Western Regional
Recruitment & Retention Project

Purpose

The Western Regional Recruitment and Retention Project (WRRRP) is developing models of training for child welfare agencies on recruitment, selection, and retention. The Butler Institute for Families at the Graduate School of Social Work, University of Denver is serving five sites in the greater Rocky Mountain region – specifically in Colorado, Arizona, and Wyoming. The sites represent both urban and rural child welfare agencies. Since the inception of the grant, we have completed comprehensive organizational assessments of each agency and produced final reports, which provide analysis of each organization’s data regarding issues that impact recruitment, selection, and retention. Project staff, together with a planning team in each agency, completed a thorough planning process using the information from the organizational assessments. The process resulted in site-specific strategic plans of needs, priorities and training intervention strategies based upon the identified site-specific issues. Training interventions use multiple strategies and focus on all areas – recruitment, selection, and retention.

The expected project outcomes are increased quality and quantity of applicants, improved selection processes, and increased retention of qualified staff through the development of curricula and models for practice and policy. The project evaluation plan includes the establishment of baseline data for each site, bi-annual collection of data, and a subsequent organizational assessment to be completed toward the end of the project.

Participating Departments of Human Services

Jefferson County, Colorado

Mesa County, Colorado

Rock Springs, Wyoming

Talavi, Arizona

Casa Grande, Arizona

WRRRP Bibliography

The WRRRP conducted an extensive literature review and developed a bibliography and annotated bibliography with over 150 references from the human services, educational, and business literature. Full citations are contained in the bibliography and are differentiated by domain. The annotated bibliography categorizes each document and contains a brief summary of the document as well as the full citation.

Download the WRRRP Bibliography: WRRRP Bibliography 2006.pdf

Download the Annotated Bibliography: WRRRP Annotated Bib Final 05.pdf

Advisory Committee Members

Art Atwell, Colorado Department of Human Services

David Barnhouse, Governor's Office of Children, Youth, & Families

Mike R. Beaver, Wyoming Department of Family Services

Mary Berg, Jefferson County Department of Human Services

Gene Burns, Arizona Department of Economic Security

Katharine Cahn, Graduate School of Social Work, Portland State University

David Conrad, JFK Partners

Nanette Gerber, Arizona Department of Economic Security

Michelle Graef, University of Nebraska

Treva Houck, Mesa County Department of Human Services

Marc Mackert, Colorado Administrative Review Division

Lloyd Malone, Teller County Department of Human Services

John Nobil, The Nobil Group Management Consultants

Debbie Oldenettel, Broomfield County Health and Human Services

Chris Taylor, Arizona Department of Economic Security

Dana Ward, Wyoming Department of Family Services

Carol Wahlgren, Colorado Department of Human Services

Bev White, Arizona Department of Economic Security

The Child Welfare Choice: The Colorado Realistic Job Preview Video

View the Colorado Realistic Job Preview Video and learn more about the reality of a career in child welfare:

• 56K Dial up
• DSL/High Speed

SMARRT Manual on Recruitment & Retention

The SMARRT Manual (Strategies Matrix Approach to Recruitment and Retention Techniques) is a tool to enhance capacity for more effective child welfare recruitment, selection, training, and retention practice. The manual includes research-based findings, as well as a wide range of experiential information and practical “how-to” information from published literature and internet sites. The purpose of the SMARRT Manual is to give child welfare professionals practical, hands-on tools and information, new ideas, and sufficient background information on complex topics to ask informed questions, know where to turn for additional resources, and begin the process of implementing these strategies in their own agencies. The SMARRT Manual is organized into four domains: recruitment, selection, training, and retention. Within each domain, conditions or factors that affect that domain are presented, along with strategies for addressing that condition.

Download the SMARRT Manual: SMARRT Manual.pdf

How to Implement the Project at Your Agency

Much preparation work has already been done to conduct extensive organizational assessments, develop strategic plans, and implement them to improve recruitment, selection, and retention. Your agency can benefit from these efforts by not "reinventing the wheel". Components of this project or the entire process can be replicated at other organizations or even systems. The staff at the Butler Institute can:

• Conduct comprehensive organizational assessments using a validated instrument to understand the factors that impact recruitment, selection, and retention.
• Focus groups are held with targeted staff to illuminate survey findings.
• Prepare comprehensive reports detailing findings including strengths and areas needing improvement.
• Implement strategic planning processes to address conditions found in the organizational assessment.
• Deliver training on a variety of topics to address organizational issues.
• Provide ongoing technical assistance to implement the strategic plan.

For more information, contact Charmaine Brittain at Charmaine.Brittain@du.edu or 303.871.6336.