This page brings together practical, ready-to-use resources created by the Strategies Center and its partners to support states and their partners in advancing direct care workforce efforts. Here you will find recorded sessions, one-pagers, and curated materials that translate key concepts into actionable guidance.
Lab Talks
The Lab Talk Series is a collection of short, expert-led recorded learning sessions that highlight real-world strategies, state innovations, and practical implementation lessons for the direct care workforce. Speakers include national experts, state leaders, and partners who share actionable approaches, tools, and insights to strengthen workforce systems. These sessions provide accessible, evergreen, experience-driven guidance for states at any stage of workforce development – supporting planning, partnership building, and sustainable system change.
Building Direct Care Career Pathways – Understanding Pathways, Ladders, and Lattices
This session features Jeannine LaPrad of PHI discussing state strategies to strengthen career progression in the direct care workforce. Topics include developing clear career pathways, ladders, and lattices; expanding access to training; and promoting portable, competency‑based credentials. Drawing on lessons from our Peer-learning Collaboratives, the session highlights examples from Michigan, Wisconsin, New York, and New Jersey, and emphasizes strategies to improve job quality and support worker mobility.