Running head: FINAL

Final
Human Resource Management is an integral part of every company that thrives on good
customer service. Without it companies can lag in the area of obtaining quality workers. Davis
(2005) stated, Employee satisfaction is an important concern for organizations. While the

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research is mixed with regard to the direction of causality, there is a proven relationship between
satisfaction and firm performance. The paper will address current human resource management
and recommendation for improvement in required areas.
History
BP Childrens Center (BPCC) is a medical facility serving children with a variety
of mental disorders and their families. As stated by Thompson (2013) Treatment is based on an
interdisciplinary approach with psychology, education, nursing, psychiatry, social work and
counseling comprising the professions that impact each clients treatment. The company was
established in the 1970 as a result of a legislative measure in the state of Alabama to provide
services to special needs children.
The facility operates five different programs all focused on the well-being of
children who suffer a range of psychosis. The adolescent program serves older children (middle
school and up) that have somewhat normal homes. That is to say that they are able to function
within the community with minimal problems, and their families are able to be responsible for
their welfare. However because of their violent nature they are unable to attend a normal school
setting. The Outpatient program is similar but serves the younger children.
The facility has two residential care programs in which children remain on the premises
through the night. Each of these programs is dedicated to teaching the children to thrive outside
of such institutions. Although other mental facilities exist in the state, BPCC offers a unique
service because it main focus is serving children with aggressive behaviors. That being said there
is no real competition for the company. In fact in the past three years the company has gone
through changes to meet state accreditation needs to be able to serve children from the entire
state.

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Significant Management Personnel

There are four major management personnel positions. The first in that of the executive
director previously mentioned. According to the business dictionary (n.d.) an Executive Director
is A working director of an organization who is usually also its full-time employee, and has a
specified decision making role as director of finance, marketing, operations, etc., on an on-going
basis. The second position is that of the clinical director. This position requires a background in
the treatment of the mentally ill. They ensure that clients are being treated with the care and
respect they deserve. One of the key roles of that position is to monitor the amount of hands-on
intervention and to offer solution to limit them.
The third position is that of the education liaison. She is responsible for ensuring the
children are obtaining the proper education while in the care of the facility. She serves as sort of
a facility principal and will advise what course to take when children are misbehaving. She also
works with the local school to make sure any statewide tests are conducted efficiently and
properly.
Lastly there is the Human Resource Manager. The facility requires 24 hour staffing and
therefore the company has recently hired an on-site manager to ensure this is being done
efficiently. She also monitors the time clock to determine if all position is being filled around the
clock. Other key personnel are title coordinators. There are five each heading a department and
are the liaison between upper management and all other staff in their department.
Business Strategy
Until recently the company has not placed much focus on business strategy. The fact the
there are plenty of clients and potential clients left the heads of the company at ease with filling
positions with any candidate they felt would show up on time. Very little is asked in the

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interview process that dealt with experience or how to handle certain client situations. Instead it
focused on the availability of the candidate. In the past 2 years the company has undergone a
change in direction. This change has included hiring a Human resource manager to better staff
open positions as well as ensuring all shifts are covered on a daily basis with qualified personnel.
Problem Areas
Although the company does not have a vast array of competition, it does have to abide by
current state laws when it comes to dealing with mental patient be it children or adults. In the
past and currently the company struggles with staffing on a day to day basis. The company
employees both full time and part time workers to fill position. However many of these positions
are filled with contingent workers.
The major problem with this is that there are certain shifts that are more difficult to fill.
Additional there are certain times of the year when full time employees opt to use their
accumulated leave time leaving staffing specials and the human resource manager with the tough
task of filling those position with contingent/relief workers. The secondary problem is likely one
cause for the major issue, is the compensation plan is such that the turnover rate is very high.
Employees (mostly contingent) feel as though the salary is not worth the time away from
their families on holidays and on certain shifts. Many times this has led to asking loyal
employees to work overtime. It is not unusual for an employee to work two consecutive shifts
several times a week. This does fill the slots that need it on a daily basis; however the quality of
care suffers when employees are burned out from the continual work.
Describes the results of your assessment of the work processes and key employees to be
There were two human resource issues assessed, that affect the quality of work being
done by employees at BP Childrens Center. The first area of concern is low morale amongst

