‘Sec.
1. Improve and expand registry. Resolved: That the Department of Health and Human Services, referred to in this section as "the department," shall review all state and federal criteria applicable to the Maine Registry of Certified Nursing Assistants, referred to in this section as "the registry," established in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 22, section 1812-G, and develop a plan to improve and expand the registry to include unlicensed assistive personnel. In developing the plan, the department shall:
1. Convene a working group to explore methods of increasing efficiency and reducing duplication of effort, including methods to encourage disclosure of the results of background checks that have been conducted by the registry and privately by prospective employers. The department shall invite the participation of representatives of the registry, direct care and support agencies and employers; and
2. Consider the following issues:
A. Requiring that every nursing assistant listed in the registry be recertified every 2 years and that background checks be conducted every 2 years;
B. Implementing measures designed to expand and enhance Internet access to the registry to better meet the needs of the public, employers and direct care and support agencies;
C. Expanding the information included in the registry. In assessing the information to be included, the department shall consider including general education about the field of work and general information on direct care and support jobs and responsibilities, including information on the differences between jobs requiring certification, licensure and registration;
D. Providing information on job opportunities, including providing a link to career center websites for information about direct care employment opportunities;
E. Providing information about job training opportunities and continuing education opportunities;
F. Providing a resource guide for consumers to assist in understanding the different categories of workers, types of home care agencies and the state-funded programs that cover direct care services;
G. Providing links to organizations working to address the direct care worker shortage and to improve the working conditions for direct care workers; and
H. Providing information about how to conduct a hiring process that helps to achieve quality care; and be it further
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This amendment clarifies the actions that must be taken by the Department of Health and Human Services in developing a plan to improve and expand the Maine Registry of Certified Nursing Assistants and the issues that must be considered in developing the plan. The amendment requires the department to convene a working group to consider issues that were required to be implemented in the resolve.