The Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) Friday announced more than $4.8 million in Direct Care Worker Job Quality grants that will be used for programming to improve workplaces and job quality for direct care workers.
With this funding, nine Pennsylvania organizations will develop and implement programs that increase wages, assist career advancement, and address challenges unique to the direct care workforce, L&I said.
“The Shapiro Administration is committed to investing in Pennsylvania workers, and these grants are a big step in the right direction toward better working conditions for direct care workers who provide support and compassion to older residents and individuals with disabilities who need additional support to accomplish tasks in their everyday lives,” said L&I Secretary Nancy A. Walker. “By investing in direct care workers, the quality of care they provide to customers increases, and the contribution to their communities multiplies, creating a stronger commonwealth for us all.”
Gov. Josh Shapiro has proposed $483 million in federal and state funding to provide more resources for home and community-based service providers so they can increase the average starting salary from approximately $15 per hour to $17 per hour ensuring they are able to pay competitive rates to attract and retain the qualified staff who provide these essential services.
The governor’s proposal also outlines a plan to eliminate the emergency waiting list for adult services and reduce barriers to care for thousands of Pennsylvanians over the next several years.
The proposal includes a $78 million investment in federal and state funds to serve an additional 1,500 Pennsylvanians with intellectual disabilities and autism (ID/A) currently on the waitlist in the next fiscal year.
This comes after the governor’s 2023-24 budget secured $17.49 million to help an additional 850 Pennsylvanians with ID/A get off waitlists for home and community-based services.
L&I said Shapiro allocated American Rescue Plan Act funds to increase wages for more than 55,000 direct care workers and developed a new worker registry and training programs for home-based care workers.
The local organizations receiving funding are:
Family Caregivers Network (Montgomery, Bucks, Berks, Chester, Northampton, and Lehigh counties) - $70,369
The Family Caregivers Network will establish a Caregiver Academy to provide advanced training in bodily systems, disease management, safety, and personal wellness.
The Foundation of the Lancaster Chamber (Lancaster County with workforce attracted from Dauphin, Berks, Lebanon, and York counties) - $600,000
The Talent for Tomorrow initiative will use the Talent Pipeline Management
model, developed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, to identify and analyze job demand across direct care occupations. This will strengthen talent pipelines and align partnerships with preferred providers throughout Lancaster County’s 13 postsecondary institutions.
Work Well (statewide) - $595,549
The Direct Care Workers Enrichment Program through Work Well will improve job satisfaction for workers, leading to increased wages, and a decrease in direct care worker stress, resulting in employee satisfaction and improved retention.
PA Frontline Healthcare Training, Inc. (statewide) - $558,952
The Specialized Training as a Means to Improve Outcomes project addresses the direct care worker shortage by providing training, reimbursement for training, and training completion bonuses.
Copyright © 2024 BridgeTower Media. All Rights Reserved.
Most Popular
Comments / 0