What is a DSP?

Direct support professionals make community living and participation a reality for thousands of New Yorkers with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). DSPs are part of a larger group of direct care workers who assist individuals with various disabilities and the elderly. Of the 4.6 million direct care workers in the United States, 87% are women, and 53% are women of color (PHI, 2022). Approximately 1.3 million direct care workers are DSPs, providing vital support and services to individuals of all ages with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Since the beginning of funded community-based services for people with IDD in the 1970s, finding and keeping qualified DSPs has been challenging. The role of the DSP has evolved from that of a caretaker in congregate settings to an interdisciplinary professional providing person-centered supports in various community settings. The duties and responsibilities of DSPs have expanded, but perceptions of what DSPs do have not changed much, and the supply of workers has not kept pace with demand. The worker shortage is a result of chronically high staff turnover rates, low wages and benefits, a history of racism and sexism that has led to DSPs being undervalued, and, more recently, surges in demand due to COVID-19.