Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute Inc

PHI WORKS TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF PEOPLE WHO NEED HOME OR RESIDENTIAL CARE - BY IMPROVING THE LIVES OF THE WORKERS WHO PROVIDE THAT CARE. PHI'S GOAL IS TO ENSURE THE CARING, STABLE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN CONSUMERS AND WORKERS, SO THAT BOTH MAY LIVE WITH DIGNITY, RESPECT AND INDEPENDENCE: QUALITY CARE THROUGH QUALITY JOBS.

SEE SCHEDULE ODIRECT CARE WORKERS ARE AN ESSENTIAL PART OF THE U.S. LONG-TERM CARE SYSTEM PROVIDING SKILLED, HANDS-ON SUPPORT EVERY DAY TO OLDER ADULTS AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES IN HOME, COMMUNITY-BASED, AND RESIDENTIAL SETTINGS. THEY ENSURE CLIENTS' WELLBEING, LEND EMOTIONAL SUPPORT, AND ASSIST WITH DAILY TASKS ESSENTIAL TO INDEPENDENT LIVING.HOWEVER, DIRECT CARE WORKERS ARE OFTEN DENIED OPPORTUNITIES FOR HIGH-QUALITY TRAINING, A LIVING WAGE, ADVANCEMENT, AND RESPECT FOR THE CRITICAL ROLE THEY PLAYMAKING IT HARDER FOR THEM TO PROVIDE THE QUALITY CARE THEIR CLIENTS DESERVE. AT THE SAME TIME, IT IS CHALLENGING FOR DIRECT CARE PROVIDERS TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN CARING, COMMITTED PROFESSIONALS TO MEET THE GROWING NEED FOR LONG-TERM CARE SERVICES.PHI DRAWS ON MORE THAN 30 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE WORKING SIDE-BY-SIDE WITH DIRECT CARE WORKERS AND THEIR CLIENTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO OFFER PROVIDERS, POLICYMAKERS, AND OTHER KEY STAKEHOLDERS THE TOOLS NECESSARY TO ENSURE QUALITY CARE AND QUALITY JOBS. WE MAINTAIN A NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS IN NEW YORK CITY AND DEPLOY STAFF FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY INCLUDING THE TRI-STATE REGION, CALIFORNIA, THE MIDWEST, AND NORTH CAROLINA. PHI IDENTIFIES AND PROMOTES THE INTERVENTIONS NEEDED TO ENSURE DIRECT CARE WORK IS QUALITY WORK, INCLUDING IMPROVED TRAINING, FAMILY-SUSTAINING WAGES, FULL-TIME HOURS, COMPREHENSIVE BENEFITS, AND REAL CAREER PATHS. WE CREATE EMPOWERED WORKERS WHO ARE WELL-TRAINED AND POSITIONED TO PROVIDE QUALITY CARE TO OLDER ADULTS AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES. TRAINING AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMAT THE CORE OF OUR WORK IS AN EMPLOYER-BASED TRAINING PROGRAM IN NEW YORK CITY THAT WE CO-MANAGE WITH COOPERATIVE HOME CARE ASSOCIATES (CHCA), A LICENSED HOME CARE AGENCY AND THE COUNTRY'S LARGEST WORKER-OWNED COOPERATIVE BUSINESS.IN A TYPICAL YEAR, PHI AND CHCA ENROLL MORE THAN 500 PARTICIPANTS IN FREE HOME HEALTH AIDE TRAINING PRIMARILY WOMEN OF COLOR WHO ARE UN- OR UNDER-EMPLOYED UPON ENROLLMENT. OUR PROGRAM IS DISTINGUISHED BY ITS COMPREHENSIVE, HANDS-ON CURRICULUM; GUARANTEED JOB PLACEMENT; AND EXTENSIVE WRAPAROUND RETENTION SUPPORTS. THESE ELEMENTS LEAD TO STRONG PROGRAM OUTCOMES, INCLUDING 95 PERCENT TRAINING COMPLETION AND 85 PERCENT JOB PLACEMENT AMONG TRAINEES, WITH 85 PERCENT OF HIRES STILL WORKING AFTER 90 DAYS.PHI BUILDS FROM THE OPERATION OF THIS PROGRAM TO BRING BEST PRACTICES IN RECRUITMENT, TRAINING, AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT TO LONG-TERM CARE EMPLOYERS, EDUCATORS, AND HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. WE ARE DRIVEN TO TRANSFORM THE OPPORTUNITIES PRESENTED BY