GREEN BAY, Wis. — Wisconsin is in a caregiver crisis, and a local university may be the answer officials have been looking for.
The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay was awarded a grant for $865,010 from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. Wisconsin DHS has awarded a total of $17.3 million to 69 organizations around the state to combat the caregiver crisis.
“The grants are intended to strengthen the home and community-based services and support quality and innovation in the delivery of HCBS in Wisconsin,” UW-Green Bay explained.
The grant was funded through the American Rescue Plan Act.
UW-Green Bay health educators will utilize the money to create a leadership training program “designed to give managers the skills they need to increase retention of employees… ensuring older adults and those with disabilities receive the vital care they need.”
Right now, there is not a training program in the state for caregiver supervisors. About 39,000 Wisconsin caregivers work in supportive home care, adult day care and respite care, among other settings.
The UW-Green Bay program is expected to train 250 supervisors.
“Our commitment to teach and train all those who want to learn goes beyond our undergraduate and graduate students,” said UW-Green Bay Chancellor Michael Alexander. “UW-Green Bay exists to solve the problems facing our communities. We are proud to play a role in addressing Wisconsin’s caregiver crisis through training and education. Our state’s older adults and those with disabilities are also our parents, grandparents, relatives and neighbors. They deserve the best care we can give them.”
UW-Green Bay’s HCBS Provider Management Training Series kicks off in the summer of 2023. Program trainees have credit and non-credit options to be earned with degrees or certifications if desired.
UW-Green Bay said the program will be set up for “professionals with little or no post-secondary education and will focus on core management topics, including conflict resolution, interpersonal communication, critical thinking and operational management skills.” The school also noted that the program aims to build a “career ladder” for direct care workers to move into management positions. The hope is that this will decrease turnover and cultivate better management of staff.
UW-Green Bay said the training sessions will be online, with synchronous and asynchronous options.
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