New! Free direct caregiver training and professional designation

In partnership with the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, we are developing a free standardized training program to help up to 10,000 caregivers become certified direct care professionals (CDCP). The curriculum will be available in summer 2023.

Here’s how it works.

• Participants will complete a free training and testing program online at their own pace. It will take about 30 hours, and they will gain valuable skills in 14 core competencies.
• After successfully completing the program, they will automatically join the Certified Direct Care Professional Registry to connect with employers throughout Wisconsin.
• New CDCPs will receive a $250 bonus upon hire or by continuing to work with an eligible provider/agency.* When they stay employed by an eligible provider/agency* for six months, they’ll get an additional $250 retention bonus.

New! WisCaregiver Connections workforce platform

Our new workforce platform will be a one-stop career resource for employers and job seekers. We are now recruiting providers and agencies to be included in the employer component of the platform. Your presence will make it easy for CDCPs to find and connect with you after completing their training. The platform will allow you to:

• Post job openings
• Automatically match with job seekers
• Screen candidate profiles and credentialing details

When you sign up, we will confirm your eligibility* to participate in the CDCP bonus program. As an eligible provider,* your current staff can pursue CDCP designations and receive bonuses, too!

*The certified direct care professional (CDCP) program and WisCaregiver Connections were developed with American Rescue Plan Act funding for home and community-based services (HCBS). Eligible providers/agencies are those that serve HCBS participants enrolled in programs such as Family Care, Partnership, IRIS (Include, Respect, I Self-Direct), PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly), Children's Long-Term Support, and fee-for-service providers who serve HCBS participants.

Contact us

We look forward to partnering with you on these efforts to strengthen Wisconsin's direct care workforce.

• Contact us at cdcp@uwgb.edu if you have questions or would like to learn more about the CDCP program and workforce platform.
• Sign up for general updates on Wisconsin’s plans to leverage American Rescue Plan Act Home and Community-Based Services funding.