Michigan Alliance for Person-Centered Communities (MAPCC)

Contact Information
Cean Eppelheimer, Co-Chair
CEppelheimer@PHInational.org
517-927-1875

Chris Hennessey, Co-Chair
Hennesc@lcc.edu
517-483-5204

Heather Picotte, Co-Chair
Picotte@msu.edu
517-896-5706 
 
Website:www.mapcc.info
 
The Michigan Alliance for Person-Centered Communities is formerly the Michigan Direct Care Workforce Initiative (MDCWI).

Mission
Through partnership and shared learning, MAPCC promotes an array of adult long-term care supports and services that create strong communities deeply rooted in dignity and respect; rich with relationships and opportunities for self determination and personal growth for all.

History
Since 1998, Michigan (MI) has coordinated a variety of efforts to address long-term care (LTC), direct care worker (DCW) issues. It began with the implementation of the Eden Alternative™ through the formation of BEAM, and continues with many state quality improvement initiatives and incentives such as consumer-directed LTC and supports, culture change and staff team-building efforts. Between 1998 and 2002, many stakeholders including several local Area Agencies on Aging, BEAM, advocates, consumers, providers, educators, government representatives, researchers and unions sponsored focus groups, received and implemented LTC innovations grants, completed studies, wrote reports and reviewed training curricula—with the goal of improving and increasing the LTC direct care workforce. Following are a few of the key accomplishments from these efforts:

• 2004 — "Voices from the Front: Recruitment and Retention of DCWs in LTC Across Michigan" is released by BEAM, OSA and MSU with support from the MDCWI Coalition. 
• 2005-2008 — MDCWI continues as a strong workforce coalition, working with regional and state stakeholders to strengthen Michigan's direct care workforce. Accomplishments include:
  • Developed and produced a Management and Supervision Training Curriculum Directory and Literature Review, which is currently on the PHI National Clearinghouse on the Direct Care Workforce Website (www.directcareclearinghouse.org). 
  • Received a $50,000 MDLEG Regional Skills Alliance grant to pilot a pre-employment program for potential DCWs.
  • Convened MDCWI members with the five DCW/healthcare RSA's to receive their input on updating Michigan's Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) Training Curriculum. Two CNA Curricula Committees were formed.
• 2009 — MDCWI undertakes expanded role as state's culture change organization. Organization renamed MAPCC.

Organizational Structure
Members of the coalition represent a wide variety of stakeholders and providers, all focused on improving the culture of care within the state by impacting organizational systems, and vulnerable adult and workforce issues. 
 
Funding 

• Stakeholders provide in-kind support of time and resources. 
• New funding options are being explored at this time.
• Project-specific grant support received in previous years. 

Major Activities This Year

• Held bi-monthly coalition meetings throughout 2011 uniting stakeholders from various long term supports and services, trade organizations, and government agencies, as well as providers and consultants across settings to discuss and plan activities in Michigan.
• Completed 15 sessions statewide as part of the Pioneer Network's Creating Home Project funded by the Picker Institute.
• Actively participated on the Pioneer Network Coalitions Committee and monthly networking calls, helped disseminate information regarding Pioneer resources, and maintained a strong relationship with the national organization.
• Designed, purchased, and disseminated MAPCC brochures to help increase awareness of the coalition and available resources.
• Increased the MAPCC listserv through conference participation, listserv subscriber distribution of the newsletter to colleagues/friends and grassroots involvement of our Steering Committee members.
• Presented at various conferences to skilled nursing, assisted living, adult foster care, and other aging-focused professionals on person-centered practices. Additional presentations are planned for 2012, including follow-up presentations from 2011.
• Continued involvement and sponsorship of the 2012 Eden International Conference. In addition, culture change leaders and MAPCC members in Michigan will be presenting a multi-media presentation on Michigan's history related to culture change and will participate in a session on surplus safety with Dr. William Thomas.
• Published our bi-monthly newsletter, The Journey, with the support of Steering Committee members who assisted by writing articles and editing issues. We also reformatted the newsletter to make it easier to read (for those with time constraints) and included feature articles sharing stories from the field.
• Expansion of our website has continued, offering additional resources and information to providers. Our number of unique visits continues to grow and include visitors from throughout the world.
• Developed a Speakers Bureau offering low-cost/no-cost, expert presenters from our Steering Committee on a variety of topics.
• Continued our LANE, One Vision and Advancing Excellence involvement/facilitation through the active participation and leadership of our co-chair and other Steering Committee members.
• Provided input into Michigan's dual eligible initiative through online comments, attendance at forums, RFI response, and workgroup participation, to ensure that the Medicare/Medicaid beneficiary plan being modified includes a person-centered focus.
• Expanded our involvement in the home health care and adult foster care settings through the addition of new leadership on our Steering Committee and scheduled activities to clarify the relevance of culture change and person-centered care in these settings.
• Began development of a regional structure with the involvement of leadership from the Northwest and Northeast areas of Michigan.