ATTACHMENT A
DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES

Printable version

PART I
THE PERFORMANCE PATH TO EXCELLENCE
RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION PLAN FOR
FRONT LINE CHILD WELFARE PROFESSIONALS
July 15, 2003

A competent workforce is the cornerstone of effective child welfare and protective services systems. Service delivery relies heavily on the relationship and continuity between counselors and the families and children served, and the investigator's knowledge and competency in responding to and assessing reports of child abuse, neglect or abandonment. Successful outcomes for children require counselors and investigators to be responsive to unexpected problems and individual needs and to be skilled in navigating the complex maze of state and federal regulations. Outcomes for children and families can be improved by focusing on the chief asset of public child welfare agencies – the people who work there.

The state’s inability to retain qualified child protection employees has placed the Florida child protection system in crisis. In looking at what other states are doing, it became apparent that the areas Florida most needed to focus on were salaries, the development of career ladders, and staff development to assist employees to move through the system.

In 2002 Governor Jeb Bush appointed a Blue Ribbon Panel on Child Protection that recommended pay for Family Services Counselors, Child Protective Investigators, and their respective supervisors be appropriate for the level of performance and scope of work that is expected. The Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) salary study in 2001 showed Florida's salaries well behind the norm for these job classes, thereby strengthening the panel's recommendations. Secretary Jerry Regier agreed with those findings and submitted a Legislative Budget Request in fall of 2002 to address salaries and improve employee retention in Family Safety as the number one priority.

The Department’s overriding goal is to build a child protection system of counselors and investigators who have the skills, competencies and commitment to do the job, and supervisors who can provide strong leadership skills and program knowledge to provide a safe and secure environment for Florida's children. A stable workforce that provides quality and effective services, continuity to children and families and works in partnership with community leadership to support and serve families is achievable.

In support of its Legislative Budget Request, the Department contracted with a national compensation consultant to develop a classification and compensation program to fully utilize the state’s new broadband system. Our vision is to implement a program that aligns compensation with the marketplace, eliminates the current salary inequities and motivates and retains excellent performers by creating career pathways and opportunities and enhancing career development. After reviewing a variety of compensation models, the competency-based model better met our vision and goals than the job-based, traditional models we studied.

This plan, “The Performance Path to Excellence”, when fully implemented, will assist child protection managers and supervisors to deliver a tangible reward to staff for learning and developing new areas of competency. The Performance Path to Excellence is designed to encourage, reward and facilitate learning and development, and allow management to assign job responsibilities based on the skills that an individual possesses instead of the "job class" to which they are assigned.

Information gathering efforts included statewide focus groups, reviewing surveys and interviewing direct services staff, as well as studying the root causes of the salary compression and equity issues within the existing job classes. Interaction with staff revealed that the primary issue with Family Safety employees is internal inequity.

• New employees are brought in at the same salary as high performing 2-10 year employees are making.
• When the Legislature appropriates Cost of Living increases, the minimum salaries in the paybands are also moved up to new salary levels which compounds the problem.
• Supervisors earn on average 10% more than a counselor’s base rate of pay and are not eligible for overtime. As a result, many counselors are earning more than their supervisors. This adds to the turnover problem and discourages counselors from moving to supervisory roles.

The pay study looked at market data from other states and the Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) standards, and found that advanced, expert, and fully capable counselors and supervisors were below market. This resulted in our developing two job levels of counselors and one job level for supervisors:

FS Counselor I. Provides the first level of technical support to the clients of the Family Safety program. Incumbents provide actual services to the clients through on-site visits and interviews, assess the situation and level of danger existing for children and dependent adults. Incumbents do not always have the necessary experience to completely assess the danger or determine remedies without guidance in complex situations. Prepares for and attends court hearings related to case management. Must document case work in state required system.

FS Counselor II. Provides full direct services to the clients of the Family Safety program. Handles full caseload commensurate with unit and are assigned more difficult casework. May handle specialized services. Assists Supervisors in providing training and procedural changes to staff. Assists counselors. Acts as lead worker and fills in for Supervisor. Prepares for and attends court hearings related to case management. Must document case work in state required system.

Child Protective Investigator I. Provides protective services to the clients of the Family Safety program. Investigates reports of abuse, abandonment, neglect and exploitation of children within the Family Safety program. Makes on-site visits to assess risk, determine finding of allegations, document rationale for findings and all decisions made during the investigation. Provides or arranges for emergency placement. Prepares for and attends court hearings related to investigations. Refers family to appropriate service providers.

