--- title: Blog | Team Northwoods | Turnover and Retention description: Turnover and Retention | Expert content, inspiring stories, and resources for human services from our technology, practice, and policy experts. --- - [Blog](https://blog.teamnorthwoods.com/resources/blog) - [Careers](https://www.teamnorthwoods.com/careers) - [Community](https://www.teamnorthwoods.com/community) - [Company](https://www.teamnorthwoods.com/company) - [Customer Portal](https://portal.teamnorthwoods.com) [![logo-northwoods](https://blog.teamnorthwoods.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Image/logo-northwoods.png?width=229&height=49&name=logo-northwoods.png "logo-northwoods")](https://www.teamnorthwoods.com/) - [Products](https://www.teamnorthwoods.com/Products) - [Traverse®](https://www.teamnorthwoods.com/Products/Traverse) - [Adult & Aging](https://www.teamnorthwoods.com/Products/Traverse/Adult-Aging) - [Child Support](https://www.teamnorthwoods.com/Products/Traverse/Child-Support) - [Child Welfare](https://www.teamnorthwoods.com/Products/Traverse/Child-Welfare) - [Economic Assistance](https://www.teamnorthwoods.com/Products/Traverse/Economic-Assistance) - [Services](https://www.teamnorthwoods.com/Services) - [Case Aide Services](https://www.teamnorthwoods.com/services/case-aide-services) - [Project Services](https://www.teamnorthwoods.com/Services/Project-Services) - [Integration Services](https://www.teamnorthwoods.com/Services/Integration-Services) - [Consulting Services](https://www.teamnorthwoods.com/Services/Consulting-Services) - [Support Services](https://www.teamnorthwoods.com/Services/Support-Services) - [Customer Stories](https://www.teamnorthwoods.com/Resources/Customer-Stories) - Insights - [Buying Modern Technology](https://info.teamnorthwoods.com/human-services-technology-funding-resources) - [Change Management in Human Services](https://info.teamnorthwoods.com/change-management-in-human-services) - [Resources for Child Welfare](https://info.teamnorthwoods.com/state-resources-child-welfare) - [Social Work Burnout](https://info.teamnorthwoods.com/social-work-burnout) - [Resources](https://www.teamnorthwoods.com/resources) - [Blog](https://blog.teamnorthwoods.com/resources/blog) - [Blog Subscribe](https://info.teamnorthwoods.com/blog-subscription-center) - [Customer Stories](https://www.teamnorthwoods.com/Resources/Customer-Stories) - [eBooks](https://www.teamnorthwoods.com/Resources/eBooks) - [Infographics](https://www.teamnorthwoods.com/Resources/Infographics) - [Videos](https://www.teamnorthwoods.com/Resources/Videos) - [Webinars](https://www.teamnorthwoods.com/Resources/Webinars) - [Get In Touch](https://www.teamnorthwoods.com/Get-In-Touch-Contact) # Blog Our blog isn’t about us. It’s about you. We discuss business challenges and real issues human service agencies and caseworkers face everyday. You’ll find traditional human services software articles about things like document management for human services and social work technology. But you’ll also find inspirational stories to boost caseworkers’ spirits and tools to help agencies find and gain support for technology in human services. go [![Social Services SOS: Creative Solutions to Stabilize Staffing](https://blog.teamnorthwoods.com/hubfs/Blog/2024/iStock-523820688.jpg)](https://blog.teamnorthwoods.com/resources/blog/social-services-sos-creative-solutions-to-stabilize-staffing) Posted Tuesday, April 9, 2024 by [Laura Haffield](https://blog.teamnorthwoods.com/resources/blog/author/laura-haffield) ## [Social Services SOS: Creative Solutions to Stabilize Staffing](https://blog.teamnorthwoods.com/resources/blog/social-services-sos-creative-solutions-to-stabilize-staffing) High turnover and low retention in human services, particularly child welfare, is not new. We've been talking about it for decades. For the last several years we've discussed [social work burnout](https://info.teamnorthwoods.com/social-work-burnout), [worker well-being](https://blog.teamnorthwoods.com/resources/blog/worker-well-being-and-psychological-safety), and [retention and recruitment strategies](https://blog.teamnorthwoods.com/resources/blog/whats-working-to-solve-the-staffing-crisis-in-human-services) on our blog as well. The consequences of high turnover are felt by both agencies and the citizens they serve. In nearly every Annual Progress and Services Report (APSR) published in the last couple years by the states, staffing issues are cited as a main barrier towards agencies meeting their goals for improving service and making progress towards important system changes. It is also well documented that [turnover of caseworkers negatively impacts child and families](https://ncwwi.org/files/Why_the_Workforce_Matters.pdf). It feels dire, and it sure keeps many leaders across the country up at night. But what gives us hope is that so many industry leaders refuse to give up trying to create more sustainable systems that support better, more equitable delivery of services. [Read More](https://blog.teamnorthwoods.com/resources/blog/social-services-sos-creative-solutions-to-stabilize-staffing) [![Answering the Top 10 Questions on Buying Human Services Technology](https://blog.teamnorthwoods.com/hubfs/Blog/2024/02-06-2024%20Buying%20Technology%20Questions%20Feature.jpg)](https://blog.teamnorthwoods.com/resources/blog/answering-top-questions-on-buying-human-services-technology) Posted Tuesday, February 6, 2024 by [Team Northwoods](https://blog.teamnorthwoods.com/resources/blog/author/team-northwoods) ## [Answering the Top 10 Questions on Buying Human Services Technology](https://blog.teamnorthwoods.com/resources/blog/answering-top-questions-on-buying-human-services-technology) #### “As directors, it is our sole responsibility to clear the path and move obstacles out of the way for people to stay in our agency. Any time you can give caseworkers more time with families, it helps with their morale and their balance. That ultimately has a positive impact on the work we’re doing.” – Joe Kellerby, Child Welfare Director, Mesa County Department of Human Services This quote from one of our customers underscores why technology has such a huge impact in human services. Technology allows workers more time to do the job they signed up to do—assisting clients in being healthy, safe, and successful—which is critical for supporting and sustaining the workforce. Yet, buying technology can still be incredibly difficult, especially for agencies who haven’t done it before. We know it’s overwhelming to navigate all the options available, so we created a [technology toolkit to help your human services agency](https://info.teamnorthwoods.com/technology-toolkit-an-essential-buyers-guide-for-human-services) navigate the journey—from defining the problem you want to solve, to evaluating the right partners, to implementing and optimizing your solution. Here’s a quick preview of the top questions we answer. [Read More](https://blog.teamnorthwoods.com/resources/blog/answering-top-questions-on-buying-human-services-technology) [![Readers' Choice Recap: Top Blog Posts of 2023](https://blog.teamnorthwoods.com/hubfs/Blog/2023/Top%20Blogs%20Recap%20Features.jpg)](https://blog.teamnorthwoods.com/resources/blog/readers-choice-recap-top-blog-posts-of-2023) Posted Monday, December 18, 2023 by [Team Northwoods](https://blog.teamnorthwoods.com/resources/blog/author/team-northwoods) ## [Readers' Choice Recap: Top Blog Posts of 2023](https://blog.teamnorthwoods.com/resources/blog/readers-choice-recap-top-blog-posts-of-2023) Another year is coming to a close and that means it's time to recap our top blogs of 2023. Whether you're new here (welcome!) or a regular reader (welcome back!), we hope you'll find something new and insightful in this year's list. [Subscribe to the blog via email](https://info.teamnorthwoods.com/blog-subscription-center) so you never miss out on future content or [get in touch with our team](https://www.teamnorthwoods.com/Get-In-Touch-Contact) if certain trends, topics, or challenges