From MCIL Executive Director Jesse Bethke Gomez, MMA:
I am please to share with you, recent developments about the work of Metropolitan Center for Independent Living (MCIL) in identifying solutions to solve the urgent severe crisis in direct care services and benefits for people with disabilities and older adults who rely upon PCAs for daily living. Please find the following here at the web site of Metropolitan Center for Independent Living:
- “A Crisis in Home Health Direct Care – The Minnesota Solutions Model.” I was asked to write this cover article for MINNESOTA PHYSICIAN, November 2023 edition of their journal. The article identifies the complex intractable issues of direct care services and benefits and identifies the solutions to address them. I am also please to share with you that MCIL and Paralyzed Veterans of America are working together to bring these solutions to the United States Department of Veteran Affairs to solve this urgent severe crisis for our Nation’s Veterans who rely upon direct care services and benefits for daily living. Click here to read the article.
- A revised and updated “National Declaration for Strengthening Direct Care Services and Benefits for People with Disabilities and Older Adults.” This is an in-depth overview of the issues and solutions as a way forward out of the direct care urgent severe crisis. Click here to read the PDF document.
- “A More Certain Future, Certifications for Personal Care Assistants,” an overview of the work of MCIL over many years of bringing forward certificate PCA curriculum leading to the credential of a “Certified PCA,” linked to the median wage of the standard occupational classification of a Certified Nursing Assistant code # 31-1131. Bringing a credential equal to the Certified Nursing Assistant in the medical sector, to over 4 million PCAs in the home health care sector, who currently have no educational opportunity leading to the certificate credential of a Certified PCA linked to an increase wage, transforms the entire home healthcare sector, solves the crisis and transforms our economy for generations to come. Click here to read the PDF document.
