1. A Project of the PCA Quality Home Care Workforce Council
How ILCs can Support the Recruitment and Retention of the PCA Workforce
A Project of the PCA Quality Home Care Workforce Council
Lisa Marschke, MS Lisa Sirois, EdD, LICSW
Manager Executive Director
PCA Recruitment and Retention Project PCA Quality Homecare Workforce Council

2. Presentation Goals List the primary causes of turnover among PCAs
Provide a PCA Recruitment and Retention program overview
Describe the successes and challenges from the first year of the pilot
Share ways that ILC staff can participate in the project
Brainstorm strategies to integrate elements of the program within other ILCs
Explain
Identify
Discuss
Review
Compare
Summarize
Describe
Examine

3. PCA Workforce Council Mission
To insure the quality of long-term, in-home, personal care by recruiting, training and stabilizing the work force of personal care attendants.

4. Title XVII Chapter 118E Massachusetts General Laws
Section 72. (a) The workforce council shall carry out the following duties:
(1) Undertake recruiting efforts to identify and recruit prospective personal care attendants;

5. 25-Hour Pre-Employment Preparation
Provide pre-employment fundamentals (10 hours)
Independent Living
Confidentiality, Rights, and Ethics
Infection Control and Universal Precautions
Communication
Professionalism
CPR and First Aid certification (10 hours)
Career Readiness (5 hours)
Profile on Rewarding Work website
Resume and cover letter practice
Interview skills practice
The PCA R&R project was designed to increase the number of new PCAs prepared to assist MassHealth consumers to live independently
Develop and implement a recruitment strategy
Screen and enroll participants
Provide pre-employment preparedness opportunity
Evaluate project outcomes

6. Rationale for Program Length
2010- demonstration grants awarded
ABCs for Direct Care Workers developed
Prepared PCAs and/or Home Care Aids
This 60-hour curriculum was too long
New curriculum only includes essential skills for PCAs
CPR and First Aid certification was added
Career Readiness skills and strategies
ABCs for Direct Care Workers is a 60-hour curriculum
Prepared people to be either PCAs and/or Home Care Aids
This 60-hour curriculum was too long
The curriculum was reduced to 10-hours, and only includes essential skills for PCAs.

7. PCA Turnover Conflict, poor communication, burnout – 45%
Consumer passed away or moved – 19%
Low wages, lack of benefits – 15%
Changes in childcare/transportation/housing for PCA – 11%
Conflict, poor communication, burnout – 45%
Consumer passed away or moved – 19%
Low wages, lack of benefits – 15%
Changes in childcare/transportation/housing for PCA – 11%

8. Initial Partnerships
Last year some asked a great question-why don’t you have any ILCs involved?
We do now!!

9. Partnership Evolution
Cape Organization for the Rights of the Disabled
Center for Living and Working
Independence Associates
Northeast Independent Living Program
STAVROS
Southeast Center for Independent Living
MA Rehabilitation Commission
Department of Transitional Assistance
Department of Mental Health
Work Inc.

10. Preliminary Findings Variable Number Attended information session 283
Enrolled in the program
214
Completed the program
175
Participated in the follow-up phone survey 8 weeks later 70
Managing a Rewarding Work profile
Actively looking for PCA work or more PCA hours 59
Employed as PCA, at least part-time 13
Providing information sessions at local community colleges in partnership with career centers, independent living centers, Rewarding Work, Inc, Home Care Training Benefit, and the 1199 SEIU.

11. Benefits of ILC Participation
How else can we integrate elements of the program within other ILCs to make the partnerships mutually beneficial?
Who can think of reasons why participating in this program is beneficial??
(Let’s hear from members of the current partners…)

12. Lisa Sirois, EdD, LICSW
Executive Director 
PCA Workforce Council
Lisa Marschke, MS
Manager, PCA Recruitment and Retention Program
UMass Medical School