Career Nursing Assistants Network of N. Carolina

Developing a Direct Care Worker Association Workgroup Meeting Summary May 1, 2002 Attendees: Jallie Daughtry, Lloyd Pattison, Jane Jones, Carol Teal, Melvin Whitley, Milford Evans, Annie Oglesby, Mary Wright, Helen Forte, Wendy Mills, Barbara Pearson, Stephanie Wright, Duane Currie, Sam Edens, Howard Kendall, Kim Klein, Misti Henry, Kathy Lamm, Mike Massoglia, Donna Holt, Jan Moxley THEME OF THE MEETING: If we listen to one another and stay focused, brick by brick we can build a direct care worker association in North Carolina. SUMMARY OF DISCUSSION: With the goal of doing what it takes to form a direct care worker association, the first meeting focused on three areas: 1. Learning about one another and discussing the characteristics of a good team in hopes that the workgroup will function as one; 2. Reviewing the current situation for direct care workers in order to build a common appreciation of some of the challenges ahead; 3. Brainstorming issues and steps that need to be taken to establish a direct care worker association in North Carolina Team Building The first agenda item was to learn a little more about one another. With each introduction the person told a favorite past time. The group discovered that it includes people who share such interests as motorcycles, camping and the outdoors, NASCAR, fishing and spending time with family. Once introductions were finished, the next exercise was for the group to say what they think makes a good team. There was agreement about the need for good communications, a common goal, mutual respect and diversity. There was also agreement that a good team works together, and that it can break into smaller groups to work on something, and then report back to the whole group. Good teams agree to disagree, but they do so with respect for people�s differences. One person used an example from his Internet business to highlight the letters that make up the word: T � together E � everyone A � achieves M � more There also was discussion of problems the workgroup should try to avoid. Chief among these were poor communications and members who were territorial, prima donnas or act as �self-elected leaders� to push their views on the rest of the group. Current Situation (How Things Are) After talking about what it means to be a team, the group focused on how things are for direct care workers. There was much discussion prompted by a slide presentation showing facts and figures about the types of direct care workers, the demand for such workers in North Carolina and the high turnover rates for these positions. Characteristics of direct care workers Team members used different words to describe the characteristics of direct care workers, including �professional,� �hands-on caregivers� and �bringing peace of mind.� There was agreement that direct care workers have a direct relationship with the people they serve, that they have a commitment to service and that they make a difference in people�s lives. Who are direct care workers? Direct care workers can be social workers, job coaches, childcare workers, CNAs and personal care attendants. They can be found in families, group homes and in sheltered workshops. They can also be �good working family members.� What are some problems direct care workers face? Two major problems are that direct care workers are not fully appreciated for everything they do, and that direct care workers are often responsible for more people than they can handle. Regulations and documentation are also problems. Low pay is another problem, along with a lack of respect, little or no validation, and no career path or opportunity for career development. Even if the workers get additional training, some employees don�t recognize the position of CNA-2. Another problem: direct care workers aren�t given time to grieve. What could a direct care worker association do for its members? For a direct care worker association to succeed, there would have to be good reasons for people to want to join. The group talked about a number of things that a direct care worker association could do for its members, including: � Advocate for the interests of direct care workers � Be a clearinghouse of information for and about direct care workers � Be the �social glue� that helps binds direct care workers into a network � Broaden options for career development and professional interaction through meetings, conferences and gatherings � Give greater voice, visibility and recognition (both state and national) � Be a support system for direct care workers with assistance on career issues including counseling, death with dignity and recognizing burnout � Communicate issues of interest or importance to direct care workers � Provide a job bank � Provide educational opportunities � Change the image of direct care workers Brainstorming: What needs to be done to form a direct care worker association? Building on what was discussed during the morning session, the team broke into two groups for the afternoon session. Their assignment was to answer the question of what the team needed to do to form a direct care worker association. The purpose of this part of the meeting was to get the workgroup thinking about some of the decisions that would go into forming an association. After about an hour, the whole team got back together and each group reported how it had addressed the question. What was important in this part of the meeting is how many issues there are to consider over the coming months to form a direct care worker association. There were some broad areas of discussion but mostly more questions to be considered at future meetings: Who should be allowed to join? Membership should be open to more than CNAs. It could include physical care workers, personal attendants, chore workers, social services technicians, as well as others. There could be different levels of membership. One group suggested that eligibility for membership should be broadly defined, but not so much that the association would lose its focus. How would the association be structured? Would the association be organized into district chapters? Would there be annual conventions? Would this be a grassroots organization built from the ground up, or an organization directed from the top down? Would there be local leaders who choose the district leaders who choose the statewide leaders for the association? What would be the mission, goals and objectives of an association? Would it develop a Code of Ethics for direct care workers? What would be the goals of a direct care worker association? There was a lot of discussion in this area. People agreed that the association�s goal should be to make a difference for professional direct care workers, and there were many suggestions for how to do that. Some of them were similar to what came up during the morning session: � Provide personal/professional enrichment through education, networking; � Promote solidarity � Win recognition by the community at large of the worth of caregivers � Close the gap between direct care workers and administrators and promote consistency with professional staff � Promote better care for customers � �Enrichment� �development� �improve quality of job� �promote teamwork� � Support � tools to be a better employee; training, employer support � A place to go to get information � Advocacy, representation, fellowship How would the association stay afloat? Would the association have a paid staff? Would there be dues? If so, would the association provide members with benefits such as insurance? Legal aid? How would the association be publicized? Where can we go for answers? There was agreement that the workgroup could get some ideas by looking at how direct care workers have formed associations in other states. But the workgroup also has to remember that North Carolina has its own unique qualities and issues. What works somewhere else might not work here. How can workers get excited about forming an association? Ideas included spreading the word about why an association is needed, getting people interested by figuring how to �grab� them with the idea. One way might be with focus groups around the state. Another might e to start with a positive image and a good name: �Professional Association of Direct Care Workers.� CLOSING THOUGHTS After the brainstorming, two key points came up: � The workgroup was created to establish a direct care worker association in North Carolina, not to prepare another study of why one is needed � Any association would need grassroots support, which the workgroup can provide. As one person put it, �We are the grassroots because we are here.� Finally, to close the meeting on a positive note for the work that lies ahead, the group heard a comment that came from a resident of Autumn Care in Wilmington: �If you want to know what it�s like to be a millionaire, ask a CNA. I would love to have your health and your energy.