FY2027 BEGINNING-OF-YEAR ORIENTATION
Dementia Care Specialist Program
Requirements · Your questions · Budget · What's new this year
Governor's Office of Elderly Affairs
Jessica Ross, JD, LLM, GPC — DCS Program Manager
Contract term: July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027
WHAT WE'LL COVER
Today's orientation, at a glance
1
The requirements The core three — plus the ongoing work you already do
2
Your questions Answers to what you've asked me since contracts went out
3
The budget How to complete and submit it — and what belongs in it
4
What actually changed The one big change this year: the certification process
5
My commitment How we'll make sure everyone finishes without being overloaded
GOEA · Dementia Care Specialist Program · FY2027
2
START HERE
The one big change this year is how certification works. Everything else, you already know.
Same portal
You'll report through adrcla.org — the same system you already use for ADRC and SenioRx.
Same rhythm
Monthly reporting by the 10th, and payment in equal monthly installments.
Same financials
Year-end financial reporting follows the very same process as your SenioRx contract.
So as we go through the requirements, listen for what's familiar — and we'll spend our real time on the certification pathway.
WHAT CHANGED
From last year to this year
Almost everything carries over. One backbone is new — and it opens up more flexibility, not more burden.
Same as last year
New this year
The PAC certification pathway
Tiers 1–3 for your designated DCS — the professional backbone of the program.
Education built on PAC tools
Aging-network education is now delivered with the licensed materials you receive in certification.
More than one path
You can certify more than one person — more on that next.
That's it. One new backbone — certification — and everything else is the work you already know.
GOEA · Dementia Care Specialist Program · FY2027
4
THE SHAPE OF THE WORK
Three domains of concentration
Your DCS activities fold into services your ADRC already provides — organized around three domains.
1
DOMAIN 1
Education & Awareness
Build a dementia-capable ADRC workforce through certification and ongoing staff education.
2
DOMAIN 2
Community Outreach & Partnerships
Grow dementia awareness and build dementia-inclusive communities across your PSA.
3
DOMAIN 3
Supporting Care Partners & PLWD
Provide direct, dementia-specific navigation and support to people living with dementia and their care partners.
GOEA · Dementia Care Specialist Program · FY2027
5
THE ESSENTIALS
Your requirements, clearly
1
One DCS certified through Tier 3
Your designated DCS completes the PAC pathway (Tiers 1–3) to become a PAC Certified Trainer.
By Jun 30
2
4 aging-network education units
For aging-network staff, ideally ~1 hour each using your PAC tools — all four due by June 30.
4
units
3
4 community outreach / education units
For members of your community, ideally using the PAC workshops and scripts you receive — all four due by June 30.
4
units
PLUS — TWO MORE THIS YEAR
Select an Ongoing Activity
Choose one (Care Partner Series, memory café, support group, virtual engagement, or another) by March 1 — it launches July 1, 2027.
Select
Information, assistance & referrals
Keep serving PLWD and care partners as your ADRC already does.
Ongoing
GOEA · Dementia Care Specialist Program · FY2027
6
MORE FLEXIBILITY THIS YEAR
Your 4 aging-network units — more than one way
Meet Requirement 2 however fits your agency. Once your DCS reaches Tier 2, they're licensed to certify and train aging-network staff using PAC materials — and you have options.
A
OPTION A
Your DCS delivers them
Deliver four dementia education sessions (~1 hour each) to aging-network staff, using your PAC tools and licensed materials.
B
OPTION B
Certify a second person
Have another staff member certify — even just through Tier 1. That certification counts as all four aging-network units, met.
C
OPTION C
Add specialty certifications
Your DCS completes additional PAC specialty certifications. Every hour beyond Tiers 1–3 counts toward your four.
Who you can train: your ADRC staff · staff at the COAs & AAAs across your PSA · staff at their facilities — senior centers, meal sites, and other aging-services locations in your PSA.
GOEA · Dementia Care Specialist Program · FY2027
7
THE ONE BIG CHANGE
The PAC certification pathway
Everything on the next few slides is the part that's genuinely different this year. We'll walk it end to end so no one is guessing.
