Press Release  MDDC Citizen Member Amber Pettell Appointed to the Massachusetts PCA Workforce Council

Quincy, Mass. — Amber Pettell, a citizen member of the Massachusetts Developmental Disabilities Council (MDDC) has been appointed to the Massachusetts Personal Care Attendant (PCA) Workforce Council by State Auditor Diana DiZoglio.

Under state law, the PCA Workforce Council works to ensure the quality of long-term, in-home, personal care by recruiting, training and stabilizing the work force of personal care attendants. Since its establishment in 2008, the numbers of individuals who receive PCA services and PCA providers have both doubled.

Pettell, a Westfield resident, first joined the MDDC in October 2024 and has since worked with the Council on initiatives to support our mission. She is a 2023 graduate of the Paul W. Spooner Generational Leadership Summit where she received advanced leadership training and has continued to support the Summit as an alumni mentor for new emerging leaders. In her role as a Self-Advocacy Peer Coordinator at The Western Massachusetts Training Consortium, she has spent nearly a decade supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) to advocate for themselves and others.

“I have relied on the support of PCAs every day of my adult life. Without this support, I would not have accomplished all that I have,” said Pettell. “I understand firsthand how critical this work is. However on a societal level, care work is deeply undervalued and I want to play my small part in changing that.”

In her role on the PCA Workforce Council, Pettell’s duties will include:

• Representing the interests of consumers and the Commonwealth in collective bargaining with the union representing PCAs on issues such as wages and benefits;
• Assisting in the creation a PCA referral directory that will list people interested in working as PCAs;
• Recruiting new PCAs to work;
• Helping inform consumers and PCAs about opportunities for PCAs to receive additional training.

“Amber’s appointment to the PCA Workforce Council is a powerful recognition of her leadership and lived experience,” said MDDC Executive Director Craig Hall. “Personal care attendants are essential to the independence, health and dignity of people with disabilities. Having Amber, as well as other self-advocates at the table ensures that the voices of individuals with IDD and their families are meaningfully represented as the state works to strengthen and sustain this critical workforce.”

To learn more about the role of the PCA Workforce Council and find upcoming meeting information, visit www.mass.gov/orgs/personal-care-attendant-workforce-council.

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