Black Hills Works Creates Strong Teams In South Dakota 

Posted on September 6, 2024

Submitted By: Tanya Fritz, Director of Culture and Professional Development, Black Hills Works

The Strong Teams Initiative from Black Hills Works is a 3-tiered program aimed at ensuring the direct support professional (DSP) workforce has the tools they need to feel competent and supported. First through Education, our pre-service 2-week onboarding program provides all staff with the meaningful knowledge foundation they need to be successful. The second component, built on the belief that we must slow down to speed up, focuses on Experience. This component includes a detailed 4-week “inboarding” process where staff progress through a series of observation, mentoring, and relationship-building, prior to providing any supports. The third component of Support recognizes that strong teams develop strong employees, so it puts an intentional focus on creating meaningful connections, psychological safety, and shared purpose. 

The Impact On The Organization

Since implementing the Strong Teams Initiative, we have received overwhelmingly positive feedback from new employees and participants. Some of the most tangible benefits for our organization as a whole include: 

• Staff are completing all required trainings before their focus is shifted to their daily responsibilities as a DSP 
• New staff connect to the “why” of our organization and our mission, helping them to understand the importance of the “what” of their job.  
• The dignity of participants is protected, as relationships and trust are built prior to providing personal cares 
• New staff, along with their co-workers and supervisors, have clear expectations regarding their roles during the first six weeks of employment. 
• The 5 C’s of leadership (connect, clarify, collaborate, coach, and celebrate) serve as tools for supervisors throughout this journey. 
• Relationships are at the center of what we do. 
• Employees have access to integrated recognition programs and mental health support. 
• A 3-day work week, coupled with the ability to work with your team to adjust your schedule, empowers staff to create work-life balance. 
• New employee feedback surveys and agency-wide pulse surveys help to measure effectiveness and shape future efforts. 
• We have experienced an increase in applicants, due to appealing schedules, benefits, and training. 

Since implementation, we have seen a significant increase in the number of applicants. Exit interviews and termination data suggest a shift in why staff are leaving, with fewer leaving due to be dissatisfied or not feeling supported. 

Staff surveys provide our most clear data. A few highlights include: 

• Staff rate all areas of training at 4.8 or higher (out of 5). Various components measured relate to quality of presenters, strength of content, feelings of being welcomed and supported, and feeling a sense of belonging.  
• Staff rate their overall satisfaction with onboarding at a 9.2 out of 10.
• Staff in other roles, such as case managers and frontline supervisors, have asked for similar “inboarding” processes to be developed for their positions. 

The Impact On DSPs

This initiative at its core is focused on DSPs. More specifically, the benefits for DSPs include: 

• Set them up for success by providing the core training and education they need to do their job.
• Allowed them to focus in on building relationship with coworkers and participants, creating a safe place to learn their roles and build their skills. 
• Increased agency recognition of their work through our online recognition program, as well as giving them a tool to recognize others. 
• Provided a clear demonstration of our commitment to the dignity and respect of participants. 
• New scheduling and scheduling software has allowed staff to utilize their PTO and select schedules that work best for their own lives.
• Surveys and the DSP Council have created more opportunities for DSP voices to be lifted up and empowered, so they can be part of greater organizational change. 

“The presenters made everyone feel very welcome and went above and beyond to help. The content of the orientation made me feel very prepared to start my role.”

– Lawanda, DSP, Black Hills Works

Steps To Implement A Similar Initiative

The 3-tiered model of creating strong teams could be replicated by any organization. Below are action steps that we took to ensure that we as an organization were intentional about focusing on Education, Experience, and Support of our staff members. These steps could be duplicated or customized to the organization. By intentionally focusing on Education, Experience, and Support, any organization could have a tremendous impact on creating strong, stable, and safe teams. 

Organizations can implement a similar Strong Teams Initiative by following these action steps: 

1. Identify core guiding principles for your organization and develop a curriculum and systems that reflect these principles. 
2. Develop an extended onboarding curriculum that focuses on not only what DSPs do, but how and why they do it that way. 
3. Work with frontline staff and directors to help them understand their role in this process. 
4. Develop clear guidelines and tools for supervisors to use. 
5. Outline clear expectations and learning goals for employees for each week of their first 6 weeks of employment. 
6. Train and support current DSPs to serve as mentors. 
7. Create surveys to measure impact. 
8. Use survey results to inform future actions. 
9. Identify clear ways to celebrate and recognize staff. 
10. Ensure that you have programs and processes that support work/life balance and provide mental health support. 

Challenges You May Encounter

This initiative cannot be a top-down approach. It is essential that you have your frontline leaders on board with this from the beginning. They will need opportunities to voice their ideas and concerns, as well as very clear resources and tools to carry out the work. Failing to do so will create a disconnect between what you teach and what new employees experience. 

Additionally, you will also need to prepare leadership for new staff to have questions and concerns about what they see and experience. New eyes mean fresh perspectives… they will also identify areas where we are not fully in alignment with our guiding principles and values. These small misalignments can easily be unnoticed by veteran staff as they become like ‘wallpaper’ in the background. Helping frontline staff see these observations as an opportunity for growth and improvement – rather than a judgement upon their work – is critical to supporting positive change. 

About Black Hills Works 

For over six decades, Black Hills Works has provided homes, employment, recreation, and social outlets for adults with disabilities. Today, we support almost 600 people with a wide array of disabilities, creating a community where everyone participates to achieve a life of full potential. 

Above all, Black Hills Works is a person-centered agency. We put the people we support at the center of our agency and the decisions and planning that impact their lives. To help people self-direct their lives, we provide education, exposure, and experiences so that they can determine their own goals, and provide the supports they need to achieve their dreams.  

You can learn more about Black Hills Works by visiting the organization’s website: https://www.blackhillsworks.org/ 

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Since 1969, CQL | The Council on Quality and Leadership has been a leader in working with human service organizations and systems to continuously define, measure, and improve quality of life and quality of services for youth, adults, and older adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and psychiatric disabilities. CQL offers accreditation, training, certification, research, and consultation services to agencies that share our vision of dignity, opportunity, and community for all people.