SECTIONS 11020-11024

11020.  (a) There is hereby established a project known as theCaregiver Training Initiative. (b) It is the intent of the Legislature that the CaregiverTraining Initiative develop and implement proposals to recruit,train, and retain health care providers such as certified nurseassistants, certified nurses, registered nurses, licensed vocationalnurses, and other types of nursing and direct-care staff. (c) (1) An advisory council is hereby established for purposes ofthe Caregiver Training Initiative. (2) The advisory council shall develop goals, policies, and ageneral work plan for the Caregiver Training Initiative. For purposesof this paragraph, the advisory council shall consider the programmodel set forth in Section 11024. (3) The duties of the advisory council shall include all of thefollowing: (A) Making recommendations regarding the identification of regionsof the state for purposes of the initiative. (B) Making recommendations to the Employment DevelopmentDepartment and the State Department of Social Services regarding thenumber of regional collaborative programs that should be funded underthe initiative. (C) Based on the number and size of the regions and programs to befunded, making recommendations to the Employment DevelopmentDepartment and the State Department of Social Services regarding thenumber of staff that should be assigned to the regions to assist indeveloping collaborative programs consisting of partnerships andfunding proposals. (D) Making suggestions and recommendations to the EmploymentDevelopment Department and the State Department of Social Serviceswith regard to the selection of the collaborative programs to befunded in each region under the initiative and of the contractsentered into between the state and the local agencies representingregional partners. (E) Providing oversight of the progress of the initiative andidentifying any needed corrective actions. (F) Designating a member of the advisory council to participate inthe work group established by the Employment Development Department,in conjunction with the State Department of Social Services,pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 11022. (d) The advisory council shall consist of the following: (1) Each director, or a designee of the director, of the followingdepartments in the California Health and Human Services Agency: (A) Employment Development Department. (B) Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development. (C) State Department of Social Services. (D) State Department of Health Services. (E) California Department of Aging. (2) A representative from each of the following: (A) County Welfare Directors Association. (B) State Department of Education. (C) Chancellor's Office of the California Community Colleges. (D) California Association of Health Facilities. (E) California Association of Homes and Services for the Aging. (F) American Red Cross. (G) California Nurses Association. (H) Service Employees International Union.11022.  (a) (1) The Employment Development Department, inconsultation with the State Department of Social Services, shalladminister regional collaborative program selection and funding underthe Caregiver Training Initiative. (2) The Employment Development Department, in conjunction with theState Department of Social Services, shall establish and lead a workgroup that shall be responsible for staff support to the advisorycommittee established pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 11020. (3) The Employment Development Department, in conjunction with theState Department of Social Services, shall be responsible for all ofthe following: (A) Under the direction of the California Health and HumanServices Agency, developing the criteria for regional collaborativeprograms, the number of staff to be assigned to regions, and theprocess for selecting regional collaborative programs to be funded. (B) Assigning staff to each region to assist in developingcollaborative programs consisting of partnerships and proposals forfunding. (C) Determining the date by which collaborative programs from eachregion shall submit their proposals for consideration. (D) Selecting the collaborative program proposal from each regionthat best meets the criteria established by the department. (E) Working with representatives from the health care provider andcaregiver industries and labor, negotiating contract terms that bestserve the initiative's goals. (F) Approving all contracts for participation under theinitiative. (G) Distributing funds to the appropriate local agencies tocommence the regional collaborative programs. (H) Providing staff support to the advisory council establishedunder subdivision (c) of Section 11020. (I) Carrying out state-level activities identified by thedepartment that are necessary for the initiative's success. (b) The Employment Development Department, in conjunction with theState Department of Social Services, shall evaluate or contract forthe evaluation of the regional collaborative programs funded underthe initiative. The evaluation of each program site funded under theinitiative shall include the following elements: (1) A thorough assessment of implementation issues faced bygrantees. (2) An analysis, using appropriate statistical techniques, ofidentified outcomes of interest, including employment retention,advancement, earnings, and worker well-being measures. (3) Annual population-based surveys of current and former CalWORKsrecipients as they enter training programs and make choices aboutemployment or subsequent job change. (4) Identification and collection of well-being data regardinghealth care providers and caregivers and the recipients of theircare. (5) Construction and analysis of longitudinal administrative data. (6) In-depth interviews with workers, staff, health careproviders, and caregivers. (c) The Employment Development Department shall develop a strategyto improve understanding of the demand and supply of labor, and thelabor market dynamics for low-skilled workers who choose occupationssuch as certified nurse assistants. To develop the strategy, thedepartment shall develop information about and analyze all of thefollowing: (1) Alternative occupations competing for available labor. (2) The effect of conditions in other occupations using similarskill sets on the supply of labor in occupations related to healthcare providers and caregivers. (3) Occupational ladders for health care providers and caregivers. (4) The efforts by county welfare departments to increase interestin the health care provider and caregiver industry. (5) Factors that draw individuals into or push them away fromentering the health care provider or caregiver industry. (6) Ways that nursing homes, long-term care facilities, andin-home care provider communities can improve the quality ofemployment of health care providers and caregivers. (7) The treatment of staff in nursing homes and long-term carefacilities. (8) Worker compensation claims and claims of workplace violencedue to patients with Alzheimer's disease or dementia. (9) Benefit packages. (10) On-the-job training for career advancement as a health careprovider or caregiver in nursing homes or long-term care facilitiesor advancement in fields related to an occupation as a health careprovider or caregiver.11024.  (a) The program model for implementation of the CaregiverTraining Initiative shall consist of a solicitation and competitiveselection process to identify proposals from regional collaborativeprograms that offer the best solutions to removing barriers forattracting and retaining qualified health care providers, such ascertified nurse assistants, certified nurses, registered nurses,licensed vocational nurses, and other types of nursing and directcare staff. (b) Proposals for funding under the initiative submitted byregional collaborative programs shall address all of the followingtopics: (1) Marketing and outreach strategies that will attract eligibleparticipants to begin careers in the health care provider industryand promote public awareness, especially among employers, to theopportunity to hire trained health care providers. (2) Collaboration and agreements with state and local agencypartners to help identify, refer, and provide services to eligibleparticipants. (3) Development and use of innovative training strategies, coupledwith industry cooperation, to provide matching career paths thatwill enable participants to advance in the health care industry,including in nursing occupations such as certified nurse assistants,certified nurses, registered nurses, and licensed vocational nurses. (4) Strategies for providing incentives to health care employersto hire program participants, such as taking advantage of existingtax credits, and incentives for participants to remain in andgraduate from the program, such as postemployment training andsupport components. (5) Leveraging additional resources to support activities that arenot allowable with local welfare-to-work (Article 3.2 (commencingwith Section 11320) of Chapter 1 of Part 3 of Division 9 of theWelfare and Institutions Code) funds and Workforce Investment Act of1998 (29 U.S.C. Sec. 2801, et seq.) funds and that will provideflexibility in serving participants. (c) The regional collaborative programs that compete for contractsunder the initiative may include partnerships of any combination oflocal governmental entities, private nonprofit entities, and employeror employee groups. In order to ensure oversight for funds used inthese contracts, fiscal agents representing these collaborativeprograms shall demonstrate all of the following: (1) The capacity to retain fiduciary responsibility for funds. (2) That the fiscal agent was chosen by agreement of collaboratingpartners. (3) Previous experience using public funds for similar projects. (4) The ability to properly account for and administer funds.