Grantee: NC Department of

Health and Human Services

North Carolina PHCAST Demonstration Grant

PHCAST is Funded by the US Department of Health and Human Services - Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)

Key Concepts

1. Builds on prior direct care workforce (DCW) initiatives in NC and Partner Team approach to development and implementation

2. Strengthens new AND incumbent direct care worker training

3. Uses a 4-phase framework that integrates training pathways for direct care workers across long term care settings

4. Expands state-recognized DCW career path options

5. Improves all training using adult-centered learning strategies to increase access to health care jobs

6. PHCAST training/competency can be integrated with other initiatives to improve direct care jobs

PHCAST Personal and Home Care State Training

COMPONENTS

Phase I - Job readiness, Literacy/Numeracy, keyboarding and realistic job previewing skills

Phase II - Non-Nurse Aide personal care task and soft skills development

Phase III - Enhanced Nurse Aide content/delivery

Phase IV - Advanced Nurse Aide I knowledge & skills- Home Care Nurse Aide (new) focuses on specific care environment. This phase will also create a track parallel to Geriatric aide or Medication aide career path options for nurse aides in NC.

NC PHCAST Project Status

Curricula/competencies developed (Phases I, II, IV Home Care) & pilots on-going

Revised Phase III (NA) curriculum & available for statewide use - required use by Fall 2013.

NC Home Care Aide Registry implemented

Compiling pilot feedback for curricula revisions (I, II & IV)

Adult Care Home pilots identified for in-service training

Importance to Workers, Employers, Consumers, Others

Realistic job previewing and workforce matching

Competency based and achievement oriented phases taught through high schools and community colleges

Develops a model for personal and home care aide training (entry-level and advanced)

NA I training enhanced with additional adult learning strategies and new delivery format

Enhanced state recognized career paths, employability

System and competencies responds to employer needs

Option to use curricula modules for in-service training use

Importance to Workers, Employers, Consumers, Others

More efficient use of NA I training programs (e.g., diverts or retains employee/learners based on full information regarding jobs)

Employer recruitment of workers more focused

Reduces persistent barriers to training

High School students – job/career ready (NA I & Phase IV)

Integration with other QI Initiatives

Better trained/more competent workers = better care for consumers

Preliminary Indicators of Success

We are meeting a need. Enrollment has exceeded our expectations with 12 community colleges, 3 high schools and 250 of the 300 participants enrolled by the middle of year 2.

Educational partners perceive this 4 phase model as filling an important gap for unemployed workers seeking work in health care.

Approximately 80% of phase 1 enrollees, persist into phase 2 (Direct Care Basics).

Employer-Educator partnerships are building where students are also incumbent workers.

Key Facilitators for Success

Partnership (Stakeholders at the table and invested in the process)

Incremental and meaningful career lattice development Manageable yet meaningful steps Clarify pathways Align with competencies Align with incremental rewards Early success breeds later persistence

Leveraging resources: Community college integration

Framework makes sense for North Carolina

Phases I & II, linked to human resource development programs

State-recognized job categories

Responds to employer need

Integration with other DCW policy/practice initiatives (e.g., NC NOVA, Star Rating, in-service training)

Potential to add new modules/job categories

Employers and other key stakeholders involved in process

Sustainability

Beyond PHCAST

Work with employer partners to meaningfully integrate training with career lattices

Work with employer partners to disseminate continuing education modules

Integration with other settings

Effective Interdisciplinary Teams

Additional modules/job category

Consumer directed care training issues