The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration recently shared its overview of Indiana’s HCBS Spend Plan for Section 9817 of American Rescue Plan Act funds. As part of the plan, FSSA launched its critical short-term wages and benefit strategy in the form of a direct services workforce investment grant opportunity. HCBS direct service workers are essential in providing day to day supports necessary for people to live, work and participate in their communities.
The Arc Southwest Indiana was fortunate to be awarded a Direct Service Workforce Grant and will, as obligated, pass 95% of the granted funds through to direct service workers. These pass-through dollars will de distributed in the form of retention bonuses and the implementation of shift differentials for overnight and weekend shifts. Bonuses and the shift differential will be available to employees on or around February 15, 2023. Subsequent grant distributions will be passed through as retention bonuses to eligible HCBS direct service employees.