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Direct support professionals deserve a living wage

What is a DSP? Direct support professional. Some other titles you may be more familiar with are nurse, job coach, family care provider, personal assistant, personal care assistant, and habilitation specialist.

DSPs assist people with daily living and work activity. Depending on an individual’s needs, some of the duties that DSPs might do are chef, housekeeper, secretary, beautician, laundry worker, banker, chauffeur, personal shopper, first aid administrator, medication administrator, physical therapist, occupational therapist, music therapist, art therapist, dietitian, and job coach.

Jerry Fahnel started working as a DSP a year ago and has loved every minute of it. Jerry told us that he works the day shift. Jerry starts his day off by planning the day: whether it is running errands, planning games, getting the mail, helping with daily activities or helping with meal prep. Jerry loves it all! Jerry reports that the focus is always on the folks he works for, centered on what they want to do and giving them what they need.

Jerry reports that the best part of his job is making a difference in the lives of the folks he works for. Jerry says: “I know that I am doing my job right when the folks I work for smile”.

Jerry has told us that he loves his job because he is making their lives mean something. The folks that Jerry works for begin to smile, relax and communicate better because of the learning, growing and work they do together. Jerry also reports that to do this job well you have to be very detail oriented. You have to know when the folks you work for are having a good day or a not-so-good day, and help them turn that not-so-good day into a great day.

Jerry has told us repeatedly that he loves every minute of his job, and would not change a thing. However, there are a couple of things that he wants everyone to know: Direct Support Professionals are underpaid and work long hours. Jerry reports that hardest part of his job is watching the folks he works for struggle.

We are in a DSP crisis.

The University of Minnesota Institute on Community Integration Impact magazine states; “…the reality is that significant challenges remain in finding, keeping and training DSPs who support persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Often labeled a “crisis” this label has plagued this industry since the start of community services. A 30-year crisis is not a crisis; it is a systemic and pervasive failure in the long-term services and supports system in the United States that has created a public health “crisis”.

Impact magazine also reported one of the contributing factors to DSP shortage is high turnover.

The Minnesota state average turnover rate for DSPs in 2018 was 46%. One cause is low wages. The national average wage for DSPs is $11.76 hour (NCL, 2018).

How do we fight the shortage? Please spread the word: Direct Support Professionals are valuable, professional, hardworking, caring individuals and love their jobs. Direct support professionals deserve recognition for the career path that they have chosen to support persons with disabilities to reach their personal goals. Direct support professionals are critical care professionals who deserve a living wage to provide safe, person-centered, and quality care to the people they serve.

 

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ISSN 2994-1059 (print)  ISSN 2994-1067 (online)