Somerset County starts tuition reimbursement program to bolster CYS workforce

Jun. 8—SOMERSET — Beginning in July, many Somerset County Children and Youth Services caseworkers will be able to earn up to $24,000 in tuition reimbursement for their service.

The program is part of a broader, ongoing effort by Somerset County officials to retain and recruit more workers in the field, which has been among the hardest-hit nationwide by retirements and departures while caseloads have spiked.

Through the program, existing and future hires who qualify can start receiving $200 a month toward their college tuition, the Somerset County commissioners said.

That's the equivalent of $2,400 a year, or $24,000 over 10 years — a major chunk of the $30,000 in debt the average U.S. college graduate carries after completing a four-year social work degree, according to the National Association of Social Workers.

The national association is one of several agencies that has cited student debt as one of the biggest challenges young workers in the field face as they start their careers.

It's one of several angles that the county is exploring through a Workforce Innovation Team — a mix of county commissioners, staff supervisors, human resources officials and caseworkers themselves — to develop and implement ways to bolster the CYS department.

"Right now we have approximately 30 positions in CYS ... and 10 of them aren't filled," Commissioner Pamela Tokar-Ickes said Tuesday. "It's never been a problem to the degree we're seeing now."

Many Children & Youth Services providers, including counties in Pennsylvania and across the nation — Cambria and Somerset counties included — are dealing with workforce shortages.

The issue has become magnified over the past several years because many older employees are retiring while fewer workers are entering the often-stressful field.

'Our first priority'

CYS workers support children suffering from abuse or neglect — including youth who end up in the foster care system because of it, Somerset officials noted.

Even as staff numbers have dropped, local caseloads have grown — particularly as families have struggled to navigate challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

"On a scale of one to 10, addressing our workforce shortage is an 11 right now," Somerset County CYS Director Doug Walters said. "It's our first priority."

Somerset County CYS has taken steps to decrease the demands on its dwindling staff.

Last year, a program aimed at preparing foster children in their late teens and early 20s to transition to life on their own was handed over to a third-party provider. The "independent living" program, which includes life skills training and job- hunting support, is now being handled by Pittsburgh-based JusticeWorks.

But as of May 31, Somerset County's CYS staff of 20 still works with 509 children from 260 families, Walters said.

Often, that includes staying in regular contact with families, making home visits and working with parents to address existing problems. More than ever, the tasks require a "teamwork approach" to handle and an ability to prioritize immediate safety concerns first, Walters said.

With staff down more than 30%, tuition reimbursement alone won't solve the issue, Walters said. But given that a growing percentage of new CYS hires are younger, the benefit should be enticing, he added.

"We're excited about it, and we want to get the word out," he said.

Current and future hires with degrees in social work are eligible for reimbursement payments after six months of satisfactory employment, Commissioner Colleen Dawson said. Qualified caseworkers would have to show proof of their monthly payments.

The county had to get the program approved by the state, which covers 80% of the county's CYS expenses.

Tokar-Ickes said Bedford-Somerset Development and Health Services implemented a similar tuition reimbursement program and is seeing recruitment success as a result.

Last year, Somerset County introduced a referral incentive that would pay current employees $500 for successfully bringing in new hires.

Walters said other efforts are also being explored. Nothing is set in stone, he said, but possibilities include looking at what is working in other regions, such as the possibility of increased scheduling flexibility.

Somerset County boosted salaries by 20% in the CYS department in 2020, bringing an entry-level caseworker's annual pay to just under $30,000, with salary increasing by approximately $2,500 after the first year.

Commissioners said contract negotiations will occur with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union next year — and that includes addressing wages.

"But pay is only part of the solution," Tokar-Ickes said. "There are a lot of issues we need to look at — not just the near term, but also five years down the road."

Walters said the county stakeholders group, which will also include a member of the University of Pittsburgh's School of Social Work, is also exploring workforce development programs that could allow employees to bolster their resumes to enable them to climb the CYS ladder as new jobs come available.

"It's important that we keep looking for new ideas — to see if it makes sense here," he said. "Our mission is to ensure the safety, permanency and the well-being of the children we serve, and for us, stability is so important when it comes to so much of what we do in CYS. Anything we can do to improve that, we're going to look at."