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employees that work directly with the clients. Those who work directly with the clients include
teachers, Para-profession/Mental Health Workers, and nurses. The second issued assessed was
high employee turnover.
Nurses
The Nurses role in the company is to ensure that the physical health of the children is
maintained. They are called in to monitor vital signs when a client has to be restrained and
placed in seclusion. They administer daily medication as well as emergency medication to calm a
hysterical/violent child. Although all staff is trained in basic first aid, Nurses are usually the ones
to administer first aid and make a recommendation to whether further care is needed.
Results of the assessment of nurses shows that morale amongst is higher than the other
two groups. For the most part they seem pleased with their working conditions and compensation
plan. However a recent tragic death of one of the long time nurses and managements insensitivity
to the needs of those who worked closely with her have left the majority of the nurses feelings
for upper management decline. As a result their attendance and punctuality have suffered.
Teachers
Teachers role at BPs Childrens Center is typical of that of any classroom teacher. All
the classes are self-contained, which means that more than one grade is taught in a classroom.
They are responsible for educating the clients at the facility. Along with the typical instructional
duties, they are required to attend the individual Educational Plan (IEP) meeting. This type of
meeting occurs at least once a year. IEP meeting also take place anytime there is a need for a
change in this plan. This usually comes as a result of a recommendation from the treatment team.
The morale of the teaching staff has continually declined in the past three years (when the
company began to seek state accreditation). Management has placed more demand on the teacher

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without out increasing their resources or their compensation. This has caused a high turnover for
this position. One class has lost a teacher every year for the past five years. Other classes have
also seen changes at a slightly lower rate. Those teachers who choose to stay do the bare
minimum and are often reluctant to do that.
Para-professionals/Mental Health Workers
Depending on which program being assessed determines the title of the Para-profession
and Mental Health Workers. No matter the title the duties are the same. For the sake of this
assessment this position will be referred to and MHWs. MHWs are essentially the order
keepers in the classroom. The children in this facility are prone to violent outburst. These
outbursts threaten the safety of the client themselves and others. The main role of the MHWs is
to handle these situations. This may require verbal de-escalation of the situation as well as
physical intervention.
In addition to handling dangerous situations, MHWs also participate in the education
process of the client. They offer assistance to children during academic time. They also assist in
group therapy. MHWs are the lowest paid group. It is not unusual for them to be found doing a
large portion of the work that teachers do. Thus this group has the lowest morale and the highest
turnover rate of all positions held in the company. This is also the group that lack in KSAs
Changing While Meeting Strategic Challenges
Organizational changes will improve the way employees are hired. This will improve the
selection pool as well as the abilities of the new hires. Improving the overall knowledge, skills
and abilities of the entire staff is both the change needed as well as the strategic challenge. This
is mainly because funding for the organization is in large made from the payments received by
insurance companies. The fact that majority of the clients are either wards of the state or from

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low income homes; the funds come from government insurance programs means that funding is
not as much as it would be with private insurance companies. According to Friedland (2005)
Medicaid was enacted in 1965, under Title 19 of the Social Security Act, to assist states
in paying for the healthcare of the very poor. It was designed to give states flexibility in
their programs and to ensure that some specific groups of people would be assisted and
that some core services would be provided across the country.
The company also has private donors, whose funds are used for specific activities. That
being said it is difficult for the company to encourage reliable and highly skilled workers because
their compensation policy. For the most part most positions are filled with the remnants of those
employees who did not qualify or lacked skills for more reputable places.
The current KSAs that operate within the facility meet the basic requirements. However
because of the companys market lag positions in their compensation pay many employees do
not put forth the effort to utilize their skills to the fullest potential. Kaplan (2006) stated, A
fundamental decision in your compensation philosophy involves where to position your
organization relative to the market. The choice to lag in the market means a counterproductive
facility for the clients, and one that will not gain the reputation it needs to compete with similar
facilities from other states.
In order to meet the national mandate the company will have to work to improve its
compensation policy and implement incentive programs that will enhance the culture. The ability
to accept children from out of state opens the door to accepting more children with private
insurance which will increase funds to the company. However this also means more competition
from similar facilities in other states. In order to be competitive BP Childrens Center will have
to address the issue plaguing their morale and high the employees turnover rate.

