Direct Support Professionals and COVID-19
Throughout COVID-19, direct support professionals have continued to provide care to persons served. From learning new processes, moving to different service offerings, and/or working overtime, DSPs have been extremely agile as we’ve navigated the pandemic. This agility, however, can easily lead to burnout, anxiety, and other impacts on mental health. Help your staff take care of themselves by taking advantage of our free wellness course series, with courses on stress management, work life balance, healthy sleep and more. The following articles can also help your organization understand the impact COVID-19 has on mental health and how to recognize the signs of compassion fatigue in your staff:
COVID-19 and Trauma: How a Pandemic Affects Our Mental Health
Epidemics have been shown to create general stress across the populations they affect, and we are yet to see the long-term effects of COVID-19 on mental health.
Learn MoreRecognizing and Treating Compassion Fatigue in DSPs
Your Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) are especially susceptible to compassion fatigue and it can lead to your most caring and committed DSPs leaving the job.
Learn More5 Ways to Support & Recognize DSPs
Showing appreciation for your team doesn’t require grand gestures. Something as simple as a handwritten thank you note or a $5 gift card to a local coffee shop can go a long way in making DSPs feel seen and heard.
Recognition Leads to Engagement and Retention
Being a direct support professionals (DSP) can be hard work, mentally, physically, and emotionally. It’s important to recognize and support your DSPs throughout their tenure at your organization, especially if you want to retain them long-term.
DSP Survey Report: Satisfaction, Supervision, Career Growth, and Recognition
Being a DSP can be hard work, mentally, physically, and emotionally. As supervisors and organizational leaders, it’s important to not only recognize and support DSPs but provide career growth opportunities and safe spaces that contribute to overall job satisfaction.
Download the ReportStrategies to Boost DSP Retention
By training and developing the skills of your staff, you position your agency for success and ultimately improve the quality of care for those you serve. The best way to train new or experienced DSPs is not always straightforward. That’s why Relias works with IDD partners, organizations and provider agencies to develop these go-to training and development resources, with the goal of improving the quality of care and positioning your agency for success.
Strategies for Decreasing DSP Turnover
Download this helpful eBook to discover strategies for improving hiring and placement, boosting engagement and retaining your DSPs.
Learn MoreHow to Boost Retention in IDD Services
Learn how assessments can help you make better hiring decisions and how creating personalized development plans for your employees can improve retention.
Learn MoreIncreasing DSP Retention Through Peer Mentoring Programs
In this on-demand webinar, Arlene Bridges, an IDD business expert, gives you concrete steps that will help you develop better, more committed DSPs.
Learn MoreDeveloping Supervisory Skills in Your QPs
For IDD service providers, improving the supervisory skills of their QIDPs is an essential part of any DSP retention strategy. Learn how to craft an effective supervisory training program.
Learn MoreBest Practices for Training DSPs
Discover the 9 elements of successful Direct Support Professional training programs and how focused learning can improve your training.
Learn MoreTaking Care of DSPs: 6 Strategies for Promoting Resilience
Watch this webinar to hear six strategies for promoting resilience in your DSPs and learn the importance of building a resilient organization.
Learn MoreBlog Posts on DSP Appreciation and Engagement
What Makes a Successful DSP, and How Do You Find More?
What do you look for when interviewing DSP candidates? I’ve asked that question of providers across the country, and the same characteristics come up again and again...
Learn More11 Steps to Implementing a DSP Peer Mentoring Program
A peer mentorship program for your DSPs is a great way to increase employee engagement and retention. Get started on a DSP peer mentoring program with these steps.
Learn MoreDo Your DSPs Have the Skills and Motivation They Need?
Give your Direct Support Professionals the tools they need to provide the best quality of support to people with disabilities.
Learn MoreFAQs about DSPs
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What jobs fall under the category of direct support professional?
Personal care assistants, job coaches and group home workers are all DSPs. DSPs may also be called support workers, caregivers or paraprofessionals. These job names are also used in the behavioral health field.
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What are the training requirements for DSPs?
Training requirements vary from state to state and from provider to provider. In general, DSPs must have training in CPR, First Aid and the organization’s policies and procedures. Their supervisors will also train them in the unique needs of the individuals they will support, as outlined in their Individual Support Plan.
However, the best agencies train their DSPs on the primacy of participant employment and respect for the individual being served. Trainings on the conditions of the individuals and on such specialties as employment support, positive behavior supports and the Fatal Four are also important. Such supplemental trainings are essential to providing high-quality services and supports.
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What is the typical level of education among DSPs?
Between 54 and 63% of individuals in direct care positions have a high school diploma.
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What topics do most DSPs feel they needed more training on before starting their role?
According to the 2019 Relias DSP Survey report, DSPs who were not planning to stay in their current role beyond one year reported the following topics they felt they needed more training on before beginning their role in direct support:
- The conditions/disorders of the people supported
- Positive behavior supports
- How to connect persons served to their community
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How can a provide agency create a career ladder for DSPs?
Establishing opportunities for professional development and career advancement is essential to boosting DSP retention. Here are some strategies an agency can use to create a career ladder:
- Specialist positions: The American Network of Community Options and Resources (ANCOR) offers Certificates of Achievement for certain disciplines, including behavior specialist and community inclusion specialist.
- Certifications: The National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP) offers e-badges for essential competencies for DSPs and for supplemental training. These e-badges can be grouped together to achieve NADSP’s certifications for DSPs.
- Peer mentorship: Establishing a peer mentorship program creates a career step for your experiences DSPs and nurtures your new hires, which can increase the likelihood that they will be successful and stay in the job.