DIRECT CARE IN LOW-INCOME COMMUNITIES BY IMPROVING ACCESS TO QUALITY FULL-TIME JOBS THAT REFLECT THE DIGNITY OF CAREGIVING AND ITS VALUE TO THE COMMUNITY.WORKFORCE INNOVATIONS PROGRAMPHI'S WORKFORCE INNOVATIONS TEAM (4.5 FTE) COLLABORATES WITH DOZENS OF LONG-TERM CARE PROVIDERS, TRAINING ENTITIES, AND ACADEMIC PARTNERS NATIONWIDE TO STRENGTHEN QUALITY CARE AND QUALITY JOBS BY ADDRESSING ENTRY-LEVEL TRAINING, UPSKILLING, AND ADVANCED ROLES. WE ENGAGE IN ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT WITH THESE PROVIDERS, GROUNDED IN PHI'S COACHING APPROACH TO BUILD ESSENTIAL COMMUNICATIONS AND PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS. PHI'S ADULT LEARNER-CENTERED APPROACH IS WIDELY RECOGNIZED AS A BEST PRACTICE FOR TRAINING FRONTLINE CAREGIVERS.TO MEET THE LONG-TERM CARE SECTOR'S GROWING DEMAND FOR ONLINE TRAINING SOLUTIONS, PHI HAS DEVELOPED AN EXTENSIVE SUITE OF HYBRID AND ONLINE TRAINING PROGRAMS. THESE INCLUDE A NEW ITERATION OF OUR ENTRY-LEVEL HOME HEALTH AIDE TRAINING PROGRAM AT CHCA, COMBINING ONLINE DELIVERY OF CLASSROOM CONTENT WITH IN-PERSON DEMONSTRATIONS OF PRACTICAL CAREGIVING SKILLS. IN 2022, THIS HYBRID PROGRAM RECEIVED APPROVAL FROM THE NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND WAS SUCCESSFULLY PILOTED BY PHI AND CHCA. WE WILL DOCUMENT LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE PILOT TO INFORM THE SECTOR'S CHALLENGING SHIFT TO ONLINE AND HYBRID TRAINING MODALITIES, A NEED ACCELERATED BY THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. IN ADDITION, PHI HAS CONVERTED MORE THAN A DOZEN OF OUR SPECIALTY TRAINING CURRICULA TO ASYNCHRONOUS E-LEARNING COURSES. THESE INCLUDE PHI'S COVID-19 SAFETY AND STRESS TRAININGS, IN ADDITION TO DIABETES, DEMENTIA, AND FALLS PREVENTION TRAININGS, AMONG OTHERS.IN RECENT YEARS, PHI HAS SEEN A STEADILY INCREASING DEMAND FROM THE FIELD FOR UPSKILLING AND ADVANCED ROLES. AS CLIENT ACUITY INCREASES AND RESOURCES FOR TRAINING STAFF ARE CONSTRICTED, THE NEED FOR AN EFFICIENT, EFFECTIVE WAY TO UPSKILL DIRECT CARE WORKERS WHILE STAYING WITHIN THEIR CURRENT SCOPE OF PRACTICE HAS BECOME MORE URGENT. TO THAT END, WE DEVELOPED THE CARE INTEGRATION SENIOR AIDE (CISA) ROLE, A COMPREHENSIVE MODEL FOR HOME CARE WORKER ADVANCEMENT. THE CISA CURRICULUM TRAINS AIDES IN THE CORE COMPETENCIES THAT ARE CRITICAL TO ADVANCED ROLES: KNOWLEDGE OF CHRONIC DISEASES, INCLUDING THEIR EFFECT ON BODY SYSTEMS AND MANAGEMENT OF CONDITIONS IN THE HOME; COMMUNICATION AND PROBLEM-SOLVING TO ENSURE EFFECTIVE AND RESPECTFUL DELIVERY OF PERSON-CENTERED CARE; AND SKILLS FOR OBSERVING, RECORDING, AND REPORTINGON CLIENTS' HEALTH, WELLBEING, AND SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL SURROUNDINGS THAT COULD WORSEN PHYSICAL OR EMOTIONAL HEALTH. THE GOAL IS FOR CISAS TO HELP PROVIDERS ACHIEVE POSITIVE HEALTH OUTCOMES, SUCH AS REDUCING CLIENTS' AVOIDABLE HOSPITALIZATIONS. CISAS HAVE A WELL-DEFINED ROLE IN THIS PROCESS AND ARE FIRMLY ESTABLISHED WITHIN CARE TEAMS WHICH ALSO INCLUDE DOCTORS, NURSES, AND SOCIAL WORKERS. CRUCIAL TO EFFECTIVE CARE COORDINATION, CISAS CAN PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN ADDRESSING CLIENT SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH IN THE HOME, SUCH AS FOOD INSECURITY. IN FISCAL YEAR 2022, PHI SECURED PHILANTHROPIC