WHAT'S NEW
One designated DCS, three tiers, in order
Your DCS completes the Positive Approach to Care® pathway in sequence. Each tier builds on the one before it.
TIER 1
Dementia Champion
Foundational Champion Courses (1–4), online and on-demand — about 6 hours, with pin check-off video submissions.
Builds core PAC skills
TIER 2
Dementia Educator
On-demand online course. Qualifies your DCS to teach foundational skills and present PAC content to staff and small groups.
Lets you START teaching
TIER 3
Dementia Trainer
Two-day live online course (12 contact hours) chosen from PAC's calendar, plus four follow-up mentor calls.
= PAC Certified Trainer
GOEA · Dementia Care Specialist Program · FY2027
9
AT EACH LEVEL
What you're licensed with as you certify
Every tier comes with its own materials — and from Tier 2 on, licensed content you're authorized to teach and train from.
TIER 1 · CHAMPION
You receive
Champion Course Workbook, Understanding the Changing Brain, Seeing the GEMS Workbook, and the Dementia Care Partner Guide.
Skills
Positive Physical Approach, Hand-under-Hand, and the GEMS States of Brain Change.
TIER 2 · EDUCATOR
Licensed to teach
Deliver PAC-approved inservices using licensed Educator materials, and present PAC core content to staff and small groups.
TIER 3 · TRAINER
Licensed to train
Lead advanced, scripted PAC workshops — role-play and in-the-moment coaching — up to six hours for groups of up to 25.
Guide coming from me: a level-by-level breakdown of exactly what's required and what you receive at each tier.
GOEA · Dementia Care Specialist Program · FY2027
10
WHAT'S NEW
Four things that make this manageable
You don't pay for it
GOEA covers PAC certification tuition directly, at the state level. It is not part of your contract amount — and it does not go in your budget.
You're not limited to one person
Certify more than one staff member if you like — and a second person's certification (even Tier 1) meets all four aging-network units.
You can start before you finish
Once your DCS reaches Tier 2 (Educator), they can begin delivering staff trainings — no need to wait for full Trainer certification.
You set the pace
Pick the Tier 3 session from PAC's calendar that fits, and work the on-demand Champion Courses in around existing duties.
GOEA · Dementia Care Specialist Program · FY2027
11
PACED ACROSS THE YEAR
You won't be doing it all at once
FY2027 is a ramp-up year. Certification comes first — once your DCS reaches Tier 2 and has the materials in hand, your education and outreach units follow, with all four per audience due by June 30.
Q1
Jul – Sep
YOU ARE HERE
Q2
Oct – Dec
Q3
Jan – Mar
Q4
Apr – Jun
GOEA · Dementia Care Specialist Program · FY2027
12
THE BUDGET
Submitting your FY2027 budget
Three things to get right
1
Submit before you spend
Complete and submit your FY2027 DCS budget through adrcla.org before any contract funds are expended.
2
Use the GOEA format
Enter the standard line items from Attachment D — the same budget structure you already work in.
3
Track it separately
Account for all DCS program expenditures apart from your other ADRC expenses; a final financial report is due at year-end.
The one thing not to miss
Leave certification tuition OUT of your budget.
GOEA registers and pays PAC tuition directly from state-level program funds. It is not part of your Maximum Contract Amount, so it does not belong on your budget lines.
Your budget covers your DCS's own program costs — not the training fees.
GOEA · Dementia Care Specialist Program · FY2027
13
THE BUDGET
Line items and what funds may cover
Budget line items (Attachment D)
Revenue line: GOEA Contract
Allowable uses of contract funds
Not on your budget: PAC certification tuition — GOEA pays that directly.
GOEA · Dementia Care Specialist Program · FY2027
14
FAMILIAR TERRITORY
Reporting & payment
Monthly progress report
Submitted online through adrcla.org, by the 10th of each month. It captures:
How payment follows
Equal monthly installments
Each up to one-twelfth of your Maximum Contract Amount.
Released on approval
Your approved monthly report is the evidence of progress that releases each payment.
