Providers and counties should now be working together on preparing proposals for the Local Planning Initiative for Recruitment and Retention. Reports to the PCPA office show significant variations in the extent to which providers and counties are working together. Some started this process after last year's Summit and are working very constructively. In other areas, the collaborative process is less apparent and needs attention. Wherever you are in this continuum, here are some points to remember when working on the Initiative:
- When describing your recruitment and retention needs, describe them for the parameters of this allocation but also describe your total need for this year and for the future.
- Send PCPA a copy of your Plan so that we can extract the descriptions of need for future lobbying efforts. All information will be de-identified for this use.
- An Info was sent earlier this month that lists several sources of research about recruitment and retention of direct support professionals for your use in preparing your proposals. It is still available in the Members Only section of the PCPA web site or from PCPA.
- Work to foster a collaborative process with your counties. Variation in local workforce problems should be addressed.
Numerous comments have been received about the pros and cons of the Initiative's Program Guidelines. They were developed for home and community based services in the Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS), the Office of Mental Retardation (OMR), the Office of Social Programs (OSP) and the Department of Aging. Although not perfect, they are what we have to work with right now and responding to the proposals is a way to get some funds into agencies for recruitment and retention that otherwise will not be available this fiscal year. The intent of the Department of Public Welfare was to keep the proposal process simple, but that intent can be lost as the local areas prepare proposals and counties interpret to providers. Please continue to call and email us your comments and concerns. It looks like the next fiscal year will be tighter financially so it is important to get this money now.
A common provider question is whether or not this money will be available again next year. This 2% funding for recruitment and retention will become part of the county base allocation in OMHSAS and OMR. PCPA is looking into whether counties will be required by DPW to use it for recruitment and retention next year.