In an effort to bolster the workforce caring for elderly adults and individuals living with disabilities, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is set to implement measures in a program aimed at professional development of direct care workers. This initiative aligns with the section of the $37 billion American Rescue Plan that focuses on community-based and home services.
According to a news release from HHS, the Administration for Community Living’s (ACL) Direct Care Workforce (DCW) Strategies Center will launch initiatives including webinars for stakeholders, providing information about the direct care workforce. It will also establish a national hub connecting states and offer technical assistance opportunities to facilitate hiring and development of direct care workers. The American Rescue Plan allocates government funds to improve conditions for this crucial segment of the healthcare industry.
"Today’s announcement reflects the Biden-Harris Administration’s steadfast commitment to strengthen the caregiving infrastructure and increase the availability of home and community-based services for older adults and people with disabilities," said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. "Like our efforts to support the development of clinicians and grow the behavioral health workforce, the Direct Care Workforce Strategies Center is an important component of our Health Workforce Initiative."
The news release further indicated that states can avail assistance from both DCW Intensive Technical Assistance and DCW Peer-Learning Collaboratives. The DCW Strategies Center will provide up to 250 hours of individualized technical assistance on various issues for up to six cross-agency state teams. Additionally, states can receive up to 70 hours of individual technical assistance on critical issues pertinent to their state.
"Urgent action is needed to address the shortage of direct care professionals, which is threatening to reverse decades of progress in community living," stated Alison Barkoff, who heads up the Administration for Community Living. "The DCW Strategies Center was created to strengthen collaboration across state agencies, direct care professionals, people receiving services, and other stakeholders in order to improve recruitment, retention, and development of this critical workforce. The initiatives announced today are an exciting step forward toward this goal."
