I am a Direct Support Professional.
I have devoted more than 15 years of my life to supporting, encouraging, and advocating for others. Fortunately during that time, I also learned how to advocate for myself and my colleagues. I have high expectations for people who do direct support, because DSPs literally hold the lives of others in their hands. As a DSP, I am responsible for assisting the people I support in every aspect of their lives from hygiene and ADLs to sexuality and relationships, and everything in between! I need to fill the roles of a bookkeeper, a writer, a CNA, a friend, a family member, a cook, a maid, a therapist, and so many others, yet I am paid less than associates at WalMart! Our society needs to stand up and accept that the people we support are not second-hand citizens. They deserve quality, professional staff to support them to lead productive lives and be active members of their community. Human lives are FAR more important than anything you can buy in a department store. Shouldn't the highly trained DSPs who support these individuals be paid better than sales associates?
Well, I think we should. I also think we need to standardize the role of Direct Support Professionals across the country. We need to insure that the people we support are getting quality and consistent care. It behooves every agency that provides direct support to invest in trained, quality care rather than pay for poorly educated, unmotivated employees. With a country full of qualified, dedicated staff, people with intellectual or other disabilities would no longer be at risk of abuse, neglect, or other mistreatment.
That said, let me qualify my rant by adding, if you hire employees with the right attitude, they can be trained to evolve into successful, quality DSPs. I have seen it happen over and over. I believe I am such a success.
The job requirements for my position are a high school diploma and a valid driving license. These are not exactly "professional" credentials. Probably 90% of the population of Maine (my state) meet these requirements. Yet somehow we face a huge staffing crisis. Why? Well, there is the low pay, but also, not everyone is cut out to do direct support. I like to borrow the old US military motto, "Live the Adventure." You never know what role you will be filling next! That is the joy of supporting people. If you find an employee willing to 'live the adventure' then you need to train them, and train them, and train them. You need to have supervisors who mentor, support, and nurture. You need to have a corporate philosophy that promotes independence and self reliance for the people you support.
I have been very fortunate to work for a not for profit agency that has an estimates 350 employees. Our organization promotes the professional development of DSPs, and has a CEO that actually knows the names of her DSPs. I know that is NOT the reality of most DSPs. I wish it were. I would like to learn more about other DSPS and the philosophies of other agencies.
Well, I think we should. I also think we need to standardize the role of Direct Support Professionals across the country. We need to insure that the people we support are getting quality and consistent care. It behooves every agency that provides direct support to invest in trained, quality care rather than pay for poorly educated, unmotivated employees. With a country full of qualified, dedicated staff, people with intellectual or other disabilities would no longer be at risk of abuse, neglect, or other mistreatment.
That said, let me qualify my rant by adding, if you hire employees with the right attitude, they can be trained to evolve into successful, quality DSPs. I have seen it happen over and over. I believe I am such a success.
The job requirements for my position are a high school diploma and a valid driving license. These are not exactly "professional" credentials. Probably 90% of the population of Maine (my state) meet these requirements. Yet somehow we face a huge staffing crisis. Why? Well, there is the low pay, but also, not everyone is cut out to do direct support. I like to borrow the old US military motto, "Live the Adventure." You never know what role you will be filling next! That is the joy of supporting people. If you find an employee willing to 'live the adventure' then you need to train them, and train them, and train them. You need to have supervisors who mentor, support, and nurture. You need to have a corporate philosophy that promotes independence and self reliance for the people you support.
I have been very fortunate to work for a not for profit agency that has an estimates 350 employees. Our organization promotes the professional development of DSPs, and has a CEO that actually knows the names of her DSPs. I know that is NOT the reality of most DSPs. I wish it were. I would like to learn more about other DSPS and the philosophies of other agencies.
posted by Jen at
8:37 AM
3 Comments:
Bravo, Jen! Well-said, and certainly your passion, dedication, and smarts are appreciated.
That was a great post. I am advocating for HR 1279 the Direct Support Professionals Fairness and Security Act of 2007. We have a web site set up at WhoWillCare.net and we have recently added a blog at http://directsupportprofessionals.blogspot.com to get feedback and generate a greater interest in the issue. I hope you can stop by and see what it is about.
Thanks,
Will Hull
eAdvocacy/eCommunications Coordinator
WhoWillCare.net
United Cerebral Palsy National Office
Hi Jen,
I'm a USM college student living in Portland, ME (yes, your home state!). My planned major is Women's/Gender Studies and so I decided to look for a job that at the very least involved social services, even if that support was not directed specifically towards women. Lo and behold, I found two openings for direct support professionals. I'm not sure why I assumed this position would be higher paying than retail -- perhaps that was wishful thinking on my part, particularly when as you say, the job qualifications are minimal -- but no matter, I'm trying to build a resume, I have (some) experience working with the consumer population, I'm caring/compassionate, and if nothing else, I think this could be a great learning experience. Having said all of this about me, I was wondering if a) you would be willing to share what organization you work for. Possibly it will be one of the organizations I applied with. Also, I would love to hear more about what you think are job essentials. In other words, what do I need to know before working in this field, particularly in Maine? Your post was a great overview and I've been researching direct supports over the internet to find out more, but any advice or what you think are/were some of your best (or worst) experiences working in this field would be appreciated. Lastly, I applaud you for your efforts and your longevity. My mother was a direct support for 20 years and just going to work with her as a kid, I got to see a lot of what she did. It's not easy and you're absolutely right that direct supports should get paid MORE. You can contact me at sendnicole@hotmail.com
Thanks!
Nicole
Post a Comment