Direct Support Professionals & Public Policy: Educate, Advocate and Acknowledge

After years of inadequate strategies, the direct support workforce has been in “crisis” for decades and the intellectual and developmental disabilities service industry is facing unprecedented turnover and challenges in finding and keeping direct support professionals. These issues have been front and center in public policy discussions at the very highest levels of government and one thing is painfully obvious – direct support professionals themselves must be present and active in these discussions. This session will review how the NADSP has engaged in policy efforts and unveil several new approaches to bring our DSPs “to the table” so we can begin to build a true profession and fulfill the promises to people with disabilities that were made by important civil rights court decisions and legislation. Participants will also learn about other ways they can get more directly involved in advocating for their rights as DSPs and for the individuals with disabilities that they support through NADSP’s federal advocacy efforts