Backfill and Tuition Funding
The PSW Education Fund reduces the financial barriers that long-term care (LTC) homes face for team member professional development. The Fund provides backfill reimbursement directly to LTC homes to cover the time team members spend participating in training. Tuition is fully covered for all training programs and no fees or upfront costs are ever charged to homes or individual team members.
What is Backfill Pay?
Backfill pay is intended to cover the cost of replacement staff, allowing team members to participate in workshops during their scheduled shifts without any loss of regular wages. Backfill payments are made via EFT and delivered directly to homes within approximately 60 days of successful course completion. Payments are processed automatically upon course completion with no invoicing or action required from LTC homes. Backfill pay is also optional, and homes may choose to opt out if they prefer to participate without reimbursement.
EFT has been arranged for most Ontario LTC homes through existing Ontario CLRI programs, and setup is generally not required upon enrollment. If you have questions about who receives payment notifications for your home, please contact PSWFund@the-ria.ca.
Eligibility
Backfill support is available for any team member employed by an LTC home in Ontario. However:
- Participants must be registered to receive backfill.
- Participants must be present and actively engaged for the majority of the session.
Unpaid placement students and volunteers are welcome to participate, but are not eligible for backfill reimbursement.
Backfill Rates
The PSW Fund reimburses the LTC home at a flat rate of $30 per hour per participant.
Below is the specific backfill funding breakdown by program. Please note that tuition is fully funded for all programs listed below.
| Training Program | Hours | Total Backfill Reimbursement (Per Participant) |
|---|---|---|
| Creating a Culture of Belonging: From Awareness to Action (CCB) | 4 hours | $120 |
| Better Together Dementia Care (BTDC) | 8 hours | $240 |
| LIVING the Dementia Journey (LDJ) (Applies to both certified in-house trainers and team members) | 8 hours | $240 |
| One Day: Person-Centred Culture, Making a Difference Every Day | 8 hours | $240 |
| Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (EDIB) Champion Coaching Program | 14 hours (7 sessions x 2 hours) | $420 ($60 per session attended) |
| The Working Mind Long-Term Care (TWM) | Leaders version – 7 hours Team Member version – 5 hours | Leader version – $210 Team Member version – $150 |
| The Virtual Job Shadowing Package for New Hires in LTC * (LIPHA) | 6.5 hours | $195 |
*Note: Backfill support for the Virtual Job Shadowing Package is limited and provided on a first-come, first-served basis.