A Study of Employee Stability and Turnover in Home-Based Early Intervention

Abstract

Unusually high turnover rates in early intervention programs will contribute significantly to the documented shortage of qualified personnel needed for the successful implementation of PL 99-45 7, forcing policy makers to consider options for maximizing the retention of personnel presently in the field. This study was conducted to provide an initial indication of the extent of turnover among early childhood interventionists working in a statewide network of home-based early intervention programs. Results indicated that the mean length of service of staff was increasing (2.5 years in 1985; 3.5 years in 1988) whereas the mean length of service of related therapists and specialists employed e& consultants was decreasing (2.9 years, 1985; 2.2 years, 1988). The findings abo revealed that 49% of staff and 38% of consultants remained employed over a 2.7 year period, while 68 % of directors of programs remained during the same period. The results of the study are compared to turnover rates and length of service for various related settings described in the literature, and implications for further research are discussed. PATVANDIVIERE A key factor influencing the successful implementation of Public Law 99-457 is the availability of a sufficient number of qualified personnel to provide early intervention. Unfortunately, shortages of early childhood special educators and related therapists have beendocumented in nearly all 50 states and are predicted to continue for the next several years (McLaughlin, Smith-Davis, & Burke, 1986; Meisels, Harbin, Modigliani, & Olson, 1988). An issue that compounds the increased demand for qualified personnel is employee turnover. While personnel turnover may have possible positive consequences, such as displacement of poor performers, infusion of new ideas, skills and knowledge, and stimulation of changes in policy and practice (Mobley , 1982), the negative consequences are often more significant. Unusually high rates of attrition will intensify the shortage of personnel, accelerate the need for training and recruiting, and complicate policy decisions regarding service delivery in early intervention programs.Employee turnover has additional effects on organizations It is a vital concern for most 342 at UNIV NEBRASKA LIBRARIES on April 12, 2015 jei.sagepub.com Downloaded from

Classification of Individual Well-Being Scores for the Determination of Adverse Health and Productivity Outcomes in Employee Populations

“…7 There is evidence to indicate that workplace interventions are effective at targeting multiple health and productivity outcomes including improving healthy behaviors, [8][9][10] physical health, 11,12 mental health, [13][14][15] disability, 16 and preventing absenteeism, [17][18][19] presenteeism, 15,17 and employee turnover. 20,21 Although many employers are now increasingly concerned about the cost burden driven by health care and loss of productivity, the major focus behind their efforts is to prevent disease and slow the progression of chronic conditions. Commonly used workplace assessment tools such as the Health and Work Performance Questionnaire (HPQ) 22 and the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Questionnaire were created based on this perspective.…”

Training Communication Partners

“…Studies in human service professions have shown that staff training can be an effective tool against burnout, feelings of isolation, overload, and staff frustration (Palsha, Bailey, Vandiviere, & Munn, 1990;Spell et a l , 1993). However, if the type of training advocated here is to be funded as a support service for persons with severe disabilities, additional research is needed to specifically document the effects of such training on the communication of those individuals.…”

The Scholars Project: Maine’s Distance Education Model for Preparing Early Childhood Special Educators to Work With Young Children With Disabilities

“…National shortages of highly qualified personnel in the fields of early intervention (EI), and early childhood special education (ECSE) are well documented in the professional literature (Dymond, Gilson, & Myran, 2007; Hebbeler, 1994; National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center [NECTAC], 2011; Palsha, Bailey, Vandiviere, & Munn, 1990; U.S. Department of Education [DOE], Office of Postsecondary Education, 2016), and are likely to persist (McLeskey & Billingsley, 2008; McLeskey, Tyler, & Flippin, 2003; U.S.…”