ACS CMS Direct Support Worker Resource Center 2008 - 2010
Project Description:
Since 2001 the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), specifically the Disabled and Elderly Health Programs Group (DEHPG), Division of Advocacy and Special Initiatives (DASI), has awarded nearly two billion dollars in grants and contracts to help implement the President's New Freedom Initiative (NFI). The purpose of the NFI is to help reduce barriers to community living so that individuals with physical disabilities and long term illnesses can live meaningful lives in the community. Two of the barriers the NFI addresses are the shortage of direct service workers (DSW) and the lack of flexible funding that would allow Medicaid dollars to follow Medicaid participants currently in institutions into the community.
The CMS National Direct Service Workforce Resource Center (RC) will provide three types of technical assistance (TA) on direct service workforce issues (DSW) to grantees, state and local governments, non-profit organizations, employers and professionals. The types of TA include intensive technical assistance (TA) to states with Money Follows the Person (MFP) demonstration grants that have DSW needs; general TA activities to a broad range of entities; and peer-to-peer learning activities through conference calls as well as face-to-face peer-to-peer learning experiences.
Key tasks include
1) Strengthening the DSW resource center infrastructure including its website.
2) Providing general technical assistance to stakeholders through the resource center infrastructure.
3) Providing intensive technical assistance on DSW workforce issues to CMS Money Follows the Person grantees to help them develop or implement initiatives to strengthen the workforce that supports MFP participants who are transitioning from institutional to home and community based settings.
4) Provide peer to peer learning experiences to MFP grantees through conference calls and face-to-face learning experiences.
5) Develop research synthesis products to assist users of the DSW Resource Center to improve workforce outcomes.
Keyword(s):
Direct Support Professionals, Direct Support Workers, Workforce
Core Function(s):
Performing Technical Assistance and/or Training, Developing & Disseminating Information
Target Audience:
Professionals and Para-Professionals, Family Members/Caregivers, Adults with Disabilities, Legislators/Policy Makers
Unserved or Under-served Populations:
None
Primary Target Audience Geographic Descriptor:
National
COVID-19 Related Data:
N/A