Where the details live
PLWD & care-partner demographics go in Wellsky or the PLWD Contact Form.
GOEA · Dementia Care Specialist Program · FY2027
15
DOMAIN 2 IN PRACTICE
What community outreach can look like
Both count — meeting people where they already gather, and creating your own opportunities. Each activity is one unit; you’ll complete four across the year — once your DCS has the materials in hand, all due by June 30.
Join existing events
Host your own
Your Ongoing Activity is a selection this year — choose one by March 1 (Care Partner Series, memory café, support group, virtual engagement, or another), and you’ll launch it July 1, 2027.
GOEA · Dementia Care Specialist Program · FY2027
16
DOMAIN 3 IN PRACTICE
Navigator & coach: the help you already give
This isn’t a new service. It’s the same information and assistance your ADRC already provides when someone calls for help — now focused on dementia, and captured so we can show who we’re serving.
The help you already give
The one difference: capture it
Your PAC training makes this easier — it helps you meet these families’ needs more effectively, with avenues to help you may not have had before. Log contacts in Wellsky or the PLWD Contact Form.
GOEA · Dementia Care Specialist Program · FY2027
17
YOUR QUESTIONS
Questions I've been hearing
Who pays for the PAC certification?
GOEA does — tuition is registered and paid directly at the state level. It is not in your contract amount, and it does not go in your budget.
Can more than one person get certified?
Yes. You can certify additional staff alongside your DCS — and a second person's certification, even just Tier 1, counts as meeting all four aging-network education units.
Do I have to finish certifying before I can train staff?
No. Reaching Tier 2 (Dementia Educator) qualifies your DCS to teach. Certification and delivery are meant to grow together across the year.
GOEA · Dementia Care Specialist Program · FY2027
18
YOUR QUESTIONS
Questions I've been hearing
Which Tier 3 (Trainer) session do I take?
Whichever two-day live online session on PAC's published calendar fits your schedule. Afterward, your DCS completes four mentor calls to finish.
Do specialty certifications count for anything?
Yes. Your DCS can add PAC specialty certifications, and every hour beyond the Tier 1–3 pathway counts toward your four aging-network units.
What if I'm worried about keeping up?
Tell me early. The requirements are quarterly, not all at once, and I'll help you stay on track. Making sure every agency finishes without being overloaded is my job.
GOEA · Dementia Care Specialist Program · FY2027
19
YOUR QUESTIONS
From your emails
Where do we send questions about requirements or allowable activities?
To me — Jessica Ross, DCS Program Manager. Email Jessica.Ross@la.gov or call 225-328-4595. When in doubt, ask before you spend or commit.
Can we partner with another agency while our staff certify?
Let's talk it through. Your DCS can begin teaching once they reach Tier 2, so you won't be waiting until June. For a specific partnership, contact me first — some arrangements need prior approval and a matching budget.
What kinds of expenses belong in the budget?
DCS salary and fringe, outreach and education materials, printing, mileage, and room rental are all typical. Keep PAC tuition off your budget — GOEA pays it directly.
GOEA · Dementia Care Specialist Program · FY2027
20
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Dates and deadlines to hold
By the 10th, every month
Submit your Monthly Progress Report through adrcla.org.
Quarter 1 (Jul – Sep)
Designate your DCS, submit the FY2027 budget, and begin certification.
March 1, 2027
Select your Ongoing Activity (it launches July 1, 2027) and submit your choice to the DCS Program Manager.
June 30, 2027
Designated DCS completes PAC Certified Trainer (Tiers 1–3).
Close of the fiscal year
Final financial report to GOEA Accounting & Finance (same as SenioRx).
GOEA · Dementia Care Specialist Program · FY2027
21
MY COMMITMENT TO YOU
We'll get every agency to the finish line — together, and without the overload.
The requirements are paced across the year, the reporting is the system you already know, and the one new piece — certification — is fully supported. When something feels tight, reach out early and we'll solve it.
Jessica Ross
Jessica.Ross@la.gov · 225-328-4595
Questions? Let's talk them through.