Who’s supporting the people who support others? Caseworkers, counselors, and human services professionals, including those in workforce development, dedicate their careers to helping people in times of need. Whether ensuring safety and nourishment, promoting mental and behavioral wellness, or guiding individuals back to the workforce so they can sustain themselves and their families with dignity, their work is essential to our communities.
But we have a large and growing problem: The professionals trained to deliver these essential services are overburdened and undercompensated. They’re buried under growing caseloads, outdated processes and fragmented systems—conditions that lead to burnout and high turnover across the human services sector.
Delays in Workforce Development Program Service Delivery
Caseworkers are already struggling to keep up with data collection for WIOA reporting. At the same time, agencies and workforce development boards have their eyes on WIOA reauthorization, which was pending in Congress as of spring 2025.
Delays create uncertainty for both workforce development and VR programs, affecting planning and service delivery.
On the VR side, staffing shortages are having real consequences. While 6.9% of VR participants are placed on waiting lists on average, that number jumps to 9.2% for individuals who are deaf and deafblind. A key factor: a shortage of qualified VR counselors as outlined in federal regulation (34 CFR § 361.18).
What’s the Solution to the Human Services Workforce Shortage?
We know you don’t have enough staff to do the work that needs to be done. Your CMS alone can’t fill the caseworker capacity gap or pivot as quickly as you need to when regulatory changes spring up.
SaraWorks is a lightweight, low-risk tool that multiplies caseworker capacity. How? It automates data collection and compliance, and centralizes all client communication. The result is that your caseworkers can focus on clients and outcomes. And it does all of this without requiring any changes to your existing staff or CMS.
Interested in exploring our solution? Book a free demo with our team.
Interested in how Human Services industry leaders are solving this problem more broadly? SaraWork’s parent company, Radicle Health, which supports over 14,000 organizations across the U.S. and Canada, has written a blog post examining the human services workforce shortage crisis in depth. The post outlines some practical, actionable solutions, from workforce pipeline development and career pathways to increased wages, funding and innovations in process and technology.
Read the post to find out how we can strengthen the workforce together.
