The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) has announced, effective July 1, 2025, the launch of a statewide training curriculum, platform, and direct support professional registry. This initiative is aimed at maintaining a diverse, stable, and well-trained workforce to provide quality person-centered home and community-based services and support. At this time, this applies to employees providing services under the Family Supports (FS) and Community Integration and Habilitation (CIH) waivers.
In late 2022, FSSA released the Direct Service Workforce (DSW) Plan, which included strategies to build and sustain the licensed and unlicensed workforce. One of the priority areas in the DSW Plan is training and career development, with a focus on establishing standard training to increase training portability and pathways; create efficiencies, uniform values, and quality standards; and reduce administrative and financial burdens.
The specific strategies to tackle this included developing and implementing a standard definition of “direct service worker,” developing training opportunities, establishing a web-based Home and Community Support Professional (HCSP) training registry, and forming a career and education ladder that outlines pathways from entry-level positions to more advanced roles.
FSSA issued a Request for Proposal to procure a vendor to develop and implement a tiered training certification program for Indiana’s direct service workforce and a statewide training registry. In late 2024, FSSA awarded a contract to Syra Health. FSSA and Syra have developed the core foundational and fundamental competencies, the training platform, and through testing and pilot groups, Syra is finalizing the training, credentialing, and registry process.
Ultimately, FSSA envisions all HCSPs who serve any population under an HCBS waiver to have access to consistent core competency training. The goal is for the training program and training registry to be portable across HCBS settings and employment arrangements to ensure high-quality, reliable support and services, while increasing administrative efficiency.
The mandatory training curriculum consists of two curricula, Foundations and Fundamentals. The objective of this training is skill building through the modules within the two curricula: Community Inclusion and Networking, Community Living Skills and Supports, Crisis Prevention and Intervention, Cultural Competency, Education, Training, and Self-Development, Empowerment and Advocacy, Evaluation and Observation, Health and Wellness, Person-Centered Practices, Professionalism and Ethics, and Safety.
Key Information:
The term Home and Community Support Professional (HSCP) refers to a trained professional who supports and partners with an older adult or a person with a disability to provide person-centered support across a range of home and community-based settings. These supports may include, but are not limited to, facilitating personal and household daily living activities and accompaniment, as well as support to achieve an individual’s identified goals, such as independence and community integration. An HCSP would include Direct Support Professionals (DSPs), Personal Care Assistants (PCAs), etc.
Currently, the employees required to complete this training and receive their HCSP certification are providing services under the Family Supports (FS) and Community Integration and Habilitation (CIH) waivers.
A HCSP must complete all modules within the two curricula and pass a final online competency exam to receive their HCSP certification.
The HCSP Certification is portable, allowing it to be recognized across all enrolled providers of CIH and FS Waiver services.
If a staff member begins employment as an HCSP to provide services under these two waivers on June 30, 2025, or after, the HCSP will be required to fully complete this training and pass the competency exam prior to providing any of these services.
If a staff member is a current HCSP as of June 29, 2025, they will have until January 1, 2026, to complete the training and pass the competency exam.
While HCSP credential status is public, HCSP contact information WILL NOT be publicly displayed.
The Foundational modules and Fundamental modules are the only required modules for HCSP credentialing.
The HCSP certification will be displayed in the public-facing registry.
The registry provides a public profile of HCSP credential status, but is NOT a hiring platform.
Individuals cannot directly hire HCSPs through the registry – all services must still be provided through enrolled provider entities or fiscal intermediaries.
Self-directed services will continue to require HCSP employment through fiscal intermediaries for reimbursement.
DDRS is currently drafting applicable administrative rules for the training and registry, and is in the pilot stage of the process, which includes testing the HCSP curricula and training platform with HCBS enrolled providers.
For more information about Indiana’s Direct Service Workforce initiative, please visit this website. If you have any questions, please contact bds.help@fssa.in.gov.