On Thursday, Phi, a nonprofit for advocacy, research and consulting for direct care workers, introduced a new initiative aimed at standardizing training for US direct care workers.
The Universal Direct Care Workforce Initiative aims to establish a standardized core competency framework for workforce training, new credential infrastructure, and career advancement paths.
The initiative is designed to address the issue of “fragmented training systems and limited workforce investments” that hinder career mobility for direct care workers, including personal care and home health aides, through strategic partnerships with states, payers and employers.
“Direct care workers are the backbone of our long-term care system, but they have been undervalued and invested for too long,” Phi president and CEO Jodi M. Sturgeon said in a statement. “The current policy shift challenges this workforce and the care they provide to millions of Americans, but positive change is not only possible, but essential.”
PHI is a New York-based national nonprofit organization focused on creating quality, direct care jobs for the elderly care and disability services sector.
According to PHI, direct care workers are expected to create more than 860,000 new jobs by 2032, indicating the greatest growth in any employment sector in the country.
“Phi's Universal Direct Care Workforce Initiative will fundamentally change the way these key workers invest in training, credentials and promotions,” said Jeannine Laprad, managing director of strategic initiatives. “Together with policymakers and providers from states across the country, we can create viable and sustainable career pathways while ensuring high quality care for those who need it most.”
This initiative aims to establish standardized competence at entry, specialisation and advanced levels to ensure a consistent skill set across a variety of settings.
According to PHI, these abilities provide essential skills and facilitate movement between care settings. According to PHI, creating clear career pathways is available in a variety of formats with language accessible material to create opportunities for specialisation and leadership roles and ensure equitable participation.
Phi said he will work with policymakers, employers and other stakeholders to advocate for federal and state investment and policy reforms that support the workforce's universal competence and training standards, fair wages, career pathways and economic growth. The initiative also includes a national advisory committee to develop a plan for interstate agreements to promote worker mobility and a roadmap for the national adoption and expansion of the national workforce model.
“Investing in direct care workers is not only about strengthening the quality of work and the economy of our country, but also about creating a system in which we can create sustainable, long-term services and provide better services for everyone,” Sturgeon said. “Policy makers, payers and providers seeking to reduce costs and improve the quality and continuity of care in an evolving policy environment should assess the training, qualifications, employment and promotion practices of the direct care workforce. A universal workforce model can enhance training and care delivery, and ultimately improve quality, efficiency and continuity of care.”
