Blog

By Geralyn Magan

New research from the LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston focuses on helping LeadingAge members expand racial and ethnic diversity in their organizations.

A renewed national focus on social justice issues has helped bring diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) to the attention of organizations providing long-term services and supports (LTSS), according to a new collection of reports from the LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston. As a result, a growing number of LeadingAge providers are launching initiatives to promote DEI within their organizations or are adding greater structure, discipline, and intentionality to their existing DEI efforts.

During 2021, the LTSS Center engaged in a series of research studies focused on supporting a key LeadingAge strategy: to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in the LTSS workplace. The research was designed to help LeadingAge and its member organizations expand their racial and ethnic diversity, particularly among mid-level and senior leadership teams and boards of directors.

FOUR RESEARCH REPORTS

Findings from the LTSS Center’s DEI research are presented in a four-part collection of reports entitled Creating a Diverse, Equitable, and Inclusive Workplace Culture:

1. The collection’s Summary Report offers a brief overview of key findings from the LTSS’s Center’s DEI research and offers links to three research reports and two DEI resources. Notably, the Summary Report presents a graphic illustration of the lack of diversity among leaders in the LTSS field. Developed by Marvell Adams Jr., chief operating officer at Kendal Corporation, the graphic shows that only three of the 200 largest nonprofit senior living communities in the country have CEOs who are people of color.
2. A Review of the Literature explores published research focusing on principles and strategies that can be used to advance DEI in the LTSS field. In one key finding, the literature review cites research showing that paying attention to diversity, equity, and inclusion can lead to financial benefits for organizations, including increased revenue, reduced costs, greater innovation, and improved employee engagement, productivity, and commitment.
3. Perspectives of LeadingAge Members describes the processes that leaders at nine LeadingAge member organizations are using to plan and implement DEI activities and incorporate DEI into the fabric of their organizations. Providers shared their experiences implementing several DEI strategies, including education and training, town halls and listening sessions, diversity celebrations, internships for students of color, and efforts to recruit a diverse pool of skilled leaders and board members by engaging in partnerships, tapping into social and professional networks, and revising organizational policies and practices.
4. Perspectives of Leaders of Color shares insights from 13 leaders of color about their career journeys, experience with DEI issues, and recommendations for change. The leaders acknowledged the general lack of awareness about LTSS career opportunities within communities of color, identified the barriers and facilitators they encountered in their career journeys, and spoke poignantly about the psychological barriers they have faced while working in LTSS organizations.

 
Two additional resources are also available:

1. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: A Survey of LeadingAge Members highlights findings from a survey that LeadingAge conducted in early 2021 to gauge the level of DEI activities among its multisite organizations and life plan communities. The survey showed that about half (53%) of LeadingAge members have DEI initiatives and that 12% of boards and leaders at surveyed organizations are people of color. The survey also yielded data on the steps members have taken to implement a DEI initiative, their DEI priorities for the next 12-28 months, top DEI-related challenges and benefits, and measures of success.
2. Snapshot of the LTSS Field of Long-Term Services and Supports presents charts featuring sample career opportunities and median salaries in the LTSS field.

“DEI is a continuous journey that must be tailored to the unique circumstances of each organization,” concludes the Summary Report. “A successful DEI effort will have buy-in from the CEO and board members, align DEI with the organization’s strategic plan and mission, integrate DEI into the organizational culture, measure the impact of DEI efforts, and hold all staff accountable for a long-term commitment to DEI.”