Finding Work with Carina

Carina is a free online matching service that helps qualified Oregon Homecare Workers (HCWs), Personal Support Workers (PSWs), and Personal Care Attendants (PCAs) connect with people seeking authorized in-home services.

Providers can use Carina to look for:

✓ Full-time work
✓ Part-time work
✓ Temporary or respite work
✓ Opportunities located near them
✓ Work that matches their availability, skills, and preferences

Carina is an optional job-search tool. Creating a profile does not guarantee employment, authorized hours, or a particular schedule.

To register as a provider, you need a current provider number and an email address. You should not begin providing paid services until the consumer’s case manager, personal agent, brokerage, or local office has completed all required authorization and employment steps.

Creating Your Carina Account and Profile

Go to Carina.org and choose the option to join as a care provider.

You will need:

✓ A current Oregon provider number
✓ An email address you can access
✓ Your contact information
✓ Information about your availability, experience, skills, and work preferences

Your profile helps consumers understand whether you may be a good match. Include clear and accurate information about:

✓ The provider roles for which you are currently qualified
✓ The days and times you are available
✓ The areas where you are willing to work
✓ The types of support you are comfortable providing
✓ Your relevant training, certifications, languages, and experience
✓ Transportation, pets, smoking, lifting, or other working-environment preferences

Do not include confidential consumer information in your profile. Review your profile regularly and update it whenever your availability, contact information, qualifications, or preferences change.

Searching for Work

Use Find Jobs in Carina to view opportunities posted by consumers seeking providers.

You can narrow the results using filters such as:

✓ Distance or travel time
✓ Number of hours
✓ Schedule and frequency
✓ Type of care needed
✓ Languages
✓ Work environment
✓ Transportation requirements
✓ Provider or consumer preferences

Open a job posting to review its details before responding. Consider whether the location, schedule, duties, authorized hours, and working environment fit your needs and qualifications.

You may also choose to receive notifications when a new opportunity matches your selected search preferences. Keep your availability and notification settings current so that the results remain useful.

Responding to an Opportunity

When you find a job that may be a good match, use Carina to contact the consumer and express your interest.

In your message:

✓ Introduce yourself professionally
✓ Explain why the opportunity interests you
✓ Mention relevant experience, training, or certifications
✓ Confirm that the location and general schedule may work for you
✓ Ask appropriate questions about the duties and working environment

Do not send your Social Security number, banking information, password, or other sensitive financial information through Carina messages.

A response does not create an employment agreement or authorize paid work. Before beginning services, confirm that all required hiring documents, service agreements or task lists, authorized hours, and case-management approvals have been completed.

Before Accepting the Work

Talk with the consumer or their representative about the position before agreeing to begin. Make sure you understand:

✓ The authorized duties and service needs
✓ The expected schedule and number of hours
✓ Where the services will be provided
✓ Transportation or driving expectations
✓ Pets, smoking, lifting, behavioral, or other workplace considerations
✓ How schedule changes and absences will be handled
✓ Which office, brokerage, case manager, or personal agent is responsible for authorization

Only agree to duties you are qualified and authorized to perform. Do not rely solely on a Carina job posting to determine what services or hours are approved.

Never begin paid work until the proper program representative confirms that you are authorized to work for that consumer and all required paperwork has been completed.

After You and a Consumer Agree to Work Together

Contact the appropriate office or program representative to complete the official employment and authorization process.

Depending on your provider type:

• HCWs generally work with the consumer’s ODHS or Area Agency on Aging office and must receive the applicable task information and authorized hours.

• PSWs generally work with the consumer’s brokerage, Community Developmental Disabilities Program, personal agent, or services coordinator and must have an approved service agreement.

• PCAs generally work through the appropriate behavioral-health program and must receive the applicable task information and authorization.

Do not enter time for work that has not been officially authorized.

Once the hiring process is complete, update your Carina profile or availability so other consumers receive accurate information about whether you are still looking for additional work.

If You Cannot Create or Access Your Carina Account

First, confirm that:

✓ Your provider number is current
✓ You entered your provider number correctly
✓ You are using an email address you can access
✓ Your name and other information match your official provider records
✓ You have checked your email’s spam or junk folder

If you cannot register, sign in, update your profile, send a message, or use the job-search tools, contact Carina Support:

Phone: 1-855-796-0605
Online support: Use the contact form at Carina.org/contactus

A Provider Navigator can also provide free assistance with using Carina, preparing a résumé, getting ready for interviews, and finding work.

Important Reminders

Carina helps providers and consumers find one another, but Carina does not:

✗ Guarantee that you will be hired
✗ Approve services or paid hours
✗ Replace a service agreement, task list, or other required paperwork
✗ Confirm that a particular duty is authorized
✗ Process your time or issue your pay

The consumer is generally your employer and directs your day-to-day work. The appropriate state office, local office, brokerage, case manager, services coordinator, or personal agent determines which services and hours are authorized.

Keep written records of your schedule and official authorization. Ask the responsible program representative before working if anything about the duties, hours, or authorization is unclear.