Attendant Resources

Become a Personal Care Attendant

Make a Difference

Personal care attendants — also known as community attendants, personal care assistants and direct service workers — help people with disabilities live independently in their own homes and communities.

Personal care attendants may work for a person with a disability, a legally authorized representative or a home health agency. Download and share the personal care attendant recruitment flyer (PDF).

Personal care attendants assist with:

  • Cleaning
  • Dressing
  • Bathing
  • Cooking
  • Eating
  • Shopping

Job rewards include:

  • Flexible schedule.
  • No experience needed, so you can start at any professional level (college student, stay-at-home parent or retiree).
  • Ability to build a meaningful career.
  • Enriching experiences where you can create and share a bond with people.

What Personal Care Attendants Say:

"I have a good relationship with the people I assist."
"I feel respected by others for doing this type of work."

What People Receiving Services Say:

"I have made a life of independence, which was only made possible by an attendant."

Apply Today

Visit Work in Texas and search for the following terms:

  • Personal care attendant
  • Personal care assistant
  • Direct service worker
  • Community attendant

Direct Service Workforce Development Taskforce

The Direct Service Workforce Development (DWS) Taskforce meets a long-term goal in HHSC's Community Attendant Workforce Development Strategic Plan (PDF), which was required by Article II of the 2020-2021 General Appropriations Act passed by the 86th Legislature in 2019 (Rider 157). Commonly referred to as the Rider 157 plan, it contains strategies and data relating to recruiting, retaining and ensuring adequate access to community attendant services. It also includes information about the community attendant workforce in Texas, feedback collected from stakeholders, and HHSC's long-term goals and recommendations to address challenges faced by people receiving or providing community attendant care.

The DSW Taskforce aims to explore long-term recruitment and retention (non-wage based) strategies within the community attendant, personal care attendant and direct service workforce. The taskforce's challenge is to continue the momentum around the valuable workforce and to not wait on wage compensation as the only solution.

Representation on the taskforce includes diverse partners, such as people receiving attendant services and families working with attendants; people working as a community attendants; community organizations and councils that represent people with disabilities; and local workforce development boards and state agencies.

The DSW Taskforce meets six times a year to discuss implementation efforts and obtain feedback on the strategic plan.

External Resources