For The DSP Workforce, Retention Is About More Than Money

For the recruitment and retention of the direct care workforce in health and human services, there are as many nuances as there are roles. Best practices in talent management for physicians, psychiatrists, nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, social workers, and direct support professionals vary greatly. But while all of these positions are hard to fill, for specialty provider organizations, the direct support professionals (DSPs) present a critical challenge.

There are an estimated 1.3 million DSPs that support individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). DSPs, on average, are aged 42 years and nearly 90% are women. 47% are . . .