are on your mind as we head into the new year. As always, thanks for reading along with us! [Read More](https://blog.teamnorthwoods.com/resources/blog/readers-choice-recap-top-blog-posts-of-2023) [![Modern Technology Tools for Supporting the Human Services Workforce](https://blog.teamnorthwoods.com/hubfs/Blog/2023/04-06-2023-HHS-Workforce-Tech-Feature.png)](https://blog.teamnorthwoods.com/resources/blog/modern-technology-tools-for-supporting-the-human-services-workforce) Posted Thursday, April 6, 2023 by [Laura Haffield](https://blog.teamnorthwoods.com/resources/blog/author/laura-haffield) ## [Modern Technology Tools for Supporting the Human Services Workforce](https://blog.teamnorthwoods.com/resources/blog/modern-technology-tools-for-supporting-the-human-services-workforce) The current workforce crisis facing the helping professions, including all programs within human services, unfortunately isn’t going away any time soon. Workforce issues will be top of mind for both local and state human services agencies for the next several years, as well as a [priority communicated by federal partners](https://www.acf.hhs.gov/blog/2023/02/acf-heading-2023-momentum). As we come out of Social Work Month with a renewed focus on empowering workers, what better time to talk about how technology is supporting the workforce today? At Northwoods, we take pride in developing tools that help ease the day-to-day burdens on caseworkers and social workers across the country so they can focus on clients and families. However, we know that’s just one piece of the puzzle. A lot of today’s most impactful technology is targeted toward supporting workers themselves. This is critical since a happy and stable workforce has long been shown to have [dramatic positive impacts on the citizens they serve](https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/case-work-management/). [Read More](https://blog.teamnorthwoods.com/resources/blog/modern-technology-tools-for-supporting-the-human-services-workforce) [![Readers' Choice Recap: Top Blog Posts of 2022](https://blog.teamnorthwoods.com/hubfs/Blog/2022%20Top%20Blogs%20Recap%20Feature.jpg)](https://blog.teamnorthwoods.com/resources/blog/readers-choice-recap-top-blog-posts-of-2022) Posted Tuesday, December 6, 2022 by [Team Northwoods](https://blog.teamnorthwoods.com/resources/blog/author/team-northwoods) ## [Readers' Choice Recap: Top Blog Posts of 2022](https://blog.teamnorthwoods.com/resources/blog/readers-choice-recap-top-blog-posts-of-2022) Another year is coming to a close and that means it's time to recap our top blogs of 2022. Whether you're new here (welcome!) or a regular reader (welcome back!), we hope you'll find something new and insightful in this year's list. [Subscribe to the blog via email](https://info.teamnorthwoods.com/blog-subscription-center) so you never miss out on future content or [get in touch with our team](https://www.teamnorthwoods.com/Get-In-Touch-Contact) if certain trends, topics, or challenges are on your mind as we head into the new year. As always, thanks for reading along with us! [Read More](https://blog.teamnorthwoods.com/resources/blog/readers-choice-recap-top-blog-posts-of-2022) [![How Academic Institutions Help Strengthen the Human Services Workforce](https://blog.teamnorthwoods.com/hubfs/Blog/2022/11-21-2022%20Academic%20Partnerships%20Feature.jpg)](https://blog.teamnorthwoods.com/resources/blog/how-academic-institutions-help-strengthen-the-human-services-workforce) Posted Monday, November 21, 2022 by [Laura Haffield](https://blog.teamnorthwoods.com/resources/blog/author/laura-haffield) ## [How Academic Institutions Help Strengthen the Human Services Workforce](https://blog.teamnorthwoods.com/resources/blog/how-academic-institutions-help-strengthen-the-human-services-workforce) In a recent blog on [solving the human services staffing crisis](https://blog.teamnorthwoods.com/resources/blog/whats-working-to-solve-the-staffing-crisis-in-human-services), I mentioned wanting to shout from