title: Meso and micro level workforce challenges in psychiatric rehabilitation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Results of an exploratory study are presented which examined workforce challenges in Australia's most established psychiatric rehabilitation sector. The study had the two-fold aim of investigating workforce challenges at an organizational ("meso") level and at the level of direct-service workers' daily practice ("micro").
  
  
  METHODS
  Data from 23 key informant interviews conducted with service managers and long-serving staff were analyzed through basic descriptive and thematic analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Organizations faced significant annual staff turnover (25.6%), specific staff supply shortages, and challenges in recruiting staff with adequate experience and longevity to match the complexity of client issues. Workers equally encountered challenges in this increasingly complex and rapidly changing field of work. CONCLUSIONS & IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Workforce strategies designed to attract/retain experienced staff can improve workforce cohesiveness and sustainability, as can training and support activities aimed at equipping staff to reflect on and operate in dynamic and changing work environments.
authors.affiliation: Melbourne School of Population Health, University of Melbourne, Australia. l.reifels@unimelb.edu.au
authors.forename: Lennart
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Reifels
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pirkis
mesh_terms: D003156:Community Mental Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D010563:Personnel Turnover / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D036301:Qualitative Research; D014739:Victoria; D000078329:Workforce