Recruitment, retention, and training—the three most challenging issues facing community human services organizations. Now supervisors, managers, and administrators have a practical guidebook for facing these challenges and staffing their agencies with dedicated, motivated direct support professionals. Each chapter of this easy-to-read handbook focuses on a critical workforce issue such as recruiting and hiring employees, socializing and supporting staff, strengthening commitment and skills through mentoring programs, building effective teams, fostering diversity and cultural competence, and designing and surviving organizational change.
With the sensible, easy-to-implement suggestions in this invaluable book, readers will sharpen their managerial expertise, reduce turnover, and build a more committed, skilled staff.
Sheryl A. Larson, Ph.D., has 23 years of experience in providing services to individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities as a residential counselor, behavior analyst, program evaluator, consultant, personal advocate and researcher. She earned a B.A. in psychology and elementary education from Bethel College in St. Paul, Minnesota, and an M.A. and Ph.D. in educational psychology from the University of Minnesota, College of Education and Human Development. Her dissertation examined factors associated with turnover in small group home settings. She is Research Director and a principal investigator at the Research and Training Center on Community Living, where she has worked since 1987, directing projects involving survey and intervention research, secondary analysis of large data sets, and research synthesis on residential services, personnel issues, disability statistics, and community integration for individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities. Dr. Larson has authored or coauthored more than 100 publications on those topics.
Amy S. Hewitt, M.S.W., Ph.D., has an extensive background and work history in the field of developmental disabilities and has worked in various positions over the past 23 years, including as a residential Program Director and Director of Training. She is currently Research Associate and Director of Interdisciplinary Training at the University of Minnesota, Institute on Community Integration, where she directs several federal and state research, evaluation, and demonstration projects in the areas of direct support professional (DSP) workforce development and community human services for people with disabilities. Dr. Hewitt is a national leader in the area of workforce development and community supports for individuals with developmental disabilities.
