Pennsylvania and Vermont Direct Care Associations hold Annual Conferences
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 Pennsylvania's Direct Care Workers Association held its Annual Conference November 1-2 in Camp Hill, PA. The well attended event was uplifting, informative and inspirational and featured:
*US Senator Robert Casey sharing his vision and ideas to promote the value of direct care workers;
*Many live musical performances;
*The state's labor commissioner announcing a starting wage goal for all direct care workers of $12/hr;
*27 break-out workshops including a "Citizen Lobbyist" & worker empowerment session;
Check out the blog for more pictures and information.
 The Vermont Association of Professional Care Providers (VAPCP)
conference and annual meeting was held November 14th to a crowd of over
100 direct care workers and friends. The theme was "Honoring our
Work-Honoring Ourselves and the event certainly accomplished that
mission. The event included:
*A Keynote by PHI's MariaElena DelValle who engaged the audience in an interactive session on "Your life as Story."
*Breakout sessions on portfolio development delivered by
Suzanne Brauenegg and Linda Dimick and person-directed
care by PHI's Sue Misiorski.
*The highlight of the conference was the bestowing of the 2007 Care
Provider Awards. 91 workers, an incredible number, were nominated and
the recognition ceremony was touching and wonderful.
The blog has plenty of pictures and more detail about the event.
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Indiana Care-Givers Association is Formed
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 (South Bend, Indiana) DCA Board member John Booker launched a new direct care worker association in his home state of Indiana. The association was initiated at a meeting attended by workers, policy makers, providers and DCA staff on November 12th and received great coverage by the South Bend Tribune!
Click here for more photos and information.
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Quality Care - No Matter What! - NCCNHR advocates for consumers.
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 NCCNHR: The National Consumer Voice for Quality Long Term Care held its
32nd Annual Meeting & Conference this fall in Arlington, VA. The
DCA was well represented and welcomed by this group of consumer
advocates and Long Term Care Ombudsmen. Highlights included:
*Presentations on the DCA's coalition building and direct care worker association initiatives;
*Health Care for Heath Care Workers;
*Consistent Assignment and Nursing Home reform;
*The negative consequences to quality of the movement by "corporate" for-profit nursing home chains buying institutions and cutting staff, food and recreation budgets.
See the DCA Blog for more info and pictures. Check out NCCNHR's website.
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| Wisconsin State Plan for Independent Living Approved |
 The U.S. Department of Education approved the State Plan for Independent Living(SPIL). A top priority of the SPIL is to create an entitlement to a full range of long-term care services by 2011. A major activity will be the implementation of initiatives to improve wages, benefits and training for direct care workers including the support for the development of worker associations. Wisconsin also issued a grant to develop a grassroots organizing program with consumers and their caregivers. The Wisconsin Coalition of Independent Living Centers and other state organizations received the grant.
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News and Notes
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 DCA Executive Director Leonila Vega will be presenting a free webinar on "Direct Care Workforce Shortage and Solutions: Building Broad Coalitions and Securing Quality Care through Quality Jobs" on Wednesday November 28th from 1:30pm to 2:20pm eastern time. The briefing will combine a teleconference with an interactive Web presentation. To participate, you will need to dial in using your telephone and log in using an Internet-ready computer. This is the technology we will be using for some of our "Voices Institute" trainings and programs. Click here for more information and to register.
 A vision and framework for the Voices Institute has been developed and feedback/comments are being collected. Meanwhile the VI's planning group has been selected and will be holding their first meeting soon. Please review the framework (It's on the blog) and offer your reactions and comments.
Maine PASA has a new website with a cool clean look. Check it out! Also, watch and listen to their musical montage by clicking here!
A recent study noted that people who work providing "personal care and service" have the highest rates of depression among all job categories surveyed. The study can be found HERE. Further proof of the fragility of the direct care workforce.
Roy Gedat has just been promoted to the position of DCA National Advocacy Director.
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