Recruitment and Retention

These kits provide strategic guidance and tools such as checklists and worksheets to help people recruit and retain quality direct support professionals. One version is designed for individuals with disabilities and the other is for their families and support team members. A hard copy with interactive CD is available at the Illinois Direct Support Professional Workforce Initiative website.

This policy paper proposes that the unionization of direct care workers can improve recruitment, retention, and service quality without limiting consumers’ rights and choices. The author explores the historical roots of efforts to address direct support workforce issues, reviews the role of unions in the field in the past, examines emerging support models, and comments on current union efforts.

This book and corresponding materials present a strategy for improving the health care workforce serving older adults via expanded education and training, models of care, and public/private programs. The committee proposes a three-prong approach: 1)Enhance the geriatric competence of the entire workforce; 2)Increase the recruitment and retention of geriatric specialists and caregivers; 3)Improve the way care is delivered. The book is available free online or for sale in PDF or hard copy format.

Find thirteen examples of state level legislation that improve the wages, collective bargaining rights, or insurance of personal care workers and home health aides. The report also includes graphics illustrating workforce trends and a list of potential best practices that were not passed into law in their respective states.

This study examines dynamics affecting the direct-care workforce in Vermont. It found that only one third of those workers have employer-sponsored health insurance, one half of those surveyed expected to receive a raise, and 42% received formal job training. The report includes nine recommendations to strengthen the state’s direct-care workforce. In addition, the appendices include original surveys given to employers and direct-care workers.

A series of reports, commissioned by The Massachusetts Council of Human Service Providers, contain an analysis of the human services workforce in Massachusetts and its implications for the future. Identified in the first report, job recruitment and retention are a growing concern. This second report focuses on factors contributing to the human services workforce shortage and provides insight into challenges faced by providers across the Commonwealth. Key features and strategies are outlined.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) initiated a demonstration project to improve the Direct Service Community Workforce to test the effectiveness of different workforce interventions on the retention and recruitment of Direct Service Workers (DSWs). This report identifies promising practices in direct service worker marketing, recruitment, and selection across the CMS grantees.

This report reviews issues integral to the employment of people with disabilities. It has two broad aims: 1) to summarize existing knowledge regarding employment of people with disabilities; and 2) to present new information on the perspectives of employers, people with disabilities, and disability specialists on key barriers and facilitators of employment. The National Council on Disability offers recommendations to supplement best practices and existing public policies and initiatives.

A national campaign to expand quality health coverage for direct-care workers who are a lifeline for millions of Americans, this website provides information about the effort to improve coverage. Visitors can also find information on policy solutions, state campaigns, resources, a newsroom and how to get involved and take action.

What are the steps of the hiring process? According to a training presentation from the Alaska MIG program, the four step process includes recruitment, interviewing, selection and retention. The slides cover ways to overcoming perceived barriers and the hiring process. The presentation also included an exercise and quiz.