Improving Home and Community-Based Services Workforce in North Carolina
Author Information
Author(s): Basrai Zavera, Yoon Caroline, Scales Kezia, Farnham Trish, Carson Erin, Boucher Nathan
Primary Institution: Duke University
Hypothesis
How can North Carolina improve the training and support for its home and community-based services workforce?
Conclusion
The WECARE project aims to modernize training and credentialing for direct care workers in North Carolina to improve job quality and retention.
Supporting Evidence
- North Carolina has approximately 113,000 direct service workers who are often poorly paid and inadequately supported.
- The demand for direct care jobs in North Carolina is projected to increase by almost 23,000 from 2020 to 2030.
- The WECARE project aims to create a unified multi-level certification framework for direct service workers.
Takeaway
North Carolina needs more trained workers to help older adults and people with disabilities, and a new project is working to make that happen.
Methodology
The study involved desk research, listening sessions with workers and caregivers, and formal engagements with agency leaders.
Limitations
The study may not fully capture all perspectives due to the limited number of listening sessions.
Participant Demographics
Direct service workers, support recipients, and family caregivers in North Carolina.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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