RFA#20422 Direct Caregiver Flexibility

The Office of Aging and Long-Term Care (“OALTC”) within the Department of Health (“DOH”), is responsible for the development and implementation of programs that address the community and facility-based long-term service and support needs of New Yorkers.  Long term care services and supports are heavily dependent upon the availability of a health care workforce, especially the direct care workers – Personal Care Aides (“PCAs”), Home Health Aides (“HHAs”), and Certified Nursing Assistants (“CNAs”), sometimes referred to as “direct care workers” who provide care to people of all ages as well as those living with disabilities. New York is projected to have 5.3 million residents over age 60 by 2030, and seventy percent (70%) of individuals over age 65 are likely to need some form of long-term care over the course of their lifetimes, placing direct care workers in high demand, and challenging the State to make these jobs as attractive as possible.

In addition to increasing the direct care workforce to meet current and anticipated demand, the State understands the need to support efforts to offer better training and job opportunities to attract people into the field. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for flexibility for long term care workers to move across care settings and titles to ensure that providers could identify and deploy trained workers in a timely and efficient manner.

The intent of this Request for Applications (“RFA”) is to fund up to $19,000,000 per year for five (5) years for Direct Caregiver Training Centers along with the Direct Caregiver Support Hub component to support the training program.

This Request for Applications (RFA) has been posted on the following websites:

The NYS Statewide Financial System (SFS) website at: Search for Grant Opportunities (ny.gov)

Search using the SFS # in the Event ID field: DCF2025

New York State Department of Health: http://www.health.ny.gov/funding/

In order to apply for this Request for Applications, eligible applicants must be prequalified in the Statewide Financial System, if not exempt, and must submit an application via the Statewide Financial System.

Applicants may apply for each Economic Development Region of the RFA, but each Region applied for will require a separate application.

Late applications will not be accepted.

Applications will not be accepted via fax, e-mail, hard copy or hand delivery.

All substantive questions by Applicants with respect to any aspect of the RFA must be submitted in writing to Carol Rodat, NYSDOH, Office of Aging and Long-Term Care, at the following email address: DCF.Grant@health.ny.gov. This includes Minority and Woman Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) Requirements questions and related forms. See, Section IV. K (Minority & Woman-Owned Business Enterprise Requirements). Questions of a technical nature related to formatting or other minor details related to preparation of an application.

To the degree possible, each question submitted by a potential Applicant pursuant to the terms of this RFA should cite the RFA section and paragraph to which it refers. Written questions will be accepted for RFA# 20422 - Direct Caregiver Flexibility until the date posted on the Cover Page of this RFA.