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Predictors of workforce turnover in a transported treatment program
Ashli J Sheidow1, Sonja K Schoenwald, H Ryan Wagner
1Family Services Research Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, 67 President Street, 250861, Charleston, SC, USA. sheidoaj@musc.edu
Administration and Policy in Mental Health
|June 13, 2006
Summary
Workforce turnover in adolescent mental health services was lower than national averages. Emotionally demanding climates, low salaries, and complex caseloads, not clinician traits, predicted higher staff turnover.
Area of Science:
- Mental Health Services Research
- Organizational Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- High workforce turnover is a persistent challenge in mental health services, impacting care quality and continuity.
- Understanding factors contributing to turnover is crucial for developing effective retention strategies.
- The transportability of empirically supported treatments, like Multisystemic Therapy (MST), may be influenced by workforce stability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine clinician, organizational, and program-level factors associated with workforce turnover.
- To identify predictors of turnover within organizations implementing an empirically supported adolescent treatment.
- To compare turnover rates in this specialized service to national benchmarks.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional survey of 453 clinicians across 45 organizations.
- Data collected on clinician demographics, professional characteristics, and perceptions of job demands and organizational climate.
- Program-level data included salary and case mix complexity.
- Statistical analyses to identify predictors of workforce turnover.
Main Results:
- Annual workforce turnover was 20%, significantly lower than the national average of 50-60% for mental health professionals.
- Clinician-level variables (demographics, professional background, perceptions of treatment model and job demands) did not predict turnover.
- Organizational climate (specifically, perceptions of emotional demands), program salary, and program case mix were significant predictors of turnover.
Conclusions:
- Workforce turnover in this MST implementation study was relatively low, suggesting potential benefits of structured, evidence-based practices.
- Organizational factors, particularly a demanding climate and resource-related aspects (salary, case mix), are key drivers of staff turnover.
- Interventions aimed at reducing turnover should focus on improving organizational climate and addressing resource limitations rather than solely on clinician characteristics.