The following information was received by PCPA on September 21, for a direct care worker RFP with a deadline of September 26. If you have questions, please contact the person at the end of the article, not PCPA. Dale Laninga at the PA Department of Aging could also be helpful. This RFP was intended to be a follow-up resource for the original Direct Care Worker Initiative. It is funded with Intergovernmental Transfer (IGT) funds.
Philadelphia Corporation for Aging
ANNOUNCEMENTFinding and retaining direct care workers in the long-term care industry is a rapidly growing problem in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and throughout the nation. In this context the term direct care worker refers to the paraprofessional worker who has direct contact with persons needing care and is not required to be licensed. This includes workers such as nurse aides, home health and home care aides, and personal care attendants.
Building upon several years of work and study by the Pennsylvania Intra-Governmental Council on Long Term Care (LTC Council), and the experience of local direct care worker initiatives, the LTC Council, through its intermediary, Philadelphia Corporation for Aging (PCA), announces the availability of funds for demonstrations on improving the recruitment and retention of direct care workers in long term care settings, and the development of one or more Direct Care Worker Associations.
The goals for the demonstrations are 1) to effectively improve the recruitment and retention of direct care workers in long term care settings as well as directly or indirectly enhance and promote the professionalism and image of direct care workers, and 2) to conduct a “next generation” demonstration model that uses baseline platform knowledge from previous initiatives to effect systems change. Proposals are being solicited from collaborating organizations with innovative and creative ideas for recruitment and retention of direct care workers in long term care settings. Such organizations, either not-for-profit or for-profit, should have experience either in advocating for, employing, training, and/or recruiting direct care workers.
The goal for the associations is to create an opportunity for direct care workers to associate with one another by assisting them in the development of their own direct care association. Proposals are being solicited from entities that have expertise in start-up of groups and/or associations as well as knowledge of direct care worker issues, preferably in long-term care. Collaborations will be considered from individuals or collaborating organizations, except provider organizations.
The total amount of anticipated funding for up to an eight-month contract period ending June 30, 2004, is approximately $800,000. The number of qualified applicants to be funded through the request is expected to be between six and ten for the demonstrations and more than one regional association.
Letters of intent are required by September 26th, and full proposals are due October 8. To request a copy of the RFP, contact Ellen Funk in the planning department at PCA (215-765-9000, ext 5522).