Systems Change Grants for Community Living Compendium Third Edition California RC 2002

2002 Real Choice for Systems Change Grants

CALIFORNIA

Grant Information

Name of Grantee: California Department of Social Services
Title of Grant: IHSS Enhancement Initiative
Type of Grant: Real Choice Systems Change
Amount of Grant: $1,385,000
Year Original Funding Received: 2002

Contact Information

Alan Stolmack, Chief
916–229–4582
alan.stolmack@dss.ca.gov

Martha Bracha, Grant Coordinator
Adult Programs Branch
744 P Street, MS 19–96
Sacramento, CA 95814
916–229–4023
martha.bracha@dss.ca.gov

Subcontractor(s)

California State University, Sacramento
Director
Carole Barnes
916–278–5138

Project Specialist
Institute for Social Research
6000 J Street
Sacramento, CA 95819
Sandie Sutherland
916–278–5737

Target Population(s)

Approximately 300,000 Medicaid-eligible aged, blind, and disabled individuals in the In-Home Supportive Services Program (IHSS), as well as roughly 250,000 care providers.

Goals

Develop training, educational materials, and other methods of support to aid IHSS consumers to better understand IHSS and to develop skills required to self-direct their care.
Identify training and other support needs of IHSS care providers and create materials, tools, and work aids that will enable those providers to improve the quality of care they render to the consumer.

Activities

Convene stakeholder task force meetings.
Conduct program review and needs assessment.
Inventory and acquire relevant existing training and educational materials.
Address the gaps in educational and training tools.
Design new tools (and modify any existing tools being adapted) and test these tools and dissemination methods.
Provide training for trainers.
Develop a final report and release of new materials and training for trainer's manual.

Abstract

Although the vast majority of Medicaid consumers in the IHSS program recruit, hire, train, and supervise their own care providers, there is no statewide assistance or training available to support them in undertaking these potentially difficult responsibilities that are critical to service delivery.

To accomplish the project's goals, grant funds will be used to finance extensive needs assessments of IHSS consumers and providers. Based on those assessments, project staff will locate, obtain, or design training and educational materials, work aids, and other supportive resources. Grant funds will also be used to fund a diverse stakeholder taskforce that will routinely advise the state on the project.

The expected improvements enabled by grant funding will make the IHSS program more effective, with higher consumer satisfaction, greater provider participation and retention, and improved quality of care.

By January 2003, all California counties must, by law, have implemented an employer of record for employer/employee relations with IHSS providers including collective bargaining. As of January 1, 2003, almost all of California's 58 counties have established a Public Authority (PA) that, by law, must make consumer and worker training available. Counties and PAs will sustain the materials, work aids, and other products developed under this project. This assures that the grant-funded products of this project will be an enduring aspect of the IHSS program throughout the state. The products of this project would also be available to be shared with other states that have programs similar to IHSS.