Workforce replenishment a top priority for Massachusetts health, human services agencies

(The Center Square) – While the individual needs and concerns vary, there was an overarching message health and human services agency representatives delivered to Massachusetts lawmakers at a recent hearing — the workforce shortage continues.

The Joint Committee on Ways and Means, comprised of members in the House and Senate, discussed on March 7 fiscal needs with the heads of eight state offices and agencies focused on health and human services programs.

The legislative committee’s review occurs amid deliberations on Gov. Charlie Baker’s fiscal year 2023 budget.

Mirroring a nationwide trend, Massachusetts is grappling with a nursing shortage, Marylou Sudders, secretary of health and human services, said as she gave her testimony to the legislative panel.

“Everyone knows the data,” Sudders said. “The nursing profession in Massachusetts is aging.”

To that end, Sudders and the committee hashed over several funding priorities in Baker’s budget, including a proposed $1 million allocation to the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services to look at ways of refining hiring and training processes.

The initiative, Sudders said, could yield a number of recommendations and strategies, such as processes for assisting certified nursing assistants in a potential transition into nurses. Public-private partnerships, she said, will be key.

“We need people coming into the pipeline,” Sudders said. “We want to think about how we invest in people’s educations.”

While there are variances from one agency to the next, Sudders said the average shortage, or underemployment rate, is hovering around 20% at the moment.

Preliminary data suggests the worst of the workforce shortage could be in the rearview mirror.

“For the very first time, we saw a very modest increase in people being employed in the Commonwealth,” Sudders said of the most recent labor statistics. “I’m hoping that’s not a blip.”

On a more granular level, the heads of several specific agencies shared some of their unique challenges and strategies.

Linda Spears, commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families, said there have been renewed efforts within the agency to seek out employees.

“Over the last year, we’ve really stepped up the number of job fairs,” Spears said, adding the events have been specifically targeted in areas of the state with the greatest need.

While COVID-19 has been commonly cited for the workforce shortages, several officials said there were challenges before its onset two years ago.

“We’ve had a shortage in home care for many, many years,” said Elizabeth Chen, secretary of elder affairs. “The shortage existed before the pandemic. We need to find the right people for this work.”

The widespread labor needs could present unique opportunities to some of the state’s health and human services agencies, including the Massachusetts Department of Developmental Services, which serves people diagnosed with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

“We are seeing this as a great opportunity to bring folks into meaningful jobs,” said Jane Ryder, commissioner of the DDS. “We feel really confident we’ll be able to work on that initiative.”

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