Supporting Well-Being for the Home Visiting Workforce: Organizational Supports for Experiences of Bias & Discrimination

This learning brief is the third in a series to share findings from a 2023 statewide survey of over 700 members of Oregon’s home visiting workforce. This study has provided a wealth of information about Oregon’s home visiting workforce and what could be done to improve and support worker well-being and retention, with a focus on the needs and experiences of home visitors of color and those who speak languages other than English. Little research has examined the extent to which home visitors experience racism or discrimination on the job, how this may impact their professional and personal well-being, and what organizational, supervisory and peer supports could mitigate negative impacts. Moreover, organizational leaders now recognize the impact of racial and other inequities on the entire workforce—not just persons of color—and are increasingly focusing on how to support workforce well-being through organizational changes that promote an equitable and antiracist work environment. With input from the Workforce Equity Research Leadership team, questions were included in the survey to allow us to begin to answer these questions. We describe the frequency of experiences of racism or discrimination on the job, their impact on workforce well-being, and whether working within an organization characterized by antiracist climate and practices (such as having strong antiracist leadership, supports for staff who experience discrimination, and access to affinity group spaces) may help to support workers’ well-being.