Impact Feature Issue on Direct Support Workforce Development

The National Direct Service Workforce Resource Center offers information, resources, and assistance to state and local governments, employers, Direct Support Professionals (DSPs), people with disabilities, families, and researchers, with the goal of improving the quality, recruitment, and retention of the direct service workforce nationwide. It brings together in one place the nation’s premier resources on the topic of direct support, offering the following:

• A comprehensive online searchable database of resources, current research, best practices, and policy briefs related to improving recruitment and retention of DSPs. Among the resources listed are program materials such as worker and supervisor training curricula, guidance on measuring workforce outcomes, recruitment materials, and peer mentorship program designs.
• “Find a Direct Support Professional/Caregiver” resource page providing links to state worker registries around the country as well as Area Agencies on Aging and the Centers for Independent Living nationwide.
• Access to information, resources, and advice from a diverse and experienced team of direct service workforce policy professionals through a national toll-free telephone number.
• Individualized, in-depth technical assistance for selected state Medicaid agencies awarded through an annual application process.

The center is funded and supported by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The partnering organizations contributing their expertise include:

• The Lewin Group
• Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute
• Research and Training Center on Community Living, University of Minnesota
• The Westchester Consulting Group
• Institute for the Future of Aging Services
• The Annapolis Coalition