When direct care workers are invited to share their feedback, reactions, and input, policy and decision makers are afforded a valuable opportunity to learn from people with lived experience. Their first-hand knowledge and description of issues – that in government settings become all too easily muddled in policy jargon – help government staff to connect high level policy to real world impact.
Benefits of implementing DCW Advisory Boards include:
- Improves Workforce Policy Development
- Provides informed recommendations to guide state policies and programs impacting direct care workers.
- Amplifies Direct Care Worker Voices
- Ensures the perspectives and experiences of direct care workers are heard and included in decision-making.
- Enhances Recruitment and Retention Strategies
- Offers insights into challenges and solutions for attracting and retaining a stable, qualified workforce.
- Strengthens Communication Between Stakeholders
- Fosters collaboration among state agencies, providers, advocates, and direct care workers.
- Encourages Innovation and Best Practices
- Facilitates the exchange of ideas and innovative approaches to workforce challenges.
- Provides Accountability and Transparency
- Offers a structured forum for tracking progress on workforce initiatives and goals.
- Elevates the Direct Care Profession
- Promotes the worker voice in state policymaking and encourages other stakeholders to incorporate workers’ perspectives
For more on what other states are doing and to read about Indiana’s DSW Advisory Board, see the ADvancing States report, Direct Care Workforce Advisory Boards: A National Perspective.