In response to member feedback, ADvancing States is leading an exciting initiative to help states address the critical need for integration of family caregivers and direct care workers. 

Family caregivers and direct care workers form the heart and soul of the LTSS system, but the two groups are rarely formally connected in meaningful ways. The Cross-State Caregiving Collaborative will assemble a group of states, together with national experts, for the purpose of sharing, developing, and implementing promising practices and programs that integrate these two vital populations. The Cross-State Caregiving Collaborative – funded with the generous support of The John A. Hartford Foundation and in partnership with PHI, the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP), and the National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC) – will run from May to November 2024 and is intended to complement the work being done through the Together in Care initiative. On May 17, 2024, the following nine states were announced as participants in the Collaborative: 

• Arizona
• California
• Idaho
• Maryland
• North Carolina
• Oklahoma
• Pennsylvania
• Texas
• Utah

Selected states will participate in monthly meetings to hear from experts and learn from peers, including gathering at the 2024 National HCBS Conference in Baltimore in August, where participants will also have the opportunity to attend and present at a day-long intensive on family caregiving and the workforce. Travel to Baltimore for one person per state team will be included. Meetings after the conference will focus on action strategies to implement a practice or policy change. We look forward to hearing more as the they share insights with ADvancing States members and the aging and disability network!

For questions, please email Conor Callahan at [email protected].