About the Conference

A Letter to Michigan’s Direct Care Workers

It is my honor to welcome you to IMPART Alliance’s inaugural Direct Care Worker Conference, co-hosted by Easterseals | MORC. It’s hard to believe we’ve arrived at this moment. This conference represents decades of collective hard work and a milestone in our shared efforts to recognize, uplift and invest in the direct care workforce. We know that making time to attend is not easy. The work of direct care is demanding, and schedules are often full. But your presence here matters. The voices and ideas shared here will guide the future of direct care as a career, inform policy advocacy efforts, and contribute to reshaping Michigan’s direct care workforce in ways that will benefit all of us.

Michigan is home to more than 165,000 direct care workers. Every one of you plays a vital role in helping families, older adults and people with disabilities live with dignity, agency and independence. At the same time, we all know how challenging this job can be: low pay, long hours and little recognition. That’s why this conference, and the movement it represents, is so important. It’s about valuing you, supporting you, and building a future where direct care is recognized as the essential profession it is.

IMPART Alliance has long worked with state government and countless partners across Michigan to build a stronger, more stable direct care network. We are driven by the belief that you deserve to have economic security, job satisfaction, and respect. We also believe that the best way to achieve these goals is to advocate simultaneously for better wages and benefits, professionalization, and culture change in an integrated way. This requires coordinated statewide leadership, which I am happy to say we have in Michigan. Together with many of you, we have taken big steps forward.

The adoption by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) of 15 core DCW Competency Guidelines developed by direct care workers and the MDHHS Direct Care Worker Advisory Committee set the foundation for professional recognition. Work is now underway to create statewide credentials, another major step toward making this a respected, sustainable career path. With a grant from the MDHHS, IMPART Alliance, in partnership with you and allies has trained several hundred direct care workers, started a direct care career success program, issued 25 mini-grants to employers to develop and pilot novel recruitment and retention strategies, and is establishing a Direct Care Career Center.

We recognize that many of you deal with difficult situations including grief when someone you have built a relationship with dies. Programs to support your mental health and wellbeing are long overdue. We are working with partners across Michigan to provide this support in multiple ways. One fun way is to provide opportunities to develop a sense of community through the arts. At this conference, you will see an example of this with A Caregiver’s Butterfly Garden, which is a symbol of growth, connection, resilience and transformation. Please join in, take a few minutes to make a paper butterfly, write a message of hope on its wings, take a selfie with it and then let it migrate to one of our Healing Gardens for others to enjoy. These are all solutions that make a real difference in people’s lives.

We have seen efforts such as these translate into increased job satisfaction, improved quality of care and better health outcomes for those you  serve. This conference is an extension of that vision: a place where workers, employers, educators and advocates come together to learn, connect and share. The sessions, workshops and exhibitor experiences here are designed to support you not only in your daily practice but also in your long-term professional development.

I would like to acknowledge MDHHS, the conference planning committee, partner organizations, our speakers, the MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine which is the home of IMPART Alliance, family caregivers, community allies, and most of all, all of you. Thank you for the work that you do and the difference it makes in the lives of those you support. Thank you for being part of this important moment. Together, we can continue building a system that respects, sustains and uplifts all who give and receive care. It is an exciting time for all of us. Enjoy!

With gratitude,

Clare Luz, Ph.D.

Executive Director, IMPART Alliance