Alaska Alliance & Direct Service Careers

2011

In Alaska, there is an urgent need for direct service providers; there is also great demands for other providers (e.g., SLP, OT, PT, psychologists, social workers, case managers, etc) that work with consumers in both urban and rural settings. The Alaska Alliance for Direct Service Careers is working to help identify the workforce development issues and find partnering agencies, professionalize the direct service industry, and find cohesion in the diversity of individual providers. Our efforts have concentrated on three areas: recruitment, retention, and training. For recruitment, we revamped our website and created an ad campaign with the AMHTA to highlight the careers available with a "call to action" to go to our website. Retention efforts included a pilot project, in conjunction with the University of Minnesota's Institute for Community Integration, in which staff provided training and technical assistance to eight organizations (urban and rural) to improve retention and reduce turnover. To highlight training as an important part of workforce development AADSC supported the Leadership Institute and the Full Lives Conference. Additionally, AADSC worked on public perception of the industry through the nomination process, judging, and highlighting of the Outstanding Direct Service Professional of the Year Awards and the Teacher Industry Externship program.

Performing Technical Assistance and/or Training, Developing & Disseminating Information

Quality Assurance, Employment-Related Activities, Quality of Life, Other - Leadership

Community Trainees / Short term trainees, Professionals and Para-Professionals

None

State

N/A