ACS Quality Supports Quality Lives

2012

Explores the status of direct support professionals (DSPs) and provides evidence of the urgent need for systemic workforce development, including high quality training and fair compensation. DSPs support people to live, work, and participate fully in their communities. People who receive direct supports include individuals with disabilities, people with chronic health conditions, and older adults. Direct support professional job titles vary, and include in-home support worker, personal assistant, home health aide, job coach, direct support worker, and independent living skills instructor. These supports are essential across the lifespan to ensure that people who rely on supports can live healthy, safe lives as contributing members of their communities. However, low wages, limited training, and little recognition of the skilled work they do leads to high turnover among DSPs.

Electronic Products

Consumers/Families, Professionals, Policymakers

http://rtc.umn.edu/rtcmedia/qsql/

N/A