DSPs Take Action: Urge Congress to Acknowledge DSP Profession!

How you can help:

Get Congress’ help in urging the federal government to recognize that DSPs are their own profession and collect data on this important workforce by using our advocacy tool. This data is needed to inform policymaking on important issues for DSPs, such as wages.

The Details:

Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) perform valuable work in assisting people with disabilities to live in their communities, but legislators need help understanding what that means – especially when they make important decisions that impact people with disabilities and direct support professionals, such setting Medicaid rates that influence DSP wages. The problem is that DSPs are not considered a distinct profession by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), an agency of the U.S. Department of Labor. But there is a bill in Congress that asks BLS to recognize DSPs as a profession, we can ensure accurate data collection, helping legislators make better decisions about DSPs.