Direct Care Workforce Annual Report
The bill mandates personal care service providers to submit specific data related to their direct care workers, including demographics, employment duration, wages, and the number of vacant positions. SM17 aims to provide a comprehensive view of the direct care workforce landscape in New Mexico. This regular data collection process would enable policymakers to assess trends in the workforce, identify challenges, and propose necessary adjustments to improve recruitment and retention in this vital sector.
Senate Memorial 17 (SM17) requests the New Mexico Health Care Authority Department to create an annual report focused on the direct care workforce. This bill addresses the critical shortage of direct care workers who provide essential services to the elderly and individuals with disabilities. With a projected need for 66,000 direct care worker positions over the next decade, the legislation emphasizes the importance of understanding the factors contributing to this workforce shortage, such as low wages, insufficient benefits, and inadequate training opportunities.
While SM17 is largely focused on data collection and analysis aimed at enhancing the quality and stability of the direct care workforce, some concerns may arise regarding the implications of mandated reporting for personal care agencies. Providers might face administrative burdens related to data compilation, and there are discussions about whether the reporting requirements could lead to increased scrutiny or penalties for agencies that do not meet certain workforce standards. Additionally, the financial implications of increased wages, as proposed within the context of the bill, could affect the budgets of personal care service agencies, potentially resulting in increased costs for state-funded care services.