FUNDING TO FULLY IMPLEMENT AND EVALUATE THE CISA POSITION AT HOME CARE AGENCIES BASED IN MINNESOTA AND WISCONSIN. THROUGH THIS PROJECT, WE PLAN TO CAPTURE CREDIBLE RETURN ON INVESTMENT DATA ON THE CISA INTERVENTION. WE WILL USE THIS DATA TO BUILD AN EVIDENCE-BASED CASE FOR INVESTING IN HOME CARE CAREER LADDERS TO BE SHARED WITH PROVIDERS, PAYERS, AND POLICYMAKERS NATIONWIDE. PHI'S LONG-TERM GOAL (5-10 YEARS) IS TO SEE THE WIDESPREAD DISSEMINATION OF ADVANCED AIDE POSITIONS ON A REGIONAL OR NATIONAL SCALE. POLICY RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS PROGRAMPHI'S POLICY TEAM (6 FTE) SUPPORTS POLICYMAKERS AND ADVOCATES IN CRAFTING EVIDENCE-BASED POLICIES TO ADVANCE QUALITY CARE AND QUALITY JOBS. OUR CAPACITY INCLUDES POLICY AND LABOR MARKET RESEARCH AND STATE, REGIONAL, AND NATIONAL POLICY EXPERTISE. THIS EXPERTISE AND OUR RELATED PUBLIC EDUCATION CAMPAIGNS HAVE ESTABLISHED PHI AS THE NATION'S PRIMARY SOURCE OF INFORMATION AND ANALYSIS ON DIRECT CARE, ANCHORED AT WWW.PHINATIONAL.ORG AND @PHINATIONAL.BEYOND POLICY BRIEFS AND PUBLICATIONS THAT ADDRESS ISSUES RELEVANT TO THE DIRECT CARE WORKFORCE, PHI ALSO PRODUCES LANDSCAPE STUDIES. DRAWING ON RESEARCH AND INFORMANT INTERVIEWS, PHI OFFERS IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS OF THE CARE PROVISION LANDSCAPE AT THE LOCAL AND STATEWIDE LEVELS, ASSESSING HOW TRAINING, SERVICE DELIVERY, REGULATORY, AND PAYMENT SYSTEMS SHAPE THE QUALITY OF CARE FOR OLDER ADULTS AND THE QUALITY OF JOBS FOR DIRECT CARE WORKERS. IN ADDITION, PHI'S REPORTS INCLUDE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR POTENTIAL PROGRAMMATIC INTERVENTIONS TO STRENGTHEN LOCAL DIRECT CARE WORKFORCE SYSTEMS. PHI'S RECENT STATE-BASED POLICY WORK INCLUDES THE MULTIYEAR "ESSENTIAL JOBS, ESSENTIAL CARE" INITIATIVE, THROUGH WHICH WE ARE ADVANCING SYSTEMS-LEVEL REFORMS TO ACHIEVE THREE GOALS: (1) IMPROVE DIRECT CARE WORKER COMPENSATION AND RELATED MEDICAID REIMBURSEMENT RATES; (2) STIMULATE WORKFORCE INNOVATIONS, SUCH AS IMPROVED TRAINING AND CREDENTIALING PROGRAMS; AND (3) IMPROVE WORKFORCE-RELATED DATA COLLECTION, MONITORING, AND EVALUATION. DURING FISCAL YEAR 2022, THE INITIATIVE WAS ACTIVE IN FIVE STATES: MICHIGAN, NEW JERSEY, NEW MEXICO, NEW YORK, AND NORTH CAROLINA. IN EACH STATE, PHI AND OUR COALITION PARTNERS HAVE ADVANCED CONCRETE POLICY VICTORIES FOR THE DIRECT CARE WORKFORCE INCLUDING WAGE INCREASES AND BONUSES IN MICHIGAN, NEW YORK, AND NORTH CAROLINA, AND A VARIETY OF TRAINING, CREDENTIALING, AND DATA COLLECTION INITIATIVES.PHI ALSO RECENTLY LAUNCHED THE DIRECT CARE WORKER EQUITY INSTITUTE TO SUPPORT A RANGE OF INITIATIVES TO ADVANCE EQUITY WITHIN THE DIRECT CARE WORKFORCE. WHILE EQUITY HAS ALWAYS BEEN CENTRAL TO PHI'S MISSION, THROUGH THIS INSTITUTE, WE ARE PROACTIVELY CONFRONTING THE REALITY THAT DIRECT CARE JOBS ARE UNDERVALUED DUE TO HISTORICAL AND STRUCTURAL RACISM, SEXISM, AND XENOPHOBIA IN SOCIETY OVERALL AND WITHIN THE LONG-TERM CARE SYSTEM. WITH AN ONLINE CENTRALIZED HUB OF EQUITY-FOCUSED RESOURCES, THE INSTITUTE WILL PRODUCE ORIGINAL STUDIES ON THE INEQUITIES FACED BY THIS WORKFORCE; DEVELOP EQUITY-SPECIFIC ADVOCACY TOOLS TO HELP STATE AND FEDERAL LEADERS; AND CONVENE DIRECT CARE WORKFORCE EXPERTS INCLUDING WORKERS THEMSELVES TO CRAFT EQUITY-BASED POLICY AND PRACTICE SOLUTIONS.