The demand for direct service worker positions is projected to increase by 35 percent from 2008 to 2018, whereas overall jobs within the U.S. are expected to increase by only 10 percent within this timeframe. The National Direct Service Workforce Resource Center was created by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid in 2006 to assist states in planning to grow a qualified and competent direct service workforce (DSW). Last August, the organization published a toolkit for state Medicaid agencies on strategies and methods for funding the continuing education and training for DSWs.
The toolkit can be found here.