Colorado launches Direct Care Careers platform and statewide training modules for direct-care workforce
February 20, 2024 | Health Care Policy & Financing, Governor's Cabinet, Organizations, Executive, Colorado
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The Colorado Department of Health Care Policy & Financing showcased ARPA-funded efforts to boost the direct-care workforce, including a standardized curriculum and a new online job and training platform.
Heather Johnson, supervisor for the department's workforce team, described ARPA 1.03 as a standardized core curriculum with modular specializations for onboarding and annual training — covering safe transfers and lifts, dementia care, pediatric needs and behavioral-health supports. "We have 30 modules available on the site for that," she said, adding 20 essential-skills modules and five career-path modules to help workers see advancement options.
Under ARPA 1.04 the department helped create the Colorado Direct Care Careers platform (built with a vendor and two other states) for job posting, job-matching, training, and resource connections. The department controls which provider organizations may register as employers on the site; eligible employers include HCBS providers, PACE providers, long-term home-health providers and participant-directed (CDOS) providers.
Early usage statistics presented by Heather included more than 500 resources on the platform, roughly 500 individual users registered, 84 individual providers and 29 CDOS providers posting jobs, and approximately 1,400 completed training modules. The department also summarized the HCBS training fund: 87 training organizations were grantees, 41 individual direct-care workers received grants and more than 4,000 people completed training supported by the fund. Heather cited certification outputs including close to 200 NADSP, 715 certified nursing assistant credentials and 53 registered behavior technicians.
Why it matters: states and providers have reported workforce shortages in home- and community-based services; the department said the curriculum and platform are intended to standardize training, facilitate recruitment, and provide pathways to other health-care roles.
Next steps: the department encouraged users to visit the platform, create accounts, use the free modules and submit suggested resources for vetting and inclusion on the site.
Heather Johnson, supervisor for the department's workforce team, described ARPA 1.03 as a standardized core curriculum with modular specializations for onboarding and annual training — covering safe transfers and lifts, dementia care, pediatric needs and behavioral-health supports. "We have 30 modules available on the site for that," she said, adding 20 essential-skills modules and five career-path modules to help workers see advancement options.
Under ARPA 1.04 the department helped create the Colorado Direct Care Careers platform (built with a vendor and two other states) for job posting, job-matching, training, and resource connections. The department controls which provider organizations may register as employers on the site; eligible employers include HCBS providers, PACE providers, long-term home-health providers and participant-directed (CDOS) providers.
Early usage statistics presented by Heather included more than 500 resources on the platform, roughly 500 individual users registered, 84 individual providers and 29 CDOS providers posting jobs, and approximately 1,400 completed training modules. The department also summarized the HCBS training fund: 87 training organizations were grantees, 41 individual direct-care workers received grants and more than 4,000 people completed training supported by the fund. Heather cited certification outputs including close to 200 NADSP, 715 certified nursing assistant credentials and 53 registered behavior technicians.
Why it matters: states and providers have reported workforce shortages in home- and community-based services; the department said the curriculum and platform are intended to standardize training, facilitate recruitment, and provide pathways to other health-care roles.
Next steps: the department encouraged users to visit the platform, create accounts, use the free modules and submit suggested resources for vetting and inclusion on the site.
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