
Twenty Strategies for Building a Strong Workforce
- Create and implement a workforce plan.
- Practice “continuous workforce improvement.”
- Provide wages and benefits commensurate with educational requirements and level of responsibility.
- Include clients and their family members as providers and workforce educators.
- Train all medical and social service staff to assess and treat persons with behavioral health conditions.
- Increase diversity within the workforce.
- Systematically recruit individuals to join the workforce (and “start young” in recruitment efforts).
- Systematically retain workers in their jobs and in the workforce.
- Identify essential workforce competencies and use them to inform hiring, orientation, staff development, promotions, and performance reviews.
- Use teaching methods that are evidence-based (and stop torturing workers with teaching methods that are ineffective).
- Adopt computer-assisted instruction and distance learning as teaching aids.
- Update the content of training programs and curricula frequently.
- Teach all members of the workforce about mental health AND ADDICTIONS.
- Prepare workers to function in teams.
- Supervise and support workers.
- Develop career ladders for worker advancement.
- Continually develop the skills of supervisors, managers, and leaders.
- Strengthen your human resource and staff development infrastructure.
- Document, evaluate, and share workforce improvement strategies.
- Advocate for additional resources to strengthen your workforce.