Is Your State Applying for Personal and Home Care Aide State Training Funds?

The new Affordable Care Act included a provision for a new demonstration program for six states to establish Personal and Home Care Aide State Training Programs (PHCASTs).  States are eligible for awards up to $750,000 if they apply by July 19, 2010 to support the development, evaluation, and demonstration of a competency based-uniform curriculum to train qualified personal and home care aides.  The PHCAST program would ensure competent personal and home care aides with acquired skills that would be transportable to any job market in the nation, thus strengthening the direct care worker workforce. The grant notice was issued by the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Bureau of Health Professions (BHPr), Division on Nursing. Download the instructions and applications here. Check with your state to see if it is applying and how you might participate.