Authors: Philip Williams, Angie Vick, Carlie Robertson
Year: 2017
Event: 2017 TheMHS Conference
Subject: Funding – Changing Models, Systems,Workforce
Type of resource: Conference Presentations and Papers
Abstract: The increasing scope of practice required to compete for contracts in the community sector is changing the staffing mix of not for profit organisations (Fitzgerald et al, 2014). This requires an organisation to attract (and retain) clinically experienced staff or develop (and retain) early career clinicians against multiple barriers. Colleran et al (2010) identifies that the remuneration for clinicians working in the not for profit sector is often significantly lower than their counterparts working in the for profit or government sectors. In addition to this many not for profit positions do not offer the job security of state health supported positions. Given this disparity why do clinicians choose to work in the not for profit sector? And how do you retain experienced staff during periods of funding instability?
This presentation will explore the motivations and experience of a range of allied health professionals including occupational therapists, nurses and social workers with varying levels of expertise who chose to leave the state health system to work for a new early psychosis initiative in the not for profit sector. In addition, it will explore why staff chose to stay with the service during a period of funding instability and rapid change over the previous 2 and half years.
Attracting and retaining experienced clinical staff is not easy in a competitive market however keeping the grass green on your side of the fence is still possible.
Learning Objectives
Learning Objective 1: To communicate the motivations for experienced clinical staff to leave government sector jobs to take up employment opportunities in a not for profit organisation.
Learning Objective 2: To discuss the factors that assisted in retaining experienced staff in the not for profit sector.
References
Colleran N, Gilchrist DJ and Morris CL (2010). Staff retention factors in the non-profit sector: An examination of a West Australian organisation. Third Sector Review, 16(3), pg 43-61
Fitzgerald S, Rainnie AI, Good C and Morris L (2014). The restructuring of WA human services and its implications for the not-for-profit sector. Australian Journal of Social Issues, 49(4), pg 509-528
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