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Productivity
As a mental health facility that deals with aggressive clients, one major way that
productivity is measured in the number of physical interventions being performed.
Technology can be useful in tracking whether or not an increase number of physical
intervention is because of a particular client or a particular employee. Knowing this information
is important in either situation. The current technology allows for only basic tracking of this
information. That is to say the management in charge of reviewing these forms can tell what
department has the most. It does not pinpoint the client or employee that can be the cause of the
higher number of physical interventions.
Staffing Systems
Staffing is the biggest problem that BPs Children Center deals with. The inability to fully
staff any shift can have dire results. The current system for ensuring that shifts are covered is
inefficient. There are two staffing specialist that are responsible for filling each position daily.
Their job is more difficult because the position they have the most trouble filling is that of the
lowest paying employees.
Another problem with staffing is that it is done manually. This requires them to go
through the list of contingent workers and call them one by one until they have commitment for
all positions needed to be filled. While technology cannot improve salaries it can make filling
position with contingent workers easier. One particular technology is already being used by
many school systems to place substitutes teachers where they are needed.
As stated by CRS Advanced Technology
SubFinder is a fully automated employee absence management and substitute placement
system, providing both Internet and telephone access. More than just an automated

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substitute calling system, SubFinder is a powerful tool used to streamline workflow,

integrate with human resource and payroll systems, and promote a paperless work
environment.
By implementing this third party technology the human resource will gain a valuable tool in
tracking, and fill in for absentees.
Training
The center has its own training facility equipped with a theater sized screen and projector.
The computer system is integrated with the projector to provide a pleasant viewing experience of
all the information being given. The company also has electronic simulation devices for CPR and
first aid training. The center also has an impressive video production ensemble. It enables the
training department to professional looking video for training outside the classroom.
Although not all training session can be completed by video, some are uploaded to the
network for viewing at a convenient time to employees. This is the one area that could use some
improvement as far as technology is concerned. Training classes follows Kirkpatricks evaluation
model especially level two. This level is described by Naugle (2000) as the measure of
"knowledge acquired, skills improved, or attitudes changed due to training.
After every class there is a test to evaluate what each employee has learned. This is a
problem because often tests from video courses do not make it to the appropriate person and
never recorded. Thus it make it seems as though an employees is delinquent in that area of
training. To improve this area test should be given online and submitted online.
A large portion of the current employees at BP Children Centers fall into the unskilled
laborer category. The current requirement only asks that a candidate has a high school diploma.
The current population of employees is comprised of college students on a work study program,

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people supplementing their income with a second job, and retired people seeking to earn a little
extra income. Many of the skilled jobs are teachers who are fresh out of college or those who
were unable to meet the full qualifications to teach in the local public school. There are very few
teachers working in the facility that are seasoned and well qualified to teach special education
students.
The city in which the company resides has a relatively low unemployment rate. With 6.6
percent unemployment rate means those individuals who want jobs are already currently
working. This will make it even more difficult to find qualified workers. Another area that will
make it difficult to fill positions with highly qualified worker is the education level of the local
citizens. Approximately 45 percent of the population obtained a high school diploma or less. The
city is the home of the state university which has an education department and students that
specialize in special education (Tuscaloosa County Demographics n.d.).
Although the current local labor market is not filled with a vast array of seasoned talent it
does offer opportunity to develop a highly qualified staff. With the proper training program BP
childrens center can offer jobs to qualified individuals who may be less desirable to more
competitive companies at a lower starting salary and developed them into highly qualified staff.
The local university also opens the door to opportunity. However it may take some valid
marketing and recruiting efforts.
The average wage in the area per individual is about $24,000 this includes people who
have worked at a position for a number of years. This amount is indicative of the demographics
of the area, many citizens have limited education. This means starting wages are low. However
in order to keep good workers wages would have to be increased. Additionally policies and the

