Walker Diversity Task Force reviews data from recent cultural competence assessment

The Walker Diversity Task Force met this week to review data from recent the cultural competence assessment. Broad themes emerging from the data are encouraging and seem to indicate that staff and families believe Walker is a respectful place where diversity is respected.  But the data also suggest several ways that Walker can continue to become more culturally competent:

• Employees at all levels of the organization, but clinicians especially, want to better understand and address the impact of culture on delivering quality programs and services
•  Although Walker has a diverse workforce, there is little diversity among staff at the supervisory and management levels
•  Policies at all levels of the organization should support the provision of services in a culturally competent manner and support the growth and development of a culturally competent staff, management, and Board of Directors.

 To begin to address the areas identified for improvement, Walker has taken several action steps:

•  We have planned and implemented Phase I of a new employee mentoring program to help make sure that each new employee has an “equal chance” of success at Walker.
•  We have started planning Phase II of the mentoring program (scheduled for implementation in July, 2010) aimed at helping all employees, but particularly diverse employees, achieve professional growth and development.  A particular focus is of this program is to provide more “real” opportunities for increased education, both formal and informal.
•  We have planned focus groups to elicit additional information from the assessment tool that can be used to improve policy and program.  Based on the data from the cultural competence assessment, we would like additional information from clinical staff, child care workers, and program administrators.
•  We have begun planning for Walker Professional Day in March, 2010, the focus of which will be cultural competence.  Data from the focus groups will be used in the planning of this day, and is scheduled to include an all staff session and smaller “break out” groups based on job function within the organization.

Walker employees can review the detailed preliminary findings from the Cultural Competence Assessment, completed last June . The Walker Diversity Task Force is scheduled to meet five times during the school year. If you have questions about the assessment, the task force, or would like more information about the initiative, please contact task force co-chairs Deborah O’Toole or Monique Marshall-Veale.

Report on the 2009 Employee Satisfaction Survey and Action Plan

Every year, Walker employees are asked to complete an employee satisfaction survey in an effort to quantitatively measure the experience of working at Walker, in each of its divisions, programs, and professional services.

The data that results from this survey are used to assess Walker employee satisfaction in six key areas: professional development, supervision and performance management, work environment, compensation and benefits, communication, and an employee’s overall experience at work.

The Walker Ombuds Office produces reports from these data that highlight areas of strength and areas of concern, and offer recommendations to the Walker Board of Directors, executive leadership, and program leadership.

Several themes emerged in the 2009 survey that will be addressed in an action plan that was presented last month to the Board of Directors:

•   Greater than 80% of all employees continue to be satisfied with their jobs and proud to work at Walker.

•   To varying degrees, Walker employees express discontent with Walker’s compensation and benefits package. Although Walker must address this issue, it must be done in a strategic way that leaves the agency less vulnerable to market conditions while preserving competitive rates of compensation and attractive employee benefits, especially health care and retirement.

•   Communication between and among departments, divisions, and senior managers has improved over time, but there are some inconsistent results that should be addressed. • Employees consistently believe that they are receiving the training necessary to do their job but are not satisfied with current opportunities for professional growth and development.

•   Employees are generally satisfied with the level of supervision they receive, but this is inconsistent with data from exit interviews.

The entire report and action plan is available for all Walker employees to review. Staff can contact the human resources department with further questions and concerns.

Tuition Remission can make college classes affordable for Walker employees seeking an undergraduate degree

Walker has partnered with the Massachusetts Council of Human Service Providers in an effort to make tuiton remission available to Walker employees who wish to enroll in classes for college credit.  The Providers’ Council is a human service trade association founded in 1975 that represents hundreds of health and human services agencies working with vulnerable populations across the state.

The Tuition Remission Program  is a great way to make progress toward a undergraduate degree while working at Walker. Contact us to find out more, or schedule an appointment with a representative from the Walker human resources office.

The four most frequently asked questions about the Tuition Remission Program:

What classes can I take?
Any undergraduate, state-supported, work-related, or degree-related class at a Massachusetts state college, community college, or university. Your employer approves whether the course is work-related or degree-related (fulfilling a degree requirement). Check the list of schools below for schools you can choose from. Call the school registrar to find out if a class is state-supported.

Tuition Remission means the class is free, right?
No, it means you do not pay for tuition.  You are responsible for the fees for the class, as well as books and other course materials. Check the fees before you sign up for a class. Fees are higher in cost than tuition in Massachusetts public colleges and universities.

 When should I fill out the certificate application?
Thirty to sixty days before the class begins. You may need to start the process earlier if it takes more than a month for your organization to complete the back of the certificate. Many schools will hold the tuition remission registrations aside until the first day of class to make sure full-paying students get in first. The Tuition Remission benefit is on a space-available basis, meaning that after full-paying students have finished registering, if there are empty seats, you can take the class. It takes about one to two weeks for the Tuition Remission certificates to get processed by the Providers’ Council, but about half of that time is time spent in transit (postal delivery).

Which schools accept Tuition Remission?
This is the complete list of participating schools. No private colleges or universities accept tuition remission.

Berkshire Community College
Bridgewater State College
Bristol Community College
Bunker Hill Community College
Cape Cod Community College
Fitchburg State College
Framingham State College
Greenfield Community College
Holyoke Community College
Massachusetts Bay Community College
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts
Massachusetts College of Art
Massasoit Community College
Middlesex Community College
Mt. Wachusett Community College
North Shore Community College
Northern Essex Community College
Quinsigamond Community College
Roxbury Community College
Salem State College
Springfield Technical Community College
University of Massachusetts — Amherst
University of Massachusetts – Boston
University of Massachusetts — Dartmouth
University of Massachusetts – Lowell
Westfield State College
Worcester State College

F.A.Q. reprinted from www.providers.org

Jumpstart your professional career at Walker with educational counseling

 The Walker Educational Counseling Program can assist Walker staff members who are looking to advance their professional careers by offering the help and planning needed to pursue advanced degrees, specialized training, and professional certification and licenses.

The program was created to provide Walker staff members with career assessment tools and resources, as well as a private place to discuss and plan their educational and professional goals. The program can also help build connections for Walker staff members with their professional colleagues who have relevant professional experience and expertise and who may be able to provide further career advice. 

The Walker human resources department can help staff members navigate their way through the entire back to school process, helping  to choose a field of study, finding suitable programs, learning about financial aid, and applying for loans and scholarships. Information is also available on tuition remission and loan forgiveness for classes in academic studies that are applicable to Walker positions. 

The Walker Educational Counseling Program can help all Walker professionals with their decision to pursue an undergraduate- or graduate-level degree or professional certification—and not limited to those in the field of human services.  

 To find out more about the Walker Educational Counseling Program, Walker staff members can make an appointment to speak to a Walker human resources representative, or contact us to get the process started.