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PAS Workforce > Project Abstract

Project Abstract

This five-year research project identifies and disseminates information about Personal Assistance Service (PAS) workforce programs considered to be innovative and "best" practices.

The project is directed by Robert Newcomer in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences along with Teresa Scherzer in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, and Susan Chapman at the Center for the Health Professions at the University of California San Francisco. The project is a collaboration with Dorie Seavey, Director of Policy at PHI and Robyn Stone, Executive Director of the Institute for the Future of Aging Services.

These workforce programs and best practices include legislation and policy, as well as operational features. Particular attention is given to approaches for improving the retention of direct care workers in consumer-directed programs. These include wages, benefits, training, occupational health and safety, communication and supervisory strategies, and other workplace strategies to create rewarding positions, and quality of care. The emphasis is on US-based experience, but innovations from Western Europe and Canada are also included. Programs can be either self-nominated or nominated by professional and consumer organizations. A program or practice must have documented operational experience and evidence of its program success and replicability. The project is also focusing on the emergence of various infrastructures to facilitate consumer-directed services, especially Intermediary Services Organizations and Public Authorities used by states for their consumer-directed waiver and state plan personal care programs.