RETAIN Kentucky’s Inclusive Worker Health Leadership Network Report to the Governor Year One (April 1, 2021 – March 31, 2022) Kentucky’s Retaining Employment and Talent After Injury/ Illness Network (RETAIN KY) is a U.S. Department of Labor grant focused on helping people who have nonwork-related injuries or illnesses continue to work. RETAIN KY supports the Commonwealth’s commitment to the health and well-being of our citizens and economic development by providing immediate, customized intervention and supports for workers who experience injury or illness off the job so they can stay at work or return to work. RETAIN KY helps employers keep valuable staff, and helps employees keep their worker identity. RETAIN KY is also helping to address the enduring implications of COVID-19 on the physical and mental health of Kentucky’s workforce. RETAIN KY partners include the Kentucky Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, University of Kentucky/ University of Kentucky Healthcare, University of Louisville Health, Kentucky Hospital Association, Kentucky Workforce Innovation Board, and the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. A key strategy in RETAIN KY efforts to promote multi-systems improvement, innovation, and change is the Inclusive Worker Health Leadership Network (IWHLN). This network, comprised of medical professionals, public health leaders, employers, workforce development, and the KY Chamber of Commerce, focuses on the coordination of state and local initiatives to accelerate opportunities for Kentuckians to stay on the job or to return to work as soon as possible, and makes recommendations regarding necessary policy and systems change. Recognizing the impact of health and the healthcare system on bolstering an inclusive workforce in the Commonwealth, this diverse group of practitioners and leaders is helping us to think about intentional connections that could be made across systems to promote more timely, coordinated, and effective services, leading to better outcomes for Kentucky citizens. The IWHLN’s efforts align with and support Kentucky’s Employment First policy, helping to ensure that competitive integrated employment is considered the first and primary option for persons with disabilities. Relatedly, Employment First strengthens employer outreach through RETAIN KY by providing employers a policy incentive to engage with their employees who have disabilities or who may be at risk of developing a disability.
Membership Zach Morgan
Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, Talent Pipeline Project Manager - Northeast
Stefanie Ebbens Kingsley
Kentucky Workforce Innovation Board, Executive Director
Deb Campbell, RN-BC, MSN, CPHQ
Kentucky Hospital Association, Vice President
Vivian Lasley-Bibbs, MPH
Kentucky Department for Public Health, Office of Health Equity - Branch Manager and Epidemiologist
Cora McNabb
Kentucky Office of Vocational Rehabilitation Executive Director, RETAIN KY Administrative Lead
Becky Cabe, MRC, CRC
Kentucky Office of Vocational Rehabilitation
Kristen Dahl
Kentucky Mental Health, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (KY-MHIDD) Training Initiative, Project Manager
Marty Keith
CHI St. Joseph Medical Group, Market Vice President Human Resources
Kathy Sheppard-Jones, PhD, CRC
Human Development Institute Executive Director, RETAIN KY Implementation Lead, IWHLN Co-lead
Johnny Collett
Human Development Institute Deputy Director, RETAIN KY Workforce Development Lead, IWHLN Co-lead
Beth Potter, MSEd
RETAIN KY Director
Shirley Kron, BSN, COHN-S
RETAIN Director of Outreach and Engagement, IWHLN Co-lead
Kimberly Wickert, MRC, CRC
RETAIN KY Director of Organizational Partnerships
Austin Nugent
IWHLN Coordinator
Activities The IWHLN met four times in Year One: September 27, 2021, November 8, 2021, December 7, 2021, and January 25, 2022. Guided by a commitment to a continuous improvement mindset and approach, the group has engaged in an intentional and iterative process to define “inclusive workforce”, examine the current state of our system with respect to inclusive workforce and healthcare, advise on what is working well and not working well, identify and prioritize areas in need of improvement, and reach consensus on an initial set of proposed solutions.
Defining Inclusive Workforce "An inclusive workforce is one in which the unique skills, contributions, and diversity of qualified individuals, including those with disabilities, are actively recruited, valued, and integral for success. It is an environment where the engagement, development, retention, and advancement of an increasingly skilled and diverse workforce is promoted and supported across all employment sectors and levels." Examining the Current State of the System The group requested feedback from consumers, employers, and providers at various levels of healthcare on what it had identified as working well and not working well, and proposed solutions. RETAIN KY, and the IWHLN, sought feedback on the identified items (see appendix A) via the “Bolstering an Inclusive Workforce in Kentucky” survey. The survey was shared with approximately 307 individuals including healthcare and workforce professionals, consumers, and RETAIN KY Phase One participants. The survey was active from March 11th to March 25th. As a thank you for participating in the survey, respondents received $100. A total of 59 respondents participated in the online survey. Data analysis is currently underway and will be completed in the first quarter of Year Two. Action Items In Year Two (April 2022 – March 2023), the IWHLN will expand membership, continuing to build on the foundation and ideas established in the first year. Data from the “Bolstering an Inclusive Workforce in Kentucky” survey will guide ongoing IWHLN efforts, including informing the group’s recommendations for policy and systems changes to maximize an inclusive workforce and healthcare in Kentucky. RETAIN Kentucky is funded by the U.S. Department of Labor and the Social Security Administration under a grant award of $21,600,000 to the Kentucky Office of Employment and Training that will be incrementally provided. 100% of grant funding is from U.S. Federal funds. This document does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Department of Labor or the Social Security Administration, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.
