Community of Practice: Health Center Workforce Resiliency and Retention

The opioid epidemic and COVID-19 pandemic have shined an uncomfortable spotlight on the long-standing shortage of primary and behavioral health care professionals and paraprofessionals, particularly among communities of color and in urban, rural, geographically remote, and otherwise underserved communities. These professionals and paraprofessionals have never been needed more: the COVID-19 pandemic has caused an increase in depression and alcohol consumption and drastically exacerbated overdose deaths throughout the United States. These extraordinary circumstances have created undue stress on the healthcare workforce. 

This biweekly, 8-session CoP will provide resources and approaches that can be used within community health center settings to build primary and behavioral health care workforce resilience, as well as strategies for enhancing employee recruitment, engagement, and retention. Examples of self-care techniques and exercises that healthcare workers can use will also be shared. Topics will include low- and no-cost approaches that healthcare settings can use to improve staff retention, boost morale, and reduce stress and burnout. Below is a list of the titles for each CoP session:

1. CoP Orientation and Brief Content Overview
2. Organizational Factors Affecting Workforce Engagement, Resilience, and Retention
3. Managers and Employee Engagement, Retention, and Resilience
4. Individual Practices and Factors Affecting Engagement, Resilience, and Well-being
5. Workforce Values and Recruitment, Well-being, and Retention
6. Changing Practices: Assessment and Planning 
7. Changing Practice: Implementing Change
8. Recruitment, Resilience, Retention Presentations