Direct Care Workforce

ACL has awarded a five-year grant totaling over $6 million to establish a national center to expand and strengthen the direct care workforce across the country. In support of the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to strengthening the care economy, this initiative will provide technical assistance to states and service providers and facilitate collaboration with stakeholders to improve recruitment, retention, training, and professional development of the direct care workers who provide the critical services that make it possible for people with disabilities and older adults to live in their own homes and communities.

National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services (NASDDDS) released a joint white paper with the Institute on Community Integration at UMN and the Human Services Research Institute providing data on and suggested policy remedies for the direct support workforce crisis.

Workforce Affinity Group

Workforce Affinity Group

Workforce Affinity Group

The AHCCCS Administration is publishing preliminary decisions for Differential Adjusted Payments (DAP) strategies to be implemented in the contracting year 2022 for select AHCCCS-registered Arizona providers, which meet agency established performance criteria. This preliminary public notice also addresses future DAP reimbursement strategies that may be considered for implementation in CYE 2023 and thereafter. DAP rates are proposed to be implemented to assure that payments are consistent with efficiency, economy, and quality of care and are sufficient to enlist enough providers so that care and services are available at least to the extent that such care and services are available to the general public in the geographic area.

This report summarizes findings from research involving stakeholder organizations working with family caregivers in the private and public sectors. The report includes insights into best practice models and action steps that can be included in the national strategy to meet the RAISE goals. Additional stakeholder groups such as the direct care workforce, county health care providers, employers, aging and disability organizations, faith-based groups, respite care providers, and others participated in a series of individual interviews and group listening sessions.

States are often exploring ways to effectively support direct care workers, who are often times women, people of color, and living at or near the poverty level. This blog post explores four key recommendations for states to strengthen their direct care workforce, with an emphasis on state Medicaid agencies. The post draws from a CHCS report which focused on strategies used in the state of Michigan.

This scan highlights examples of strategies in 11 states, including Colorado, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, Tennessee, Washington State, and Wisconsin, that have been aimed at strengthening the direct care workforce through legislation, American Rescue Plan Act funding and training.

This PHI report provides a new annual snapshot on the direct care workforce, including its demographics, occupational roles, job quality challenges, and projected job openings. The report includes detailed overviews of home care workers, residential care aides, and nursing assistants in nursing homes, as well as analyzes how the pandemic has affected the workforce.