The National Direct Service Workforce Resource Center was created by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in 2006 to respond to the large and growing shortage of workers who provide direct care and personal assistance to individuals who need long term supports and services in the United States.
The Direct Service Workforce Resource Center strives to support the successful implementation of efforts to improve recruitment and retention of direct support professionals who assist people with disabilities and older adults to live independently and with dignity in the community. This includes direct support professionals, personal care attendants, personal assistance providers, home care aides, home health aides and others.
The DSW Resource Center brings together experts in the field of direct service workforce policy from organizations including:
The Institute for the Future of Aging Services
The University of Minnesota’s Research and Training Center on Community Living