One of the greatest concerns about the future of the In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) program is a shortage of providers available to care for the growing number of IHSS recipients. The Career Pathways initiative is an exciting workforce development program meant to retain and recruit providers by providing training opportunities meant to build skills, increase quality of care, and provide career growth for IHSS providers. We will provide an overview of the Career Pathways initiative, outline the goals of the program and the implementation strategy, as well as present the lessons learned and the approach to the competitive bidding process.

• Leora Filosena – California Department of Social Services Deputy Director

• Danielle Morris – California Department of Social Services Branch Chief

• Cindy Wang – California Department of Social Services Branch Chief