The pandemic is an added stress for those taking care of a loved one with a developmental disability. Often, those individuals need different levels of care and family members step up to provide that care. As part of The Rebound Arizona we look at ways family members can earn a paycheck while giving their loved one care.
Anthony Davis is the Founder and CEO of HARC Human Services, a home healthcare provider. He's making it his mission to let families with loved ones who have developmental disabilities know that if they've lost their jobs, they can take on the role of primary caregiver to their loved one and get paid for it.
He calls it family caregiving.
"That's family members providing services for their own family member with a developmental disability," Davis said.
According to the Arizona Department of Economic Security, The Division of Developmental Disabilities is allowing family members who qualify to temporarily become direct care workers through Qualified Vendor Agencies, or QVAs. Then they can be paid to care for their child who is a DDD member.
And that's where HARC is stepping in.
Davis says, "For us, to help get folks back to work we're offering free job training for the basic requirements for caregiving such as first aid and CPR AED...We're also offering free background checks including the fingerprinting which can be used to apply for the level-one fingerprints clearance card."
Davis adds that people interested who pass all of the qualifications can usually start working and getting paid relatively quickly.
He noted, "Depending on their family need and the services required, training can last about three to five days. With training, background checks and confirmed family references, an employee can expect to begin working almost immediately and, in most cases, they do."
But DES officials do say if a parent is working from home and already being paid by their employer, then they cannot also be paid as a direct care worker for their child.
According to the DES website, this opportunity will be available until the pandemic is over.
Anyone interested can contact HARC Human Services here.
Full details on qualifications and the process to become a paid caregiver can be found on the DES website.