Must document investigations in state required system. Incumbents do not always have the necessary experience to completely assess the danger or determine remedies without guidance in complex situations.

FS Child Protective Investigator II. Provides protective services to the clients of the Family Safety program. Investigates reports of abuse, abandonment, neglect and exploitation of children within the Family Safety program. Makes on-site visits to assess risk, determine finding of allegations, document rationale for findings and all decisions made during the investigation. Provides or arranges for emergency placement. Prepares for and attends court hearings related to investigations. Refers family to appropriate service providers. Must document investigations in state required system. May handle specialized services and is assigned more difficult investigations. Assists investigators. Acts as lead worker and fills in for Supervisor. Assist Supervisor in providing training.

FS Counselor Supervisor. Provides supervision and work assignments to staff; conducts performance reviews and makes recommendations regarding staff career moves, disciplinary actions and compensation matters. Trains, reviews and evaluates subordinate staff. Supervises casework of staff within a geographic area. Consults regarding casework activities, acts as liaison to service providers. Must document investigations in state required system. Management through data analysis.

FS Protective Investigations Supervisor. Provides supervision and work assignments to protective investigators; conducts performance reviews and makes recommendations regarding staff career moves, disciplinary actions and compensation matters. Trains, reviews and evaluates subordinate staff. Supervises investigative activities of staff providing protective services within a geographic area. Consults regarding investigative activities, acts as liaison to service providers. Must document investigations in state required system. Management through data analysis.

These jobs levels are broken down into five work levels to which employees are assigned based on their levels of competency.

There are five levels of work in non-supervisory positions that fit within the job levels previously identified:

1. Trainee or entry level Typically, this is a new employee who is in training and has not been certified, or who has recently completed training and provides professional assistance, handling more routine work, working under close supervision and receiving intensive training.

2. Gaining proficiency or growth level This is an employee who provides direct services to clients but is still building competencies needed to perform at a fully proficient level. Typically, this employee has completed training, become certified and completed the probationary period.

3. Fully capable level This is an employee who provides full services to clients and is fully qualified to perform the job, possessing the required competencies and level of proficiency in using them. These employees function relatively independently and can handle practically all situations presented to them, applying and adapting policies and principles to the individual situation.

4. Advanced level This employee functions within a very broad range of abilities to resolve issues and solve problems. May apply their knowledge to overall FS Counselor activities or may specialize in a very narrow area. Is able to handle unique issues that require a great deal of independent judgement. The next level for this employee will be either at the Expert Level or Supervisor Level.

5. Expert level These employees possess competencies beyond the fully capable level and have grown beyond what is expected within the job. May assist others with tactical or operational issues. These incumbents have chosen to continue in the professional field providing clients with services instead of taking a supervisor manager career track.

There are five levels of work as a supervisor:

1. Entry level Typically this is a new supervisor who has the necessary level of proficiency necessary for day to day interaction with subordinates and peers. Is proficient in the programmatic aspects of this job and can handle most situations presented to them, but is learning the administrative processes and procedures and requires training and closer supervision.

2. Gaining proficiency or growth level This is a supervisor who is fully performing all of the supervisory functions but is still building the competencies needed to perform at a fully proficient level.

3. Fully capable level This supervisor is fully qualified to perform the job, possessing the required competencies and level of proficiency in using them. The employee is able to function more independently, has considerable freedom in decision-making, and can handle most situations without assistance, applying and adapting policies and principles to the individual situation.

4. Advanced level The supervisor has a thorough grasp of the administrative and programmatic policies, practices and procedures of the job level and understands the theory and principles that shape the programs and services offered by the job family. May provide advice and assistance to entry level supervisors and assist them to develop their leadership skills.

5. Expert level Peers recognize this employee as a technical expert and a leader. These individuals are the ones to whom others turn for advice and counsel in handling staffing problems or resolving programmatic issues. The employee is expected to participate on work groups and teams implementing new policies and procedures, completing special projects and serve as a program expert. May assist in developing and orienting newer supervisors or in helping them to handle more difficult situations.

In order to apply these levels to front line staff, a cross section of Family Safety direct services managers and other program experts convened to determine the most appropriate standards to be implemented. The front line subject matter experts met with the core group at a 3-day workshop and defined proficiency profiles for previously developed Family Safety Job Families/Levels. The consultants, in conjunction with the state Family Safety program office, Education and Training and Human Resources, then developed specific expectations and performance standards along with professional competencies for each job-level, within each job family.

