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The PAS Workforce Project
About 
This five-year research project identifies and disseminates information
about Personal Assistance Service (PAS) workforce programs considered
to be innovative and "best" practices.
The project is directed by Robert Newcomer in
the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences along with Teresa Scherzer in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, and Susan Chapman
at the Center for the Health Professions at the University of California San Francisco.
The project is a collaboration with Dorie Seavey,
PHI’s Director of Policy Research and Robyn
Stone, Executive Director of the Institute
for the Future of Aging Services.
Promising Programs
The National Clearinghouse on the Direct Care Workforce has produced a database that includes profiles of programs implemented by service providers, educators, and worker and community organizations to improve the recruitment, training, and retention of direct-care workers across the spectrum of facility- and home- and community-based long-term care services. These practice profiles were researched and written by staff of PHI and the Institute for the Future of Aging Services (IFAS).
PHI and IFAS identified the practices through conversations with experts around the country and through broad distribution of a call for nominations. Those selected for inclusion have been in place for at least six months and can provide some quantitative or qualitative evidence of their results.
Go to the Workforce Best Pratices Database.
State legislation regarding wages and benefits. Thirteen promising practices.
Home and personal care workers for Medicaid personal care services programs earn considerably less than their counterparts who are direct support workers or work for home health agencies and assisted living facilities. Even with differences between different types of home care workers (and whether they work for private agencies or state personal care programs), there can be variation in hourly rates by state and county. One method of increasing wages and benefits of home care workers is by legislation
In this report we focused on promising examples of state legislation seeking to specifically increase the hourly wages or benefits of home, direct or personal care workers. The final list of promising practices consists of 11 bills and 2 legislative appropriations (LA and WY) from 2001-2007. Seven of the 13 bills or legislative appropriations considered ‘promising practices’ (AK, DC, LA, MI, NH, NY 2001-02,WY) increased wages for workers and six (ME, MA, MT, NY 2007-08, WA 2006, WA 2004) related to collective bargaining agreements/insurance coverage.
Go to the Thirteen Promising Practices report.
National Clearinghouse on the Direct Care Workforce
The National
Clearinghouse on the Direct Care Workforce tracks national and state
policies that relate to the PAS workforce. This includes a national
survey of state workforce initiatives and information on recruitment,
training, mentoring, career advancement, management and supervisory
training, workplace culture and caregiving practices, wages and benefits,
worker supports and other valuable information. Information on innovative
programs considered to be "best practices" can be found in
the
Practice Profiles section of the Direct Care Clearinghouse web site.
Successful strategies for recruiting and retaining direct service workers (CMS)
CMS Issues Progress Report on Grantees
Updates on the progress of the 2006 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' National Direct Service Worker (DSW) Resource Center grantees outline 10 successful strategies for recruiting and retaining direct service workers.
Among the initiatives described are:
- Recruitment and training of people with disabilities and people 55 and older to work as DSWs in Arkansas;
- A realistic "job preview" video made in Delaware;
- An effective candidate screening tool in Kentucky; and
- Initiatives to increase the number of workers with health coverage in participating home health agencies in Maine.
The full report is available online.
 State
by State Workforce Data and Resources Available
PAS Workforce Library
Contains citations to resources related to each state.
The library is provided and maintained by the National Clearinghouse on the
Direct Care Workforce. Each citation contains an abstract and information
about how to obtain the entire version.
Number of Home and Personal Care Workers by State
The Center for PAS has tabulated, by state, estimates of
the number of PAS workers and workers per persons with self-care difficulty.
Workforce Development Projects in Personal Assistance Services
More than 100 recently funded and currently funded research and demonstration
projects to expand and improve the Personal Assistance Services workforce
in the U.S.A. can be searched by state, category, and major federal, state,
or foundation initiative. (updated 1/20/05)
Reports and Publications
A list of publications produced by the PAS Workforce project. The citations
provide links to abstracts, press releases, and either the entire publication,
or information about where to obtain it.
