Direct Care Worker Training

Michigan State University, through its IMPART Alliance in the College of Osteopathic Medicine's Department of Family and Community Medicine, received a $25 million grant to address the acute shortage of direct care workers (DCWs) across Michigan. The funded initiative will establish a Direct Care Career Center with the goal of increasing entry pathways into the profession, strengthening training and credentialing, improving recruitment and retention, and reshaping public perception so DCWs are recognized and respected as an essential part of the long-term care workforce.

Direct care workers provide hands-on assistance and support to older adults and people with disabilities, helping them maintain independence and daily functioning. The state currently relies on approximately 190,000 DCWs, yet faces a deficit of at least 36,000 additional workers to meet demand. Employers across long-term care settings are experiencing difficulty hiring and retaining staff, creating a pressing workforce crisis that threatens access to needed care. The grant positions MSU and the IMPART Alliance as a convener and coordinator of a statewide network of partners to design and deliver multiple initiatives intended to increase the number and quality of qualified DCWs.

The Direct Care Career Center will pursue a coordinated approach integrating training, credentialing, career pathway development and advocacy. The center's work will emphasize creating accessible education and credential opportunities, aligning training with employer needs, and promoting career ladders that provide clear advancement for DCWs. By elevating professional standards while improving supports for entry and retention, the initiative aims to enhance job quality and stability for workers and to ensure reliable care for Michigan residents who depend on DCWs.

The project will leverage partnerships across the state, including collaborations with the Area Agencies on Aging Association of Michigan and with direct care workers themselves, exemplified by individuals such as Jennifer Lugo. The alliance's role as a convener will be to coordinate these stakeholders' employers, training providers, advocacy organizations and workers to develop solutions that are scalable and responsive to local contexts. Initiatives are expected to span workforce recruitment strategies, retention supports, standardized credentialing frameworks, and outreach efforts to transform how the public perceives direct care work.

The grant-funded effort is explicitly framed not only as a workforce development program but also as a public-facing campaign to reposition direct care work as a respected and viable profession. Through training, credentialing and advocacy, the Direct Care Career Center intends to create more predictable career pathways and to reduce the state's shortfall of DCWs. MSU's IMPART Alliance will implement the grant in partnership with a statewide network to realize improved recruitment and retention outcomes, increased numbers of qualified direct care workers, and enhanced long-term support for Michigan residents requiring hands-on assistance.