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North Carolina

33 ELDERCARE TRAINING

North Carolina is committed to strengthening support for an increasingly diverse aging population, along with their families and natural support systems. Workforce development and training, community education and engagement strategies will ensure such opportunities exist.

North Carolina ranks ninth nationwide in population of adults age 60 and older, and by 2025 one in five NC residents will be older than 65. Given the steady increase in the number of older adults in North Carolina, the Work First program will continue to provide assistance to work eligible individuals to train for, seek and maintain employment in the eldercare workforce. Work First Employment Services job skills training, work experience and employment retention services include training and employment for certified nursing assistants (CNAs), home health aides, and other occupations related to eldercare. In addition, case management services provide employment retention services for positions that include CNAs, home health aides and other occupations related to eldercare. Assistance may include tuition, payment of course fees, books, instructional materials, special equipment (i.e., lab coats, stethoscopes, etc.) and supportive services such as child care and transportation services.

Consistent with North Carolina’s 2019-2023 State Plan on Aging, the Division of Social Services will collaborate with the Division on Aging and Adult Services (DAAS) on eldercare issues and training needs. Local agencies are required to remain informed of local economic trends and provide employment services, including job skills training and job development, based on these trends.

HOMELESSNESS

Counties may use TANF and county funds to serve homeless families and families at risk of experiencing homelessness. These families must be TANF eligible or TANF recipients. The services provided may include but are not limited to: payments to cover basic needs, supportive services, and employment services. Counties may partner with local resources to coordinate and streamline services to prevent homelessness and promote self-sufficiency.

To better connect people with resources such as housing, and other basic needs, the Department recently launched NCCARE360, which is the first statewide coordinated care network to electronically connect those with identified needs to community resources and allow for a feedback loop on the outcome of that connection. The Department recognized that people face a fragmented system of health and human services that can be hard to navigate. Providers often operate in siloes, are disconnected and have no meaningful way of coordinating services for local residents. NCCARE360 is collaborative solution to this problem by providing a coordinated, community-oriented, person-centered approach to delivering care in North Carolina through a robust statewide resource directory that will include a call center with dedicated navigators, a data team verifying resources and text and chat capabilities. Other features include:

• A shared technology platform that enables health care and human service providers to send and receive secure electronic referrals, seamlessly communicate in real-time, securely share client information and track outcomes.