Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara recently brought attention to the important work done by direct support professionals (DSPs), advocating for increased state support for these critical health care workers.

“Caring for those with complex and varied needs is a difficult and demanding job, and being a DSP requires continuous training as well as high levels of responsibility and skill,” Santabarbara said. “However, these workers have been underpaid and undervalued. To improve the quality of life for DSPs, we must give providers of home- and community-based services the resources necessary to properly train, recruit and pay their staff.”

Santabarbara recently wrote a letter to Gov. Kathy Hochul asking that increased attention be given to DSPs and the direct care field. DSPs are essential workers who provide daily care, services and support to those with special needs. In his letter to the governor, Santabarbara asked that funding cuts to services for those with developmental disabilities be rescinded, wages for DSPs be increased and more state funds be allocated to the direct care field.

New York State is currently suffering from a shortage of DSPs. A recent survey conducted by the NYS provider community found that the average vacancy rate of staffing is almost 25%, with 93% of providers seeing a reduction of job applicants in the first quarter of 2021.^[1] Allocating state funds yearly to increase the wages of DSPs will help improve retention of valuable employees and encourage more young people to enter this essential field, Santabarbara noted.

[1] https://iacny.org/images/NYDA_WorkforceWhitepaper_8.5x11_0333-compressed.pdf