INDIANA HCBS WORKFORCE INVESTMENT GRANT
With funding from a one-time enhanced Federal Medical Assistance Percentage, part of the American Rescue Plan, Indiana has announced the Direct Service Workforce Grants Program. This plan, developed in partnership with the Bowen Center, is intended specifically to benefit the Direct Care Workers providing services to Indiana Medicaid Beneficiaries. Advantage Home Health Care will participate in this program.
Advantage has designed a program using this grant money to better recruit, train, compensate and reward our staff of dedicated Home Health Caregivers. We have committed to allocating 95% of these funds to the Caregivers. While our plans will continue to evolve we have already announced the first important pieces.
- The base/ hiring hourly rate for Home Health Aides is increased to $15.00 with immediate effect.
- Advantage has purchased and will include in our training new materials on subjects not previously offered in our required Continuing Education curriculum.
Moving forward as the grant funds become available we will add benefits not previously included in our Direct Care Staff employee profile.
- Paid Time Off for Direct Care Workers.
- Additional available health benefits including Telehealth, Crisis Counseling and Addiction Recovery.
Technology additions and upgrades to make healthcare documentation, scheduling and reporting faster and more intuitive.
- We are in co-development and have launched the Beta version paperless tracking for payroll.
- That same tracking will be used to collect service data as the system evolves. Both functions providing quick and accurate means of documentation freeing the Caregivers of a burden that took time and attention away from patient care.