Lawmakers pitch fix for child welfare caseworker crisis

Colorado lawmakers want to create a task force to address high turnover among the state's child welfare caseworkers.

The issue was highlighted in a recent Coloradoan story that chronicled the struggles of Larimer County child welfare caseworkers, who often feel overwhelmed by high caseloads, emotionally tumultuous work and the domino effects a 43 percent turnover rate among their ranks in 2016.

The state task force, proposed in a House bill introduced this year in the Colorado Legislature, would focus on "workforce resiliency" programs that combat the secondary trauma experienced by caseworkers when they deal with violent and traumatic situations. Programs would include peer-to-peer meetings, mentorship and mental health services, among other things.

"We have data and audits which highlight the need for more child welfare caseworkers, and in a bipartisan fashion, the Legislature has been working diligently to address that shortage," said Rep. Dan Nordberg, R-Colorado Springs, one of the bill's sponsors, in an email to the Coloradoan. "But we have to go beyond that and address the key drivers of that shortage, retention and resiliency."

Read more: http://www.coloradoan.com/story/news/2017/03/25/lawmakers-pitch-fix-child-welfare-caseworker-crisis/99580524/