Appendix A: Bolstering an Inclusive Workforce in Kentucky Survey Items Attitudes Scale • • • • • •
Strongly Disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree Do Not Know
Please check the box indicating how strongly you agree that identified items represent areas that are working well in Kentucky… 1. Employers willing to explore new ways to engage people in the workforce 2. Lines of communication open between Chamber of Commerce and employers in solving problems 3. Technology improving and increasing access to remote work 4. Employers more willing to be flexible/adaptive in different areas as a result of COVID 5. Better understanding of the injury/illness aspect of substance use disorder has resulted in person-centered approaches 6. Numerous partners in the Kentucky Career Center and other workforce spaces to support participants and clients 7. Organizations working with employees to address mental health 8. Opportunity to understand and learn about the skills and contributions individuals with disabilities bring to the workforce 9. Employee assistance programs (EAPs) are more available for mental health needs 10. Telehealth increasing access to healthcare 11. Consumers increasingly informed when selecting healthcare benefits within their organizations 12. Nursing programs available to bring nurses with substance use disorder issues back into the workplace 13. Occupational Medicine and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation receive training in Stay at Work/ Return to Work 14. Healthcare providers assist patient and employer to find transitional opportunities for returning to work Please check the box indicating how strongly you agree that identified items represent areas that are not working well in Kentucky…
1. Many employers want to return to the way things were before COVID 2. Policies and job descriptions often constrain/ limit the ability for individuals to (re)enter the workforce 3. The process favors “non return” to work after injury or illness 4. Departments tend to work in silos – supervisors are tasked with returning the employer to work within their own department 5. Employees are under increased pressure to do more than usual 6. Employee assistance programs (EAPs) are underutilized for fear of repercussions 7. There is limited connection to national inclusive workforce efforts (APSE, Disability:IN) 8. Hospitals are short staffed 9. Employees’ skills are often limited to a single role (e.g. nurse) 10. Professionals, including healthcare providers, lack understanding on patients’ lived experience (i.e. disability) 11. While telehealth works for many, there remains significant gap in technology access and ability for some 12. Few physicians, except those in Occupational Medicine and Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, receive training in Stay-At-Work/ Return-To-Work 13. Essential functions of jobs are often not well outlined 14. Healthcare providers often do not request an ergonomic assessment or job modification from employers to assist in Return-To-Work 15. Patient's employer and healthcare provider lack effective collaboration and coordination regarding patient’s transitional duties Please check the box indicating how strongly you agree with each proposed solution for inclusive worker health in Kentucky.… 1. Actively recruit, internally and externally, people with disabilities as an “untapped” talent pool 2. Build a coalition of employers willing to be inclusive and pursue innovation 3. Identify and advance innovative approaches to align labor needs with employee strengths 4. Ensure effective communication, collaboration, and coordination among individual, employer and healthcare professionals 5. Establish a uniform referral process to connect clients to resources 6. Provide examples and education on how to adapt employee roles 7. Identify transitional Return-To-Work programs across departments (instead of silos) 8. Incentivize and support employers to retain valued employees 9. Support employers and employees in understanding what accommodations and supported employment look like
10. Encourage employee assistance programs (EAPs) and wellness opportunities 11. Provide Universal Design and trauma informed care training to all employees (i.e. HR, healthcare) 12. Identify and advance innovative approaches to hiring procedures and policies (e.g. to be inclusive of people with substance use disorders) 13. Identify and advance innovative approaches to utilize diverse populations across all positions 14. Increase understanding and capacity of healthcare professionals to improve patient centered outcomes 15. Increase adaptability/ flexibility of job responsibilities in order to maximize the diverse strengths of workforce 16. Treating physicians are key to understanding patients’ individualized needs and expectations, and advising on safe return to work options 17. Work collaboratively and innovatively across business, education, and nonprofit to support and advance job seekers along their chosen career pathway toward self-sufficiently (e.g., Career Bridge)