Oregon joins nationwide initiative connecting people to jobs in long-term care

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) -- A new website will help long-term care providers address staffing shortages by connecting job-seekers with available career opportunities at Oregon facilities.

The Oregon Department of Human Services is among the first states to join a national initiative, led by ADvancing States, to support ConnectToCareJobs.com.

ConnectToCareJobs.com gives job seekers the ability to create a profile highlighting their relevant professional skills and experience and post that information for free. Licensed long-term care facilities in Oregon are also invited to create accounts to post open positions. The website then matches these job seekers with appropriate openings at Oregon long-term care facilities.

“We want to do everything possible to ensure that Oregonians have options when they need long-term care,” said Mike McCormick, interim director of the DHS Office of Aging and People with Disabilities. “For Oregonians who want to receive care in a long-term care facility, it is essential that those facilities have enough staff to meet the needs of people who want to live there. In some cases, facilities are facing worker shortages when the needs of their residents have increased during the pandemic.”

Oregon joins Colorado and Washington state as early adopters in supporting the website. There are more than 680 nursing, assisted living and residential care facilities in Oregon in addition to more than 1,400 adult foster homes.

ConnectToCareJobs.com stands apart from other jobs websites in that it’s highly focused. It helps those individuals who have transferable skills that are in demand in long-term care.

The nonprofit ADvancing States runs the job website and provides this service to job-seekers, states and long-term facilities without cost to taxpayers.

While there is an urgent need for the job website during the pandemic, the site is being established to remain operating to address long-standing workforce shortages in long-term care.

“The COVID-19 pandemic shines a light on the severity of our long-term services and supports workforce shortage across the nation,” said Martha Roherty, executive director of ADvancing States. “State leadership have reported that their nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and other group homes are facing massive staffing shortages in some of the hardest hit areas. Our intention in building this website is to help fill those staffing gaps quickly.”

The initial launch of ConnectToCareJobs.com in Oregon is focused job opportunities in long-term care. The site may expand to include other types of employers in future phases.

To learn more about how to participate in the website, visit ConnectToCareJobs.com.