Several months ago, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) unveiled its Certified Direct Care Professional (CDCP) program.  Modeled after WHCA/WiCAL’s very successful WisCaregiver Careers program for nursing homes, the CDCP program is an online, 30 hour curriculum covering 14 core competencies.  Current and prospective employees working with providers participating in any of Wisconsin’s Home and Community Based Medicaid waiver programs (HCBS) are eligible for CDCP.  This includes assisted living centers participating in Family Care.  Nursing homes are not eligible for the CDCP program.  WHCA/WiCAL’s WisCaregiver Careers program is for nursing homes that wish to be reimbursed for the cost of training and testing their CNA candidates.   WisCaregiver Careers also provides $500 retention bonuses for all newly certified CNA’s who stay with their employers for at least six months.  Like the CDCP program, WisCaregiver Careers for nursing homes is no cost to the facility employer.

Importantly, the CDCP program also has a companion online platform, WisCaregiver Connections.  This platform is for HCBS program participating employers who wish to connect with CDCP graduates.  WHCA/WCAL is currently working with DHS and UW Green Bay to interconnect CDCP/WisCaregiver Connections with our WiscCaregiver Careers program for nursing homes as we continue to build workforce career ladders for our LTC sector.  Additional information from DHS on CDCP and WisCaregiver Connections is set forth below:

It’s not too late to sign up for WisCaregiver Connections!

Since July, more than 3,200 people have signed up for the opportunity to become a Certified Direct Care Professional (CDCP), the first step toward a rewarding career in health care. The CDCP program was created by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services and our academic partner, the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, to address the state’s caregiver shortage.

More students are entering the pipeline each day and are working toward their CDCP designation. After successfully completing the program, they will automatically join the certified direct care professional registry to connect with employers throughout Wisconsin.

As an eligible provider* of home and community-based services, this is where you come in. The CDCP program has a companion online platform, WisCaregiver Connections, that makes it easy to find certified caregivers to fill your open positions. Nearly 500 providers have signed up. Join them in gaining a competitive edge in finding certified caregivers. This free, one-stop platform lets you:

• Post job openings
• Auto-match with jobseekers
• Screen candidate profiles and credentials

Sign up today!

Training available to current employees

The 30-hour online curriculum includes 14 core competencies. Your current employees can take the training and earn bonuses of up to $500 at no cost to you when you become an eligible provider registered on WisCaregiver Connections.

Questions?

Contact us at cdcp@uwgb.edu if you have questions or would like to learn more about the
CDCP program and workforce platform.

 *The certified direct care professional (CDCP) program and WisCaregiver Connections were developed with American Rescue Plan Act funding for home and community-based services (HCBS). Eligible providers/agencies are those that serve HCBS participants enrolled in programs such as Family Care, Partnership, IRIS, PACE, or Children’s Long-Term Support and fee-for-service (FFS) providers who serve HCBS participants.