Even before the pandemic began, service providers across the country were facing challenges with direct support professional (DSP) staffing. In many states, the pandemic only served to worsen the situation. In this article, we examine the ongoing challenges to DSP recruitment and retention, as well as emerging solutions that may benefit providers.
Ongoing Challenges
According to authors Sheryl A. Larson and Amy S. Hewitt, DSP staffing has presented a challenge since this position was first introduced. DSP positions have had an average, nation-wide vacancy rate of “8% for all positions and 16% for part-time positions.” The average wait-time for filling DSP positions ranged anywhere from 2.8 weeks to 10.5 weeks, depending on geographic location.
Simultaneously, demand for services has steadily increased, leaving providers faced with an ongoing challenge to more effectively recruit and retain DSPs. Key issues identified by researchers interviewing administrators across the country included the following:
- Not enough applicants who meet qualifications for the job;
- Unable to offer what applicants feel is adequate pay;
- Hours on weekends, nights, and holidays, which can pose challenges for those seeking employment.
Advocates, agencies, and service providers have consistently identified inadequate funding at the state and federal levels as a primary issue. Numerous groups are calling for an increase in the minimum wage and a reversal of previous funding cuts that impact services for individuals with disabilities.
“In 2005, for example, the average DSP wage was 33% higher than the state’s minimum wage, Paterson said, while today it is less than 2% above the minimum wage.”
– The Buffalo News
The result: post-pandemic vacancies in Western New York have risen by 51%, leaving providers struggling for support.
Proposed Solutions
The American Jobs Plan is the most recent federal effort to address the DSP workforce shortage, which includes a $400 billion investment to raise wages for caregivers and workers serving individuals with disabilities. Because compensation is often cited as a challenge to DSP recruitment and retention, some states have also chosen to focus on raising DSP salaries state-wide. Two recent examples:
- Tennessee approved a $38 million investment, which will be paired with a two-thirds federal match, that raises the DSP starting wage from $10 per hour to $12.50 per hour across the state. While the move has been heralded as a potential “game changer,” industry advocates are still lobbying for a starting wage of $15 per hour.
- In Pennsylvania, slow state progress on raising the existing $11 per hour starting wage for DSPs has led some providers to invest in a salary increase on their own. For example, Penn-Mar decided to invest $2 million into their DSP workforce to ensure a starting wage of $15.50 per hour.
Whether these efforts to raise compensation for DSPs will positively impact recruitment and retention has yet to be seen; however, there are several other strategies identified by researchers as traditionally effective. These include:
- Hiring DSPs using inside recruitment (vs. outside recruitment). This was shown to create a 24% increase in the number of months new hires stayed in their position.
- Increasing pre-hire knowledge by choosing applicants who have heard about the position from several inside sources, who are being re-hired, or who are being brought in following a clinical rotation. This was shown to result in lower turnover rates.
- Investing in training for administrators, managers, and supervisors. This has been shown to benefit both recruiting and retention.
- Expanding networking contacts for potential new hires by collaborating with high school guidance counselors, college career centers, and staff at post-secondary training programs. These resources can also become collaborators in establishing pre-hire training programs.
Recruitment Resources
In addition to the strategies listed above, two resources exist that may provide additional support for providers looking to grow or maintain their DSP workforce:
- The Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities has put together a DSP Recruitment Kit that includes images, messages, statistics, and videos providers can use to attract potential DSP hires.
- The American Network of Community Options and Resources (ANCOR) collaborated with the Institute on Community Integration at the University of Minnesota to create the DSP Toolkit. This comprehensive guide provides resources for both employers and prospective DSPs, featuring videos, career information, recruitment tools, PSAs, and more.