the rooftops about partnerships between academic institutions and local and state agencies. My bias is showing in this area due to my time in the [University of Wisconsin–Madison Title IV-E Public Child Welfare Training Program](https://socwork.wisc.edu/programs/iveprogram/) and seeing that partnership between academia and local child welfare agencies play out to the benefit of all stakeholders involved. Without that program, and the mentorship and funding that came along with it, I may not have become a committed child welfare practitioner who, despite transitioning away from direct practice, is still dedicated to this field today. [Read More](https://blog.teamnorthwoods.com/resources/blog/how-academic-institutions-help-strengthen-the-human-services-workforce) [![What’s Working to Solve the Staffing Crisis in Human Services?](https://blog.teamnorthwoods.com/hubfs/Blog/2022/07-07-2022%20Solving%20the%20Staffing%20Crisis%20Feature%20Image.jpg)](https://blog.teamnorthwoods.com/resources/blog/whats-working-to-solve-the-staffing-crisis-in-human-services) Posted Thursday, July 7, 2022 by [Laura Haffield](https://blog.teamnorthwoods.com/resources/blog/author/laura-haffield) ## [What’s Working to Solve the Staffing Crisis in Human Services?](https://blog.teamnorthwoods.com/resources/blog/whats-working-to-solve-the-staffing-crisis-in-human-services) Since the pandemic and so called “Great Resignation,” the staffing crisis has hit helping professions hard. These days it seems everyone is talking about it ... and for good reason. [Long term care facilities,](https://abcnews.go.com/Health/facing-labor-shortages-cost-hikes-long-term-care/story?id=84110882) [treatment centers](https://www.cleveland.com/news/2022/08/mental-health-worker-shortage-grows-in-ohio.html), [day cares and schools](https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/breaking/ct-illinois-teacher-shortage-salary-woes-20220430-vc4g5xtbkrgfbh6tehowohtqqm-story.html), and [human services agencies](https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2022/04/04/1089753555/medicaid-labor-crisis)—very few have not felt the effects of unprecedented levels of turnover and vacant positions. In fact, Aysha E. Schomburg, associate commissioner for the Children’s Bureau, [acknowledged the scope of the problem on the Child Welfare Information Gateway podcast](https://www.childwelfare.gov/more-tools-resources/podcast/episode-74/), saying “I’m hearing about the mass resignations that are happening in our field, and our field is frankly in crisis.” [Read More](https://blog.teamnorthwoods.com/resources/blog/whats-working-to-solve-the-staffing-crisis-in-human-services) [![Self-Care is So Yesterday: How to Re-Focus on Worker Well-Being and Foster Psychological Safety](https://blog.teamnorthwoods.com/hubfs/Blog/2022/05-31-2022%20Worker%20Well-Being%20Feature.jpg)](https://blog.teamnorthwoods.com/resources/blog/worker-well-being-and-psychological-safety) Posted Tuesday, May 31, 2022 by [Laura Haffield](https://blog.teamnorthwoods.com/resources/blog/author/laura-haffield) ## [Self-Care is So Yesterday: How to Re-Focus on Worker Well-Being and Foster Psychological Safety](https://blog.teamnorthwoods.com/resources/blog/worker-well-being-and-psychological-safety) > #### “We need to talk about how we bake resilience into systems and teams. Otherwise, the onus is back on the person under stress.” – Dr. Tiffany Lindsey, EdD, LPC-MHSP I recently listened to Dr. Lindsey speak as part of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s School of Social Work [Public Child Welfare Training Program](https://socwork.wisc.edu/programs/iveprogram/#title-iv-e-dialogue-series) Spring Dialogue, and I’ve been thinking about this concept ever since. So much so that I asked Dr. Lindsey, an assistant professor and Safe Systems Practitioner at the University of Kentucky, if she would virtually sit down with me afterwards to speak more on safety culture, promoting worker well-being, and her work with the [National