All PAS Workforce Reports and Publications
Recent additions:
Seavey, D. (April 2008). Occupational Projections for Direct-Care Workers 2006-2016. Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute (PHI), fact sheet.
View Abstract and Obtain Full Version Misra, S., Orslene, L.E., & Walls, R.T. 2007. Personal Assistance Services for Workers with Disabilities: Views and Experiences of Rehabilitation Service Providers. Disability Studies Quarterly, 27(3), http://www.dsq-sds.org/2007_summer_toc.html
View Abstract and Obtain Full Version Hewitt, A., Edelstein, S., Seavey, D., Morris, J. & Hoge, M. (2007). Direct Support Professional Work Group Report. Raleigh, NC: North Carolina Commission for Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse. Retrieved Dec. 9, 2007 from: http://www.directcareclearinghouse.org/l_art_det.jsp?res_id=265010
View Abstract and Obtain Full Version
Library
Citations and abstracts of important publications related to Home and
community-based PAS. Information on how to obtain the complete text is provided with each citation.
All PAS Workforce publications
Recent additions:
Castro, C. M., King, A. C., Housemann, R., Bacak, S. J., McMullen, K. M., & Brownson, R. C. (2007). Rural family caregivers and health behaviors: results from an epidemiologic survey. Journal of Aging and Health, 19, 1, 87-105.
View Abstract and Obtain Full Version Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2008). Assuring Healthy Caregivers, A Public Health Approach to Translating Research into Practice: The RE-AIM Framework Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
View Abstract and Obtain Full Version Gaugler, J. E., Roth, D. L., Haley, W. E., & Mittelman, M. S. (2008). Can counseling and support reduce burden and depressive symptoms in caregivers of people with Alzheimer's disease during the transition to institutionalization? Results from the New York University Caregiver Intervention Study. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 56, 3, 421-428.
View Abstract and Obtain Full Version
Presentations
Presentations given by the PAS Workforce project
All PAS Workforce presentations
Recent additions:
Scherzer, T. (2006, November 7). How do diverse homecare workers address occupational hazards and injury?. Presented at the American Public Health Association 134th Annual Meeting and Exposition hosted by APHA.
More information
Newcomer, R., Scherzer, T. (2006, November 7). Who counts? On (not) counting occupational injuries in homecare. Presented at the American Public Health Association 134th Annual Meeting and Exposition hosted by APHA.
More information
Scherzer, T., Newcomer, R. (2006, November 6). Financial Management Services in consumer-directed programs: What supports are offered to both consumers/users and workers?. Presented at the American Public Health Association 134th Annual Meeting and Exposition hosted by APHA.
More information
Links
The Center for PAS has assembled a list of links to organizations,
resources and information available on the web related to PAS Workforce.
All PAS Workforce links
Recent additions: The Annapolis Coalition on the Behavioral Health Workforce
http://www.annapoliscoalition.org/pages/ The Annapolis Coalition is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving the recruitment, retention, training, and performance of the prevention and treatment workforce in the mental health and addictions sectors of the behavioral health field. Illinois Direct Support Professionals
http://www.ildspinitiative.com/ The Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities (ICDD) has funded a three year workforce systems change initiative designed to improve recruitment and retention of Direct Support Professionals in Illinois, who are competent and confident in the skills needed to provide quality supports and services to individuals with developmental disabilities. Partners for this project include the University of Minnesota’s Institute on Community Integration, the Institute on Disability and Human Development at UIC, and the Human Services Research Institute. Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving
http://www.rosalynncarter.org/home/ The Rosalynn Carter Institute establishes local, state and national partnerships committed to building quality long-term, home and community- based services. We believe strongly in the need to provide greater recognition and support for America's professional and family caregivers. Our focus includes supporting individuals and caregivers coping with chronic illness and disability across the lifespan as well as limitations due to aging.
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