The model and implementation plan were reviewed by leadership, presented to the District leaders, and approved for implementation by Secretary Regier.

DCF Competency Model — Performance Path to Excellence

Competencies are the behaviors, motivations and knowledge required to successfully perform a job or role at each level of the organization. Once established, competencies are the basis for applicant screening, establishing performance standards, and evaluating, promoting and rewarding employees.

There are two types of competencies that were measured in this model:

• Technical Competencies are function-specific and describe the work being performed by employees in like jobs. Measurement is based on the employee's direct knowledge of and experience with specific tools, programs or methods.
• Core Competencies describe activities within categories of behavior that contribute to successful work regardless of the job throughout the Department. These behaviors involve abstract thinking and reasoning skills. Employees need to possess different levels of these core competencies at each level in the organization based on the work they perform.

Five areas were analyzed for each employee in this process:

• Performance Indicators
• Technical Competencies
• Core Competencies
• Performance Evaluation
• Formal Education

Employee Analysis and Mapping.

An implementation and training plan was rolled out in June 2003 to assist Family Safety employees, supervisors and management to transition to the new system. Mapping instructions and tools for employees, supervisors and managers were provided to the field and Central Office human resources and program staff worked with the districts and region to complete employee mapping and place existing employees into the new job families and levels. Employees were assigned to the proper job and work levels based on input and agreement of supervisors, managers, trainers, and mentors through a statewide standard process:

District Review Teams District Teams were put into place to ensure consistency throughout the process and make final determinations when assigning staff to their appropriate levels. The teams included the Family Safety Program Administrator, Operations Program Administrator/Program Operations Administrator over the employee's work unit, and the Human Resources Manager or designee. The team reviewed the maps and provided the final recommendations for approval to the District Administrator or Region Director.

Step One — Job Level

• Based on assigned duties and responsibilities of each position (employee) as Counselor I, Counselor II or Supervisor, the District Team assigned the correct job level for each position.

Step Two — Level of Work

• Supervisor evaluated and rated employee per mapping guidelines for the assigned job level.
• Employee evaluated and rated self per mapping guidelines.
• Supervisor and employee met to discuss and finalize employee map.
• Employee could submit written information to be considered by the District Team if the employee did not agree with the supervisor’s rating.
• Supervisor recommended the level of work to the team.

Step Three — Team Review

• Supervisor submitted employee maps and employee comments to District Team for review and approval.
• District Team reviewed employee maps and addressed concerns with the profile and any employee concerns regarding mapping with the supervisor. Profile score(s) could be changed as a result of this action.
• District Team signed-off on final employee maps and submitted to the District Administrator or Region Director for approval.

Final Authority The District Administrator or Region Director was responsible for ensuring that the process was followed appropriately and that all employees were included in the process and that their concerns were addressed.

Job levels have been assigned and mapping of all affected employees has been completed, reviewed by the team and signed off by the District Administrators and Region Director. Central Office Human Resources, Budget and Family Safety Program Office staff have analyzed the mapping data and determined the proper pay level for each employee by comparing their current salaries with the new target salaries, ensuring that there is equity between employees and their supervisors. Once the funding is released the system will be fully implemented.

Next Steps

Once the plan is approved, the Department will do the following:

• Districts and region will place employees into the new job families and career levels. Employees will be assigned to the proper job level and pay will be adjusted.
• New performance standards will be assigned based on assigned job and work levels.
• Career development needs will be assessed and discussed with employees to assist them to reach their next goal.

The allocation for these current and new positions is $15,975,831.00. Of this amount, $480,515.00 is for the newly appropriated counselors, investigators and their supervisors. These positions were funded by the 2003 Florida Legislature effective January 2004. The set aside appropriation will fund the difference between the current and enhanced base rate of pay. The cost to annualize will be $480,515.00 for Fiscal Year 2004-2005. The increase in the amount required to fund the general salary increase is discussed in Part IV below.

We propose to submit an additional budget amendment, at a later date, for the remainder of the lump sum appropriation. These funds will be used to progress family service counselors, child protective investigators, child protective investigator supervisors and family service counselor supervisors through their identified career path, and compensate them based on improved performance and increased competence.

