4366.
(a) (1) It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this section to establish, until January 1, 2024, a pilot program to provide a volunteer workforce to provide respite care to persons who are at least 65 years of age or have a cognitive impairment and who need in-home care.(2) It is the intent of the Legislature that the CRCs train and place the volunteers for purposes of the pilot program and that the volunteers provide services in exchange for a stipend and, under certain circumstances, an educational award as described in this section. This pilot program is intended to incentivize high school and college students to volunteer to provide in-home respite care and to expand the current in-home care workforce.
(b) (1) The director shall administer, until January 1, 2024, a pilot program in accordance with the requirements of this section. The director shall also appoint an advisory council consisting of a group of key stakeholder organizations and qualified academic leaders to conduct a review of the pilot program in accordance with subdivision (h).
(2) Each CRC shall select, train, and place volunteers in accordance with this section and with the policies and procedures adopted by the CRC pursuant to this section.
(c) A person may apply to serve as a volunteer pursuant to this section by submitting an application to a CRC in the form, and containing the information, the CRC requires. The pilot program shall begin on July 1 of each year, and the application deadline shall be two months prior to the commencement of training in order to provide time for administrators to select applicants. Each CRC shall select volunteers for the program in accordance with this section. A person who is selected to serve as a volunteer shall agree to serve pursuant to those terms and conditions as the CRC requires. A volunteer may not serve for more than 24 months, and may not serve for not more than two terms consisting of not more than 12 months each. A person is eligible to serve as a volunteer if he or she meets both of the following criteria:
(1) He or she turns 18 years of age on or before December 31 of the calendar year in which he or she begins participation in the program.
(2) He or she passes a criminal background check (LiveScan).
(d) A person is eligible to receive volunteer services pursuant to this section if he or she meets all of the following criteria:
(1) He or she is at least 65 years of age or has a cognitive impairment.
(2) He or she has difficulty with self-care or living independently.
(3) He or she has an unpaid caregiver who does not qualify to provide services pursuant to the In-Home Supportive Services program described in Article 7 (commencing with Section 12300) of Chapter 3 of Part 3 of Division 9, when the person is initially selected to be a recipient of these services.
(e) The pilot program established pursuant to this section shall provide volunteer services to populations that come within either of the following descriptions:
(1) Populations experiencing a shortage of approved care services.
(2) Populations consisting primarily of low-income or minority individuals.
(f) Each CRC shall provide training to volunteers, as follows:
(1) Each volunteer shall complete a six-week internship consisting of eight hours of training per week.
(2) Each volunteer shall receive a stipend during the internship.
(3) The first week of training shall include 40 hours of training modules developed by the CRC.
(4) Weeks two to six, inclusive, of training shall include pairing interns with unpaid family caregivers to enable the interns to shadow the family caregivers.
(5) An intern who is well-rated and who continue to express interest in the program shall receive further training and may be accepted as a volunteer.
(g) (1) Volunteers shall provide services that do all of the following:
(A) Result in person-to-person, supportive relationships with each individual served.
(B) Support the achievement and maintenance of the highest level of independent living for each individual in need.
(C) Are supported by appropriate orientation, training, and supervision.
(D) Are provided in support of, or in coordination with, a caregiver, if applicable.
(2) Volunteers shall not provide the following services:
(A) Professional medical services.
(B) Administrative support services of the program.
(C) Care in an institutional setting.
(D) Care prohibited by state law.
(E) Financial services.
(F) Any other services determined by the director to be inconsistent with the purposes of programs funded pursuant to this section.
(3) Each volunteer shall be assigned to several recipients in order to provide brief respites for the caregivers. If a caregiver subsequently qualifies to provide in-home care pursuant to the In-Home Supportive Services program, as described in paragraph (3) of subdivision (c), then the volunteer shall be assigned to a single recipient.
(h) (1) Each CRC shall provide a stipend in the amount of one thousand two hundred fifty dollars ($1,250) per month to each volunteer.
(2) Each CRC shall provide educational awards, in addition to the stipend described in paragraph (1), to volunteers, as follows:
(A) If a volunteer completes less than 12 months of full-time service in the program as determined by the CRC, he or she shall not receive an educational award.
(B) If a volunteer completes 12 months of full-time service in the program, as determined by the CRC, the volunteer shall receive an educational award in the amount of either of the following, as applicable:
(i) Six thousand dollars ($6,000).
(ii) If a volunteer commits to using an educational award granted pursuant to this section to complete a degree, a certificate, or training in a health care profession, or in a social services profession related to the delivery of long-term services and supports to older adults and people with disabilities or to their caregivers, ten thousand dollars ($10,000).
(C) If a volunteer completes more than 12 months of full-time service in the program, as determined by the CRC, he or she shall receive the educational award described in subparagraph (B). In addition, for each additional six months of service after the initial 12-month period, the volunteer shall receive a prorated amount of that award. The total educational award to a volunteer shall not exceed a total amount of twelve thousand dollars ($12,000) if the award is made pursuant to clause (i) of subparagraph (B), or twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) if the award is made pursuant to clause (ii) of subparagraph (B).
(i) During the 2022 calendar year, the director and the advisory council shall evaluate the pilot program established pursuant to this section. The evaluation shall examine all of the following:
(1) Reduction in caregiver stress.
(2) Efficacy of youth caregivers.
(3) Average number of hours of caregiver respite provided.
(4) Workforce development outcomes.
(5) Percentage of recipients who reenter the workforce.
(j) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2024, and as of that date is repealed.