.
Finally, get your local chapter active in participating in the OPEA DHS Council. The council meets quarterly before meeting in the afternoon with the Director. The DHS Council will be the focal point for ideas, discussions and strategies to implement all the ideas for improving the social service field.
For more information, call Trish Frasier at 1-800-880-6732 or e-mail, trishf@opea.org.
Posted on
Monday, January 28, 2008
by Scott Barger