ECCLI - Massachusetts Workforce Board Association

Let’s talk: Nursing home residents help aides with English, by Sue Scheible, The Patriot Ledger

Governor Romney vetoes Legislature's $1.5 million FY 2007 appropriation for ECCLI. Legislature overrides veto July 31, 2006. Governor Romney eliminates ECCLI with 9C powers. Governor Patrick reverses decision.

Recently the Association had the opportunity to cosponsor a Legislative Briefing on ECCLI and the Direct Care Worker Scholarship Program held in the Nurses Hall of the State House along with Commonwealth Corporation, Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts, Massachusetts Aging Services Association, Massachusetts Council for Home Care Aide Services, Massachusetts Extended Care Federation.

Senator Harriette Chandler and Senator Mark Montigny participate in ECCLI Day at the State House

Conference Report provides $1.5 million for ECCLI in FY 2007.

Senator Mark Montigny (Bristol & Plymouth) has submitted his FY’07 budget request to Senate Ways and Means Chair Therese Murray, and included $3 Million for continued funding for The Extended Care Career Ladder Initiative (ECCLI). This figure represents twice the FY06 funding provided at the Senator’s request, and would provide more workers the opportunity to move out of entry-level, low skilled jobs through basic education, English-language literacy and long term care skill training offered by their employers. Participating employers are required to provide at least a 50% match in dollars requested, and a minimum of $.25 salary increases to staff who complete programs. Senator Steve Brewer (Worcester, Hampden, Hampshire & Franklin) has included $3M for ECCLI in his budget request. Representative Anne Gobi (Worcester) has offered to submit a similar $3M request to the House Ways and Means committee.

In a Legislative Briefing on ECCLI held at the Statehouse on March 29, co-chaired by Senator Mark Montigny and Senator Harriette Chandler (Worcester), workers and administrators who have participated in ECCLI’s direct caregiver training and culture change programs were celebrated. The initiative developed out of Senator Montigny’s personal experience with the caregivers in a nursing home where his father resided.

The Senator emphasized that the care given to loved ones by the frontline staff of nursing homes and home health agencies is influenced greatly by the respect, dignity, and opportunities for growth provided to the staff by their employers. ECCLI has had more than 4500 workers and 145 agencies participate to date, and is helping to increase staff retention rates while reducing funds spent on per diem workers.

Among those in the audience was Rep. Michael Festa, whose wife is a Certified Nurse Assistant. Commonwealth Corporation’s President Jonathan Raymond gave an overview of the program, which was first funded in FY 2000. All 16 WIB regions have worked with project sites since the ECCLI program began. Currently 37 programs are in their final months of operation. This year’s a portion of the $1.5 M provides Supplemental funding for 11 collaborative sites ($925,000 total), and opportunities for new program applicants from nursing homes ($700,000 total) and Home Health agencies ($600,000).

Applications for Rounds 8 are due to CommCorp by March 28. Technical assistance sessions for Round 9 are being held April 6 and 13th. RFPs and comprehensive ECCLI information can be viewed by going to the CommCorp website ECCLI Virtual Library

Eleni Papadakis, CommCorp, Senator Mark Montigny and Carolyn Blanks, Mass Extended Care Federation at ECCLI State House Day