Year of Grant Award:

2004

Project Title:

Recognition, Respect, and Responsibility: Transforming the Ethos of the Direct Service Community Workforce

Grantee:

Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS)

Primary Grantee Contact:

Teja Stokes

Project Coordinator

teja.stokes@dmas.virginia.gov

Hypotheses:

1. Personal care agencies will be better able to retain personal care aids due to the availability of health coverage program.
2. Job satisfaction and commitment to career will increase among DSWs who complete training and retention will improve at agencies that implement enhanced training opportunities.
3. The recruitment program will be successful in recruiting undergrads, high school students, former caregivers, and persons with disabilities to the job of direct service providers.

Interventions:

1. Pay employee portion of Employer Sponsored Health Insurance Program (ESHI) for 90-100 workers to enable their families to be covered by the agency’s group health insurance.
2. Continue training opportunities for DSWs through the Virginia Geriatric Education Center.
3. Offer two training opportunities for supervisors.
4. Offer half-day training session for family members, offering respite care vouchers to care for family members while they attend the training.
5. Recruit high schools students and university students (VCU and NOVA) to be trained and work as DSWs (Life Long Health Careers Initiative).
6. Recruit family caregivers and respite care workers to become DSWs
7. Recruit people with disabilities to become DSWs.
8. Recruit TANF participants, low-income adults, and displaced workers through SkillSource Centers.
9. Implement marketing campaign to promote jobs in the direct care field.

Evaluators:

Parthy Dinora

Partnership for People with Disabilities

Connie Coogle

Virginia Geriatric Education Center

Read about:

Virginia's Recognition, Respect & Responsibility Process Surveys

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