'A human resources crisis' - Staffing shortage moves Community Action to 4-day work week

Reducing the work week from five to four days was one of two options to address the staffing crisis at Community Action Wayne/Medina, said James Fox, CEO and president of the agency.  

If changes weren't made, it would continue to bleed veteran employees without attracting new hires, Fox said. 

With fewer staff, services like Head Start preschool program classrooms would close in the fall and accept fewer students. 

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"I call it a human resources crisis," Fox said. "Recruitment is a big issue but retention is the biggest problem."

Social service agencies across Ohio are struggling to balance the needs of their limited and shrinking workforces with the needs of those they serve.

While some are unable to make such a large change without reducing accessibility for services, some agencies, such as Community Action Wayne/Medina and Great Lakes Community Action, believe it will enhance accessibility while attracting and retaining staff. 

Increased demand meets a low supply of trained staff

Like Community Action, many area social service agencies are facing an employee deficit, said Bobbi Douglas, executive director of OneEighty. 

From trained therapists to maintenance staff, OneEighty has needed workers since before the pandemic, she said.

"There have been less and less people going into the field (of behavioral health) over the years," she said. 

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From low entry-level pay to the high cost of extensive education, Douglas understands why few people want to enter the field. 

Unattractive job prospects combined with the COVID-19 pandemic, a resurgent opioid epidemic and increased mental health care demands have increasingly strained the sector, according to a report from the Ohio Council of Behavioral Health and Family Services Providers.

Nearly 82% of 68 behavioral health agencies found it "very difficult" to find employees between Aug. and Oct. 2021 while 54% found it "somewhat difficult" to retain employees in that time period, according to the study.

The staffing shortage and increased demand has resulted in increased wait times, the study, published in Dec. 2021, showed.

The was a 353% increased demand for behavioral health treatment between 2013 and 2019 at 68 Ohio agencies, according to the study.

The largest increases were in adult and youth mental health and crisis services followed by adult substance use disorder programs. 

By 2021, wait times had largely increased at those 68 agencies.

Around 30% of the agencies reported that wait times "increased a lot" for adult mental health while nearly 35% reported increased wait times for youth mental health services.

Wait times for youth and adult mental health programs "increased some" for 34% and 30% of agencies respectively. 

Nearly one third of agencies reported wait times had "increased some" for adult substance use disorder and youth substance use disorder services, the study said. 

OneEighty grapples with staffing shortage

These numbers reflect the situation at OneEighty where Douglas has changed benefit plans and increased salaries with available funding to attract new hires and retain existing employees. 

To further bolster the ranks, Douglas hopes to hire interns and employees straight out of college.

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"We've created a new position that will coordinate with colleges and universities to attract new interns who can be hired after they graduate," she said. "We already have a few master's-level interns and bachelor's-level interns coming this fall.

OneEighty also participates in student loan forgiveness programs, Douglas said. This incentivizes students to join the behavioral health industry to cancel student debt.

Douglas also hopes that an anticipated $85 million of behavioral health funding will help the staffing situation. 

Announced in early May by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, the funding will pull from federal dollars to make education more affordable while making paid internships a reality, according to a press release from the governor's office.

For Douglas, a work-life balance at a fun workplace is among her top priorities to attract new hires, but a four-day work week remains out of reach.

OneEighty provides a slew of services ranging from mental health to housing support, making it a hard switch without shrinking programs, she said.

"Never say never, but we need to be available for people," Douglas said.

From five-day work weeks to four

In May, Fox decided to risk the four-day work week. Starting on June 6 for Community Action's main offices, they are now open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

This switch will allow Head Start programs to remain five days a week, he said. 

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"I think the shorter work week will enhance access because Head Start classrooms are based on staff rotations," Fox said.

Pick-up and drop-off locations for forms and applications are available 24/7 along with online submissions, he said. 

The four-day week is not new to Community Action Wayne/Medina as the housing staff work four days.

"It seems to work well for them," he said. "With this model, I expect us to exceed what we are doing now."

While the decision to shorten the work week was practical, Fox explained, he believes that shorter work weeks are better for employees.

"I've always seen the impact of the work-life balance and integration, and many times I've seen it get out of sync in past jobs," he said. "People will have more time for family, hobbies, working out or to start a second job."

Fox said there were more job applications submitted than normal in the weeks leading up to the June 6 switch date.

Reach Bryce by email at bbuyakie@gannett.com

On Twitter: @Bryce_Buyakie