Wages and Benefits

This White Paper recommends minimum data sets that states should collect to help assess the magnitude of workforce issues they face and to design and evaluate policy responses. The three basic data elements include: numbers of workers (full time and part time); stability of workforce (turnover and vacancies); and average compensation (wages and benefits). The authors also offer guidance on how to implement data collection.

Here are demographic, employment, and income characteristics of one of the largest and fastest-growing workforces in the country. Due to this dynamic, understanding the direct care workforce is critical for effective service delivery and policy making in areas from health reform to economic growth. Key figures include job titles and responsibilities, employment status, work setting, wages and benefits.

Program administrators, advocates, and researchers advise the Senate on ways to improve wellbeing and cost outcomes of long-term care by increasing access to HCBS. They speak on national demographics, successful HCBS programs of the past and present, state programs in Wisconsin and Florida, integrating acute and long-term care for dual eligibles, and program finance models. See “Video Contents Index” for time stamps and information on each testimony.

This cross-disability synthesis white paper presents an overview of direct service workforce (DSW) challenges and practices across sectors and provides a call to action regarding these issues. Little has been written about how DSW jobs vary by population served. Beyond demographics and challenges, the authors also examine the development of different service models, promising practices and areas for planning and action. The appendix catalogs core competencies for each group.

Revisit the material presented at the 2008 HCBS Conference. The DSW Intensive provided an overview of the direct service workforce challenges and the initiatives being researched and developed to address them. Intensive materials posted include a planning document, trends in policy and recommendations for data collection.

Many of the same social, health, and economic trends driving the development of home and community-based services in the U.S. are also present in Europe. A team of experts assembled by the World Health Organization presents evidence for the effectiveness of home care, shows how it can be improved, and explains the need for equitable access. It also explores the varied cultural and care contexts in Europe and provides suggestions on educating professionals and the public about these issues.

This resource provides tools, contact information, and lessons learned from eight research projects that focused on providing a more stable and qualified workforce. These projects, including state demonstrations and applied research and evaluation programs, are part of the four-year, $15.5 million Better Jobs Better Care initiative. The report compiles the major findings, and the resource catalog provides surveys, policy analyses, training and assessment materials, and many more practical tools.

In Los Angeles County, personal care workers (PCW) that meet eligibility requirements can receive healthcare benefits. Since 2003, the Personal Assistance Services Council (PASC) of L.A. County has commissioned annual studies to examine how these benefits have effected retention and quality. Those studies are posted here along with an introductory letter. Visit the PASC website for updates.

Using information from published literature, interviews and focus groups, this review covers a wide variety of characteristics of the jobs of direct care workers in the behavioral health field. It also looks at the prospects and requirements for developing more effective career paths that recognize and reward quality workers. It concludes with 12 policy recommendations.

Mathematica researchers examine the effects that the Medicaid Buy-In program has had on participants’ earnings. The first brief looks at whether earnings increase after enrollment. The second profiles the workers that earn the highest wages. The last brief profiles all Buy-In participants and compares earnings data by state. Each brief analyzes the traits of the workers and different state programs to identify successful strategies.