"There are not enough direct support professionals
to meet the need."
Community-based services to people with autism and intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) are facing a growing workforce crisis, according to a new report from the American Network of Community Options and Resources (ANCOR). The report compiles the latest data on the direct support professional (DSP) workforce, offers a historical overview of the workforce crisis, and offers solutions on how it can be addressed.
“For almost fifty years, ANCOR has represented providers of disability services in Washington, DC and watched the workforce crisis grow into a public health crisis,” said CEO Barbara Merrill. “We are proud of the strides we have made in Congress and with previous administrations, but this report marks the beginning of an even stronger movement to take measurable steps toward addressing the workforce crisis.”
“This is an instance where failure is not an option,” added Chris Sparks of Exceptional Person, Inc. (EPI) in Iowa. “Millions of people with disabilities rely on DSPs so that they can access their communities, engage with their families and friends, and participate in the workforce themselves. There are not enough DSPs to meet the need, and the waiting lists for these services are only growing. ANCOR’s report offers the solutions that need to be harnessed now to avoid decline of this successful program.”
Click here to read the Executive Summary of the ANCOR Workforce Report
Click here to access the full ANCOR Workforce Report
Click here to visit ANCOR’s Workforce Website