What is a DSP?
Direct support professionals (DSPs) assist people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities in realizing their full potential and becoming valued and participating members of their communities. Their work is complex and goes well beyond caregiving, requiring skills including independent problem-solving, decision-making, behavioral assessment and prevention, medication administration, health and allied health treatment, teaching new skills, crisis prevention and intervention, and more.
- teachers
- nurses
- social workers
- counselors
- physical or occupational therapists
- dieticians
- chauffeurs
- personal trainers
- life coach
- community inclusion
- specialist
- advocate
The profession of direct support requires strong communication skills and building relationships with the people they support and their families. DSPs may work in family or individual homes, intermediate care facilities, residential group homes, community job sites, vocational and day programs, and other locations. Their work is determined by the unique needs and preferences of the individuals they support, and they are held to high ethical and professional standards.
Frontline Supervision
Frontline supervisors play an important role in delivering services and supports to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Their duties may include hiring, training, and supervising staff, program planning and evaluation, advocacy, working with families, and working with community members, among other responsibilities. The role of frontline supervisors has become increasingly complex because of the movement toward individualized services in the community (instead of in group settings) and more people with IDD directing their own services.
A Career with Purpose
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.
Seeking a DSP Job in Your Area
Discover your next opportunity! Search employers in New York State by county and apply directly on their website.
Profiles in Direct Support
