PHI’s Curriculum and Workforce Development (C&WD) program works to strengthen the direct-care workforce by focusing on recruitment, training, career ladder development and other workplace supports to maximize staff retention.

By 2018, there will be more direct-care workers than teachers (K-12), law enforcement and public safety workers, fast food and counter workers, and registered nurses.

The PHI C&WD staff works with labor departments, workforce investment boards, community colleges and employers to:

• Strengthen training programs using adult learner-centered techniques that PHI has employed successfully with direct-care workers for nearly two decades;
• Develop recruitment programs that target people with the right skills and attitudes to succeed in a caregiving profession;
• Create upgrading opportunities for direct-care staff; and
• Develop critical supports for workers who, with low incomes are juggling multiple challenges, from language and education barriers to health, housing and transportation issues to an array of family responsibilities.

Curriculum development is a key component of PHI’s workforce development services. We work with clients to develop competency-based entry-level and advanced direct-care training that meets regulatory requirements and the specific needs of employers. PHI is unique in its focus on communication and problem-solving skills, which are essential to the delivery of person-centered care.

Building on PHI’s work in developing administrative and clinical career ladder models, C&WD staff is also working to redefine the current direct-care worker’s role to increase its value within the long-term care system, and to ensure that workers have a clearly defined career path for professional growth.

Additional resources

• PHI Direct-Care Worker Training Services
• Providing Personal Care Services to Elders and People with Disabilities: A Model Entry-Level Curriculum for Direct-Care Workers
• Adult Learner-Centered Training: An Introduction for Educators in Home and Residential Care
• Recruiting Quality Healthcare Paraprofessionals (pdf)
• Training Quality Home Care Workers (pdf)
• Introducing Peer Mentoring in Long-Term Care Settings (pdf)
• PHI Peer Mentor Training
• PHI Curricula and Training Resources