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DAS director highlights Master Plan for Aging, vaccine outreach for IHSS providers
Summary
DAS Executive Director Shereen McSpadden told the commission the state will release a Master Plan for Aging and described local pandemic priorities, including coordination to vaccinate IHSS providers and a new Office of Racial Equity inside the Human Services Agency.
Executive Director Shereen McSpadden used the Department of Disability and Aging Services’ January meeting to preview a state Master Plan for Aging and outline how the department is adjusting services and outreach during the COVID‑19 pandemic.
‘We’re right in the middle of a pandemic that has proven that people with disabilities and older adults…have been left by the wayside in a lot of conversations,’ McSpadden said, explaining why the state accelerated the Master Plan rollout. She described the plan as two parts: near‑term pandemic and equity tasks and a longer 10‑year roadmap, plus a state playbook and a shared data site being developed with the California Department on Aging and the Department of Public Health.
Locally, McSpadden described several pandemic responses and program pivots: converting the agency’s racial equity plan into an Office of Racial Equity focused first on internal HR issues, launching a BIPOC community engagement process as precursors to the next Dignity Fund needs assessment, and continuing remote services while preserving safe, appointment‑based in‑person access at the benefits hub.
On vaccines, McSpadden said DAS is working with the COVID Command Center and health providers to connect IHSS providers to vaccinations. She reported that about 400 home‑care providers had been vaccinated through early contractor arrangements and that DAS is coordinating with health partners on a broader effort estimated to reach roughly 22,000 IHSS independent providers. Commissioners pressed staff on whether home‑visit vaccination options could reach people who cannot safely travel; McSpadden said nurses had already supported targeted home vaccination for clients who could not leave home and that the city should consider similar outreach modalities for COVID vaccines.
Why it matters
The Master Plan for Aging sets a statewide frame that could alter funding priorities and service expectations for aging and disability programs. The department’s vaccine coordination and outreach plans affect a large workforce of in‑home caregivers and the clients they serve, and the new Office of Racial Equity signals a shift to institutionalize equity work inside HSA.
What’s next
McSpadden said more details would be published after the governor’s announcement. The commission asked staff to follow up with implementation details, including the department’s outreach and training plans for ADRC staff and partner providers.
