In January 2023, the National MLTSS Health Plan Association launched a new Direct Care Workforce Workgroup focused on developing policy proposals to equitably address the shortage of direct care workers for individuals with long-term services and supports (LTSS) needs, chaired by Rachel Turner Chinetti (Elevance Health) and Kris Kubnick (Inclusa, Inc.). Critical to this effort is the exchange of insights and expertise with the MLTSS Association Partnership Program.
The workgroup will develop policy proposals to equitably address the direct care workforce crisis. The workgroup developed a framework of five key domains that the proposals will address – elevating the social value of DCWs’ impact; recruitment; workforce development and retention; data collection, monitoring, and evaluation; and workforce alternatives – with technology and family caregiving/natural supports as cross-cutting themes. While the workgroup is primarily focused on formal supports, family caregivers and other informal supports will be woven throughout the framework given the critical role they play to support people with LTSS needs.
Read the full press release here.