The Council is proud to announced the release of its latest report created in collaboration with the University of Massachusetts Donahue Institute (UMDI), Stretched to Capacity: The Workforce Crisis in Human Services.
This report examines the current state of the human services workforce in Massachusetts, including employment, vacancy rates, structural factors driving the workforce crisis, and the consequences for individuals, families, and communities. It also considers how federal immigration and work-authorization policies are affecting the workforce landscape.
Yesterday, the Council’s Annual Membership and Business Meeting featured a presentation of the report’s findings from Sarah Young, UMDI Senior Research Analyst, and a panel discussion, moderated by Kathleen Jordan, Seven Hills Foundation president/CEO.
The panel featured Ken Brown, assistant secretary of employer engagement and employment outcomes, Executive Office of Labor & Workforce Development; Vanessa Henry, human resources director, NFI Massachusetts; Sen. Robyn Kennedy, chair of the Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities (First Worcester District); and Jean Yang, president and CEO of Vinfen.
“Lots of markets—when there’s some problem, some disconnect, some disparity—you can throw market forces at it, and it will correct itself. That doesn’t happen here,” Yang shared during the panel discussion. “We have providers who have experienced a loss of workforce, but we’re not going to flee the people we serve. So you get to a point where the pressure just accumulates until it reaches a breaking point. And we feel we’re pretty close to that breaking point. That’s why this kind of conversation, empowered by this kind of data, is so critical.”
The Council is thankful to the dedicated research team at UMDI, Christina Citino and Sarah Young, as well as the insight and focus of the esteemed Research Committee members; Craig Gordon, Communities for People; Kathleen Jordan, Seven Hills Foundation; Deb O’Brien, Community Resources for Justice; Sean Rose, Thrive Support & Advocacy; Lauren Solotar, May Institute; Chris White, Road to Responsibility; and Jean Yang, Vinfen.
Again, the report is available to download on the Council’s website, click here.
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