Center for Caregiver Advancement to Provide Free Training for Caregivers

The Center for Caregiver Advancement (CCA) has been awarded a $10 million grant from the California Workforce Development Board (CWDB) and the Labor and Workforce Development Agency to bring its caregiver training programs to In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) providers in San Bernardino County. The grant is part of CWDB’s HRTP Resilient Workforce Fund.

Through the grant, CCA will conduct a randomized control trial in partnership with the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (JPAL) at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). This will be the first RCT on IHSS training. Building on CCA’s existing research, the study will lay the foundation for policy change that will recognize worker specializations, improve worker retention, create advancement within the home care workforce, and secure long-term funding for caregiver training. JPAL will conduct the RCT on IHSS+ Basic training, while UC San Francisco will continue to study the impact of the Alzheimer’s care and Caregiver Resiliency Teams programs.

“As California prepares for demographic changes, including the growth of the 60-and-over population, it’s critical that we develop a direct care workforce that is adaptable and responsive to the State’s unique challenges,” said Tim Rainey, Executive Director of the California Workforce Development Board. “This grant recognizes the essential role that the caregiving workforce plays in ensuring Californians age with dignity and respect, and will positively impact both the job quality of caregivers, and the care they provide, in San Bernardino County.”

The training will be offered in two languages: English and Spanish. CCA’s IHSS training programs consist of successive classes over multiple weeks that build on each other to progressively develop participants’ skills. The IHSS Basic training program will have a total of 35 hours of learning, while the two specialized training programs will each have 15 hours of learning.

“CCA is thrilled to have been chosen to receive this grant from the CWDB. It will help us provide essential training and resources to caregivers in San Bernardino County, improving both quality of care for consumers and developing specialized skills for workers. Through the research that will come out of this grant, we have the potential to generate systems change that will positively impact half a million IHSS caregivers in California,” said Corinne Eldridge, President and CEO of the Center for Caregiver Advancement.

Access to CCA’s specialized training programs is critical to support older adults and people with disabilities in San Bernardino County. Alongside basic caregiver skill-building, CCA will offer Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementia care training. Majority of the IHSS population in San Bernardino is Latino, and individuals of Hispanic origin have a higher prevalence of ADRD, with cases predicted to increase by 21% across the state. CCA has offered the Alzheimer’s care training in Alameda County since 2020, and has started offering it in Los Angeles County this spring.

The grant will also enable CCA to offer the Caregiver Resiliency Teams to San Bernardino’s IHSS providers. CCA developed the nation’s first climate-related emergency preparedness training for long-term care workers. Over 70% of San Bernardino County census tracts have high levels of pollution and are considered disadvantaged areas, according to the CalEnviroScreen index. The disproportionate environmental pollution that can lead to negative public health effects highlights the need for caregiver training. CCA’s Caregiver Resiliency program helps caregivers connect climate change with their roles as first responders, and helps them understand how climate change affects different communities.

CCA is the only organization within California utilizing evidence-informed curriculum that has already been tested and delivered to thousands of IHSS providers in California.