PART II
FAMILY SAFETY RETENTION BONUS
LUMP SUM BONUS PAYMENT METHODOLOGY

A stable, well-trained workforce is essential for effective functioning of a child welfare program. It is becoming increasingly difficult to recruit and more imperatively, retain qualified employees to fill employment needs in the social services field. Competition for good applicants and long term employees is at an all time high and voluntary turnover is at an unacceptable level on a national scale.

As the Department moves ahead with community-based care we continue to look for ways to enhance our organizational staffing readiness and refocus our goals to effectively recruit, retain and transition employees in child protection and permanency programs in this very competitive market.

Attracting and retaining quality child welfare professionals during the transition process is a challenge that requires planning, creativity, communication and recognition. Keeping good employees to provide safety and ongoing services to our children and families, until the functions are assumed by the care provider, is critical to achieving the Department's mission and goals. Implementing a lump-sum bonus for these employees not only rewards loyal employees, it also has additional benefits:

• Serves as a recognition technique.
• Provides stability during transition process.
• Provides clients with continuity of care.
• Serves as incentive for counselors to stay until transition.
• Limits workload stress on remaining counselors.
• Allows supervisors to supervise instead of carrying a caseload.
• Decreases potential for backlog increase

Eligible Department Family Services Counselor I, II or Supervisor employees who provide direct services to children and families will each receive a lump sum bonus payment of at least $1,000.00. The employee must be employed in good standing and be on the Department payroll on the last workday prior to the transition of the employee's position to community-based care or on June 30, 2004.

By incorporating this program with flexible work schedules, open communication, and competent management, the Child Protection and Permanency Program will increase employee longevity, develop a more stable workforce and provide better continuity of services to our customers through the transition to Community Based Care.

We estimate that the majority of the 1,956.5 current and new counselors and supervisors will remain in employment with the Department and be eligible for this bonus. This payment will total $2,433,332.00 from nonrecurring appropriated funds.

PART III
FUNDING FOR COMMUNITY-BASED CARE LEAD AGENCIES
AND CONTRACTED POSITIONS IN LIEU OF APPROPRIATED POSITIONS

The proviso following the appropriation requires these funds to be provided for department and community-based care front-line workers. It is the intent of the Legislature that the Department utilize these funds to move the salaries of these workers to the national Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) average salary of persons carrying out these responsibilities. Community-based care agencies and sheriffs' offices handling protective investigations must ensure that all funds spent for the Front-Line Pay and Retention adhere to legislative intent. Contract language to this effect will be amended into each community-based care contract and to each sheriff grant agreement. The amendment will also add a requirement for the retention of a clear audit trail of the expenditure of these funds.

Funding is also allocated to non-lead agency contract providers for contracts that were created when contracted services budget was appropriated in lieu of positions. These contracts will be amended in the same manner as the community-based care contract providers.

The funding for the sheriff grant agreements was included in proviso immediately following Specific Appropriation 270 in the General Appropriations Act.

Funding for community-based care and other contract providers is $6,349,742.00 for the equivalent classifications of Family Services Counselors, Family Services Counselor Supervisors-SES, Child Protective Investigators and Child Protective Investigator Supervisors-SES.

PART IV
INCREMENTAL COST FOR GENERAL SALARY INCREASE AND
ANNUALIZATION COSTS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2004-2005

Included in the legislative calculations for this appropriation was sufficient funding for the incremental budget required to fund the 2% general salary increase on the enhanced base salary. The calculated need totals $190,389.00 as follows:

• $180,779.00 for existing Department positions.
• $9,610.00 for new positions appropriated effective January 1, 2004.

There are two annualization requirements resulting from the implementation of the Better Pay for Front Line Staff. The first is the six-month annualization for department and contracted positions (those classifications included in this plan) appropriated for Fiscal Year 2003-2004. The second annualization is for the 2% general salary increase on the enhanced base salary that is effective December 1, 2003. The annualizations are:

• $490,126.00 — New positions appropriated in Fiscal Year 2003-2004 require a six month annualization of the Better Pay increase and the 2% pay increase.
• $144,911.00 — New contract equivalency positions appropriated in Fiscal Year 2003-2004 require a six-month annualization of the better pay increase.
• $129,128.00 — Existing positions require a five-month annualization of the 2% pay increase for Fiscal Year 2003-2004.

The total budget requirement in Fiscal Year 2004-2005 for all annualizations is $764,165.00.
[Revised 7-18-03]