Talent Is Key to Our Future: Investment in Workforce Development Essential for Expanding Continuum of High-Quality Care

Six years ago, the CRi Board of Directors launched a new fund offering tuition reimbursement to CRi employees pursuing advanced education to further their professional development. Financial support became available to any staff interested in advancing their career, either by earning a certification or license, or by pursuing a bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree in a human services field from an accredited college or university.

The Jack Bruggeman Tuition Assistance Fund was named to honor my late husband who was serving as the CRi Board chair at the time he died in early 2020. It was a tribute to his lifelong advocacy for the work of CRi and other community nonprofits that deliver essential services and programs to support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and mental health needs.

Having a younger sister with I/DD who needed lifetime support and care and eventually came to live in one of CRi’s residential group homes, Jack became a staunch champion for the professional development of CRi’s front-line caregivers, especially our direct support professionals, or DSPs—who provide 24-7, hands-on, person-to-person care for the individuals CRi supports.

Of CRi’s workforce of 500-plus employees companywide, 330 are DSPs, representing 66% of our staff. They are the backbone of the organization’s continuing care structure, but because their work is physically and emotionally demanding it is often where CRi sees the highest staff vacancy rates and turnover.

Talent Is Key to Our Future

Staff retention and delivery of high-quality care is vital to CRi’s future growth. For the past 50 years, CRi has expanded its services to meet the growing needs of individuals with I/DD, those with mental health needs, and at-risk youth. Today, CRi touches the lives of more than 700 individuals. Going forward, CRi is positioning itself to expand our geographic footprint in Virginia and Maryland, broaden the scope of services, and fill critical gaps in the continuum of care.

A key priority of CRi’s recently adopted Strategic Plan for FY2026-FY2028 focuses on building the right structures to recruit and retain exceptional people. Accordingly, CRi will “cultivate a culture that reinforces our values, rewards effective collaboration and problem-solving, and provides opportunities for professional development, which is essential for delivering quality care and services.”

The Tuition Assistance Fund supports this key pillar of the Strategic Plan by offering financial support for professional development—a prime retention tool to ensure staffing stability and expand career pathways for front-line workers. Since 2020, more than 40 CRi employees have received scholarships averaging $1,200 each in pursuit of various healthcare-related degrees. About half of these recipients are DSPs; others include LPNs, program managers, clinical directors, qualified disabilities professionals (QIDPs), behavior specialists, and case workers.

Of these tuition aid recipients, 65% remain employed with CRi and 55% have received promotions. This is a win-win situation for CRi—greater staff retention, more dedicated workforce, higher quality of care. For CRi’s staff—career advancement, skill development, personal satisfaction.

Outlays from the fund total nearly $50,000 to date, nearly half funded by individual donors. Join our Bruggeman Fund supporters by making a financial contribution to support the Jack Bruggeman Tuition Fund today. Visit the Donate page on CRi’s website or mail a check to the CRi Foundation, and specify the fund for your donation.