A national survey conducted by PHI found that only one-third of states have developed a public “matching services registry.”

“Matching services registries” facilitate connections between consumers who receive self-directed care in their homes and the independent direct-care workers who provide that care.

Appropriate and Efficient Employment Matches

“Consumer-directed care is the fastest-growing service delivery option,” said PHI Director of Policy Research Dorie Seavey, Ph.D., who conducted the survey. “Yet there is little public infrastructure in place to help consumers and providers find each other for appropriate and efficient employment matches.

“Robust, public matching service registries can alleviate some of the challenges that both consumers and workers face. They can reduce unmet need due to difficulties that consumers encounter when trying to locate independent providers. And for workers, they can play a valuable role in stabilizing employment and providing access points for training and other resources,” Dr. Seavey said.

Public “matching service registries” are up-to-date, interactive electronic databases that typically house current detailed information about the consumer’s needs and preferences and the worker’s availability, skills, and preferences.

They may also offer additional services such as worker screening and orientation, access to consumer and worker training, and recruitment and outreach to potential workers. Consumers and workers must each initiate their side of the transaction.

Survey Findings

PHI’s survey found that:

• 16 states had statewide matching services
• 5 states had regional matching services
• 2 states had matching services under consideration or development
• 28 states had no statewide or regional matching service

Registry Project Is Ongoing

The PHI Public Matching Services Registry Project is a multi-year project that will:

• continue to document and track matching service registries across the states;
• highlight what is learned from these efforts; and
• encourage policies that improve and support infrastructure for self-direction.

An interactive map that illustrates what states have these registries and provides a snapshot description of the service is available online.

The Project is funded with support from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research through the Center for Personal Assistance Services at the University of California at San Francisco.

– by Deane Beebe