Direct Care Workforce Event Series
The NC Center on the Workforce for Health is partnering with NC DHHS, NC Institute of Medicine, NC Coalition on Aging, NC AHEC, and Piedmont AHEC to host a series of workshops dedicated to advancing the direct care workforce (DCW) recommendations of the Caregiving Workforce Strategic Leadership Council.
Turning Ideas into Action
In January 2024, the Caregiving Workforce Strategic Leadership Council released a report detailing 15 strategies for state agencies to address critical workforce shortages in nursing, direct care, and behavioral health. Four strategies outline actions important to direct care.
This event series is sponsored by NC DHHS Division of Public Health to convene direct care workers, employers, policy officials, and subject matter experts to inform implementation of the DCW strategies. Each workshop is themed on one of the four DCW recommendations, and agendas are developed based on information related to the Caregiving Council report.
Workshop 1: Defining the Direct Care Workforce
There is a pressing need to create an overarching framework that can effectively categorize and track diverse DCWs to ensure comprehensive and accurate data collection and analysis. This workshop will gather input from critical stakeholders to inform a working definition of which roles, skills, and competencies comprise the direct care workforce.
Key Discussion Areas:
- Defining state-funded roles
- Inventorying direct care workforce
- Standardizing job descriptions and credentials
Note: a virtual version of this workshop will be offered in late January. More details will be published soon.
January 15, 2025
10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Friday Center, Chapel Hill NC
Workshop 2: Advancing DCW Data Landscape
North Carolina lacks reliable and actionable data surrounding its direct care workforce. To effectively address the numerous challenges impacting the direct care workforce, the state must first amass vital information regarding DCW employers, demographics, compensation, and other relevant information. This workshop is intended to identify current data available and assess remaining needs to support meaningful measurement and tracking of the direct care workforce.
Key Discussion Areas:
- Identify existing data availability
- Mechanisms for identifying employers of DCWs
- Categorizing DCW data
February 19, 2025
By invitation
Workshop 3: Expanding DCW Apprenticeships
To attract DCWs through apprenticeship programs, it is necessary to streamline the transition from high school or community college to direct care employment. In many cases, DCWs experience challenges related to both development within the direct care profession as well as advancement to other health care fields and occupations such as nursing. This workshop is designed to identify promising and scalable practices to strengthen career ladders and lattices in direct care.
Key Discussion Areas:
- Building apprenticeship-focused relationships among key state and local stakeholders
- Highlighting successful apprenticeship programs
- Identifying financial incentives and models to sustain apprenticeships
March 5, 2025
10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Guilford Technical Community College
Registration to open in early January 2025
Workshop 4: Creating a Living Wage for DCWs
The direct care workforce is often not paid a living wage, which decreases the ability to recruit and retain skilled workers in these positions, potentially compromising the quality of care. Given the below average wages that DCWs earn, it has been further challenging to attract an adequate number of bilingual DCWs to serve the growing Hispanic population in the state. The financial burden of training can also serve as a substantial barrier to entry for prospective direct care workers. This workshop is designed to identify available resources that support DCW financial wellbeing (e.g., compensation, wraparound services, training resources, and similar supports) and assess gaps that lead to poor workforce trends.
Key Discussion Areas:
- State of Medicaid rates for DCW roles
- Review of other states’ actions on DCW compensation
- Align training, credentialing, and career pathways
- Drivers of retention
April 4, 2025
10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Guilford Technical Community College
Registration to open in early 2025
Organizing Partners
