North Carolina’s Efforts to Bolster Caregiving Workforce: Current Strategies and Future Plans
The North Carolina Caregiving Workforce Strategic Leadership Council gathered on Thursday, September 11, highlighting significant milestones and reaffirming its dedication to enhancing the caregiving workforce in nursing, direct care, and mental health and substance use. “Building a robust caregiving workforce is critical to improving the life and wellbeing of everyone in North Carolina,” remarked NC Health and Human Services Secretary Dev Sangvai.
Established in late 2022, the Council, a collaboration between the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and the North Carolina Department of Commerce, aims to align state strategies to develop a sustainable workforce. “Caregiving professionals keep children, families and our workforce healthy, and support our thriving economy,” said NC Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley. The Council’s focus areas include nursing, mental health and substance use, and direct care, with detailed priorities and actions outlined for 2024.
Presently, the Council is advancing several initiatives and celebrating recent accomplishments.
Nursing Workforce Initiatives
- Academic Coaching for Community College Students: The North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS) successfully concluded a three-year pilot, funded by NC GlaxoSmithKline Foundation, showcasing improved student retention and NCLEX pass rates across six colleges.
- Clinical Partnerships: A 2024 collaboration between the UNC System and North Carolina Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) expanded Clinical Instructor Partnership programs, allowing bedside nurses to train as RN clinical instructors without leaving their roles.
- Loan Forgiveness for Registered Nurses: This fall, NCDHHS’ Office of Rural Health will launch an incentive program requiring RNs to commit to serving in rural, underserved areas for up to four years.
Mental Health and Substance Use Treatment Workforce Initiatives
- Career Pathways for Unlicensed Professionals: Session Law 2025-37, signed by Governor Stein, allows professionals with an Associate’s degree and relevant experience to hold roles typically requiring a Bachelor’s degree.
- Incentives for Publicly Funded Roles: The NC General Assembly allocated $20 million for a loan repayment program to attract providers to underserved counties.
- Peer Support Training: NCDHHS and UNC School of Social Work initiated a free, standardized training process for peer support specialists, with the first phase launched on August 1st.
Direct Care Workforce Initiatives
- Data Landscape Advancement: This fall, NCDHHS introduces NC’s inaugural National Core Indicators State of the Workforce Survey for Aging and Disabilities to enhance data collection.
- Career Pathways Expansion: NCDHHS launched a free Direct Support Professional (DSP) Advanced training certificate in three pilot community colleges, alongside $3 million in funding for recruitment and retention efforts.
During the meeting, discussions focused on progress and future priorities, such as data collection, wage improvements, and training access. The NC Center on the Workforce for Health will guide these efforts, having formed in 2023 to address healthcare workforce challenges. “The work of this Council will continue to be essential as we coordinate a more cohesive public sector approach,” said Andy MacCracken, Director of the NC Center on the Workforce for Health.
NCDHHS and NC Commerce remain pivotal in addressing North Carolina’s severe caregiving workforce shortages, projected to include 12,500 registered nurses and 5,000 licensed practical nurses by 2033, with over 200,000 direct care job openings anticipated through 2032. Additionally, 94 of North Carolina’s 100 counties are classified as mental health professional shortage areas.
About the NC Center on the Workforce for Health
Launched in 2023, the NC Center on the Workforce for Health serves as a forum for stakeholders to tackle workforce challenges, sharing best practices and solutions. This initiative, in partnership with NC AHEC, the NC Institute of Medicine, and the Sheps Center, ensures coordinated action and progress tracking. For more information, visit workforceforhealth.org.
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