West Michigan Community Mental Health System Workforce Strategies
Healthcare Industry
Community Mental Health
Organizations Involved
West Michigan CMHA
Occupations Involved
Occupations Requiring an MSW; Psychiatrists; Counselors; Psychologists; Other: Peer Support Specialists
Workforce Development Focus
Increasing number of healthcare workers AND healthcare workforce retention
Workforce Issues Addressed
Training individuals to work in a healthcare profession; Providing a benefit or incentive that encourages individuals to pursue a healthcare profession; Increasing wages and/or benefits for current healthcare professionals; Increasing work and/or workplace flexibility for current healthcare professionals; Expanding career and/or professional development opportunities of current healthcare professionals; Opportunity for educational reimbursement
Description
West Michigan Community Mental Health System has implemented several workforce recruitment initiatives including credential flexibility for new staff as appropriate, hosting internships, participating in job and university fairs, and marketing campaigns. To increase staff retention, they have implemented new supervision models, encouraged professional development opportunities, and provided staff retention and referral bonuses, in addition to offering loan forgiveness, daycare, and a competitive benefits package.