Michigan Direct Care Workers are fleeing the profession.
A person with mental illness or a developmental disability deserves high-quality life experiences, filled with as much freedom and autonomy as possible. But here in Michigan, that’s becoming an unattainable dream.
Why? Because our state’s policy framework prevents it.
More than 100,000 individuals and their families rely on Direct Care Workers (DCWs) for their daily support and independence.
Unfortunately, DCW wages in Michigan’s mental health system are directly tied to Medicaid funding, which has not kept pace with the needs of our state. As a result, Michigan DCWs bring home very small paychecks, and often have no medical or other benefits.
Consequently, thousands of DCWs are making a natural decision to leave the profession for jobs that allow them to better support themselves and their families. For those who remain on the job, a growing number of administrative headaches and reporting requirements are adding complexity to DCWs’ daily responsibilities.
With more and more DCWs fleeing the profession, these changes translate into a growing amount of work—and a level of compensation that seems to mean less every day. This leaves tens of thousands of Michigan residents facing:
Emergency situations in which care is not available,
Chronic or extended hospitalizations (we’re talking months, not weeks),
Reliance on aging parents for ongoing care and, most important of all,
A loss of the independence they enjoyed when DCWs were available.
