Wisconsin Department of Health Services looks to UW-Green Bay to help solve caregiver crisis
$865,000 grant will provide training for supervisors of vital workers caring for older adults and people with disabilities
Green Bay, WI — The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay has been awarded a $865,010 grant from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) to help address the state’s caregiver crisis.
Currently, there is no training program in Wisconsin for those supervising the 39,000 vital caregivers who work in supportive home care, adult daycare, respite care and much more. UW-Green Bay’s health educators will develop a leadership training program designed to give managers the skills they need to increase retention of employees in this important health care field, ensuring older adults and those with disabilities receive the vital care they need.
“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.”
It is predicted that 250 supervisors will be trained through UW-Green Bay’s program. The funding is part of a total of $17.3 million awarded to 69 organizations statewide to address the caregiver crisis. The grants are intended to strengthen the home and community-based services (HCBS) and support quality and innovation in the delivery of HCBS in Wisconsin.
UW-Green Bay’s HCBS Provider Management Training Series will be available by summer 2023 and will provide credit and noncredit learning opportunities, offering stackable credentials that can be earned on top of or alongside of degrees and other certifications. The training series will be designed to align with 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.
UW-Green Bay’s HCBS Provider Management Training Series will be delivered in a flexible format, allowing managers to learn based on their needs. The training series will also create a career ladder, empowering direct care workers to advance into management positions, resulting in better management of direct care staff and reduced turnover. To learn more about the management training program, please email Program Specialist Kerry Winkler at winklerk@uwgb.edu.
Grant funding is made possible by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). To learn more about the statewide grant opportunity and all funded projects, visit the DHS website. Questions about ARPA funding and DHS can be sent to the DHS media team at DHSMedia@dhs.wisconsin.gov
About UW-Green Bay
Established in 1965, UW-Green Bay is a public institution serving more than 9,600 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students and 95,000 continuing education learners each year. We educate students from pre- college through retirement and offer 200+ degrees, programs and certificates. UW-Green Bay graduates are resilient, inclusive, sustaining and engaged members of their communities, ready to rise to fearlessly face challenges, solve problems and embrace diverse ideas and people. With four campus locations, the University welcomes students from every corner of the world. In 2021, UW-Green Bay was the fastest-growing UW school in Wisconsin. For more information, visit www.uwgb.edu.
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