Partnership for Child Safety](https://www.casey.org/safety-collaborative-summary/). [Read More](https://blog.teamnorthwoods.com/resources/blog/worker-well-being-and-psychological-safety) [![Links We Love: Break the Burnout Cycle in Human Services \[Resources\]](https://blog.teamnorthwoods.com/hubfs/Blog/2022/03-10-22%20Burnout%20Resource%20Roundup%20Feature.png)](https://blog.teamnorthwoods.com/resources/blog/links-we-love-burnout-in-human-services-resources) Posted Thursday, March 10, 2022 by [Team Northwoods](https://blog.teamnorthwoods.com/resources/blog/author/team-northwoods) ## [Links We Love: Break the Burnout Cycle in Human Services \[Resources\]](https://blog.teamnorthwoods.com/resources/blog/links-we-love-burnout-in-human-services-resources) The helpers are tired. Add the pandemic and the “Great Resignation” on top of already challenging, high-stress work and it’s no surprise that the human services workforce is in crisis. [Read More](https://blog.teamnorthwoods.com/resources/blog/links-we-love-burnout-in-human-services-resources) [![Why Do Social Workers Burn Out?](https://blog.teamnorthwoods.com/hubfs/Blog/2022/03-08-22%20Social%20Worker%20Burnout%20Feature.jpg)](https://blog.teamnorthwoods.com/resources/blog/entryid/137/why-do-social-workers-burn-out) Posted Tuesday, March 8, 2022 by [Team Northwoods](https://blog.teamnorthwoods.com/resources/blog/author/team-northwoods) ## [Why Do Social Workers Burn Out?](https://blog.teamnorthwoods.com/resources/blog/entryid/137/why-do-social-workers-burn-out) Social worker burnout and turnover have always been a significant problem in human and social services. [Turnover in child welfare has ranged from 20-40%](https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10560-021-00800-w) annually for the last two decades. But today the stakes are higher than ever. Frontline workers are mentally, emotionally, and physically drained. [Read More](https://blog.teamnorthwoods.com/resources/blog/entryid/137/why-do-social-workers-burn-out) Pages: Prev [1](https://blog.teamnorthwoods.com/resources/blog/topic/turnover-and-retention/page/1) [2](https://blog.teamnorthwoods.com/resources/blog/topic/turnover-and-retention/page/2) [Next](https://blog.teamnorthwoods.com/resources/blog/topic/turnover-and-retention/page/2) [Return Top](https://blog.teamnorthwoods.com/resources/blog/topic/turnover-and-retention/page/1#first-post) - [Products](https://www.teamnorthwoods.com/Products) - [Services](https://www.teamnorthwoods.com/Services) - [Customer Stories](https://www.teamnorthwoods.com/Customer-Stories) - [Resources](https://www.teamnorthwoods.com/Resources) - [Community](https://www.teamnorthwoods.com/Community) - [Company](https://www.teamnorthwoods.com/Company) - [Careers](https://www.teamnorthwoods.com/careers) - [Customer Portal](https://portal.teamnorthwoods.com/?__hstc=102083102.ff13bfbc795ffd9ff295caa61ce7dfce.1650473119683.1650481552054.1650558108798.4&__hssc=102083102.1.1650558108798&__hsfp=1912299359) - [Blog](https://blog.teamnorthwoods.com/resources/blog?__hstc=102083102.ff13bfbc795ffd9ff295caa61ce7dfce.1650473119683.1650481552054.1650558108798.4&__hssc=102083102.1.1650558108798&__hsfp=1912299359) - [Get In Touch](https://www.teamnorthwoods.com/Get-In-Touch-Contact) ## Northwoods Corporate Office **5200 Rings Road** Dublin, OH 43017 Phone: 614.781.7800 - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/northwoods) - [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/TheTeamNorthwoods) - [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/teamnorthwoods/) - [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/user/teamnorthwoods) Copyright © 2024, Northwoods Consulting Partners, Inc., All Rights Reserved All content is owned by Northwoods unless otherwise indicated. Unauthorized use of content without prior written consent is strictly prohibited. [Privacy Policy](https://www.teamnorthwoods.com/company/legal/privacy-policy) | [Trademark](https://www.teamnorthwoods.com/company/legal/trademark-usage)