Thirtieth Anniversary Issue on Progress and Priorities in Direct Support

Nick Smith

For the past thirty years, Frontline Initiative has been a place where direct support professionals (DSPs) and the people they support can see their experiences reflected and valued. Throughout that time, it has been abundantly clear that advocacy matters. It shapes services, influences funding, and directly impacts how people live their everyday lives. Advocacy is not abstract. It is personal, ongoing, and deeply connected to the relationships built through direct support.

I’ve been a direct support professional for a long time, but I didn’t start out thinking of myself as an advocate. I started out wanting to do good work and support people in ways that actually mattered. Over time, I realized that caring about the people you support, my DSP colleagues, and wanting to build my career in this field naturally leads to advocacy because there are so many ways the system can better support people in service and DSPs doing this work every day.

One of the biggest things I’ve learned is about how services are funded and how complex the disability service system can be. As a DSP, I see people’s lives depend on services and supports that are funded through public dollars, mostly Medicaid. That’s something a lot of people may not understand. The supports people receive, how flexible those supports are, and even how much DSPs get paid are all tied to decisions made at the state and federal level. That means DSP pay isn’t just about how hard we work or how much experience we have. It’s directly tied to Medicaid rates, state budgets, and policy decisions. That’s why advocacy at the state and federal level matters so much. We have to speak up to have our voices heard.

Chelsea Lutts

For me, advocacy became personal when I saw the same problems over and over—people losing services, high turnover in support teams, and talented DSPs leaving the field because they couldn’t afford to stay. I realized that if I wanted things to improve, I couldn’t stay silent. One of the advocacy efforts I’ve been involved in is pushing for a Standard Occupational Classification for DSPs. Too often, DSPs are lumped in with other job titles that don’t fully capture the complexity and responsibility of our work. I participated in a congressional hearing to advocate for this because having a clear classification helps elevate the profession and strengthens arguments for better funding, wages, and recognition.

I’ve also spent time advocating for DSP credentialing. I believe professional development matters, not just for individual growth, but for the future of this field. I talk with my coworkers about credentialing opportunities and make sure they know what’s available to them. When DSPs understand how things like documentation, case notes, and meeting ISP goals connect to funding and outcomes, it strengthens both services and advocacy efforts. Professional development helps people see the bigger picture and understand why doing our work with accuracy, timeliness, and thoughtfulness really matters.

All of this is done with organizational support and investment. My colleague, Chelsea Lutts, Division Director of Workforce Development, supports DSPs to not only learn and grow in their DSP role, but also expand their advocacy skills. A big part of leadership is creating space and opportunity for DSP voices to be heard and amplified. Chelsea helps ensure we are prepared, informed, and supported to participate in many different forums.

Chelsea builds opportunities for DSPs to advocate, including legislative meetings, work groups, listening circles, task forces, and both internal and external meetings. These spaces allow DSPs to gain a clearer understanding of the service system as a whole and build relationships that strengthen advocacy efforts over time. Including DSPs at the table makes a difference in whether DSPs feel confident speaking up. Chelsea also supports DSPs to pursue nationally recognized credentials through organizations like the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP) and the National Association for the Dually Diagnosed (NADD). Investment in workforce development isn’t just about individual growth; it improves the quality and consistency of supports people receive. Credentialing helps elevate the profession, build confidence, and reinforce the understanding that DSPs have expertise worth listening to in policy and systems conversations.

DSPs are powerful advocates because we know the work better than anyone else. We see the impact of policy decisions every day. When we advocate for things that affect us directly, such as wages, staffing, training, and recognition, we’re also advocating for better services. Modeling the value of all people, through our words and actions, is a form of advocacy in itself. There are so many ways DSPs can get involved with advocacy efforts. Signing a petition, emailing a legislator, attending a rally, and learning how the service system works so you can explain it to others are all ways DSPs can get involved and have their voices heard.

A big part of my role as a DSP is supporting people to advocate for themselves. That happens every day, in big and small ways. One example that stands out for me is supporting a gentleman I work with to understand his voting rights. We talked through what voting means, visited polling places, and connected with voting rights groups so he felt confident participating. My job wasn’t to tell him what to think or how to vote; it was to make sure he had the information and support he needed to make his own choices.

I hope for a future where DSPs have a seat at the table, where our voices are valued, and where advocacy is encouraged at every level. I want to see organizations build momentum around advocacy, so DSPs know their individual voices matter and that our collective voice is powerful. Most of all, I want legislators to truly understand our work, our needs, the value direct support provides to communities and the need for family-sustaining wages for this critical work.

As Frontline Initiative celebrates 30 years, both Chelsea and I are hopeful. Progress has happened because people spoke up. The future depends on us continuing to do that together!