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work culture have to change to keep employees for a longer period of time as opposed to staff
that comes and goes.
Training Requirements
The current quality of training one receives is limited to what is required by the mental
health department in Alabama. It does not address the real needs of the clients in the facility and
does not provide lower level employees the tools/skills they need to be more effective with the
children. Along with the bi-annual training new employees would go through a two weeks of
intensive training. It would cover training on each diagnosis seen in the facility, the various types
of child abuse, and the required training of protection and containment and verbal de-escalation.
Training would be followed by a week of monitored in the field work. At the conclusion of the
monitoring sessions the observing manager will give feedback and address any questions the
new employee may have.
HRM Recommendations
The lack of competition makes it difficult to determine pay level placement. It would be
beneficial to do a comparison of similar facilities in other states and set salaries that at least meet
the competition at a comparable rate according to the states cost of living. This will aid in
improving the culture of the company and lift morale. For an organization such and BPs
Children Center an organization fit is important finding candidates that will have the patient to
work under unfavorable conditions when dealing with clients.
As mentioned the company does a good job at training the incoming employees, giving
them the skills they need to engage with the clients. Other than implementing a better monitoring
system this area should remain as is. The current monitoring system is directly related to
performance measurements. This has been somewhat effective however, needs improvement.

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The company is a result oriented firm. Performance of employees comes from the limited
number of hands on interventions. However, this is not tracked by employee but rather an
organization. By tracking them on an employee basis management can address issues with
individuals as opposed to the entire staff as it is currently done.
Conclusion
BP Childrens Center is a facility for children diagnosed with a variety of mental
disabilities. The lack of competition has been met with inefficient hiring policies. As a result the
company does not operate as effectively as it needs to in order to compete with national facilities.
The quest for accreditation to accept out of state children has made management aware of this
problem and has now begun to make changes in their overall processes. This paper addressed
current human resource management components and recommendation for improvement in
required areas.

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References
Davis, B. G. (2005). An analysis of the employee turnover - work satisfaction relationship.
(Order No. 3167574, Northcentral University). ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, ,
172-172 p. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/305345307?
accountid=32521. (305345307).
Friedland, R. B. (2005). How medicaid works. Generations, 29(1), 35-38. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com/docview/212205076?accountid=32521
How To Become a Teacher in Alabama. (n.d.). How To Become a Teacher in Alabama. Retrieved
November 25, 2013, from http://www.degreetree.com/resources/how-to-become-ateacher-in-alabama#education
Kaplan, S. L. (2006). Answer These Questions for a Sound Compensation Philosophy. Benefits
& Compensation Digest
Naugle, K. A., Naugle, L., & Naugle, R. J. (2000). Kirkpatricks Evaluation Model As a Means
of Evaluating Teacher Performance. Education, 121(1), 135.
SubFinder. (n.d.). CRS Advanced Technology. Retrieved November 18, 2013, from
http://crsadvancedtechnology.com/products/subfinder/
Thompson, J. (n.d.). Message from the Executive Director | Brewer Porch Children's Center.
Home | Brewer Porch Children's Center. Retrieved October 11, 2013, from
Tuscaloosa Area Demographics, Workforce and Economic Development Information. (n.d.).
Tuscaloosa Area Demographics, Workforce and Economic Development Information.
Retrieved November 25, 2013, from
http://www.tuscaloosachamber.com/tuscaloosa/tuscaloosa.php#educational
http://bpcc.ua.edu/brewer_porch_overview/index.php