Natasha Bryant, senior director of workforce research and development at the LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston will be part of this workforce panel during the 2025 LeadingAge Illinois Annual Conference (July 21-23, 2025).
Panelists will:
- Examine the current challenges in direct care worker recruitment and retention, and evaluate the potential impact of a standardized core curriculum on workforce development in home and community-based services.
- Analyze the innovative “badge” system design as a mechanism for recognizing and advancing professional skills, and explore its potential to transform direct care work from a job to a progressive career path.
- Investigate potential career transition pathways for direct care workers, with a specific focus on leveraging existing skills to pursue advanced roles in social work, nursing, and other leadership roles.
Other panelists include Molly Jenkins, program manager, Center for Excellence in Aging at Rush University Medical Center; Emily Levi-D’Ancona, training and operations manager, CHaSCI, Rush University Medical Center; and Bonnie Ewald, managing director, CHaSCI, Rush University Medical Center.
Visit the conference website.