Direct support workers who serve people with disabilities gather at the Ohio State Capitol in 2018 to raise awareness about their industry’s employee shortage and low wages. (Jonathan Quilter/The Columbus Dispatch/TNS)
The federal government is considering whether to begin tracking the number of direct support professionals, a move advocates see as a critical first step toward alleviating the country’s severe shortage of workers serving people with developmental disabilities.
The White House Office of Management and Budget is seeking input on potential changes to what is known as the Standard Occupational Classification Manual, which outlines how federal agencies classify occupations for data collection purposes. Options include adding “care workers” to the manual and, if so, how the occupation should be named and defined.
Currently, DSPs are often lumped in with home health aides, personal care aides, certified nursing assistants and other job categories that don’t accurately describe their true role. That means policymakers lack the data needed to address the shortage of workers providing home and community-based services, advocates say.
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“A single DSP occupational code will ensure that the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics can accurately capture occupation-specific employment and wage data, which in turn will help federal and state policymakers inform and influence future policy,” more than two dozen disability advocacy groups wrote in a letter to lawmakers earlier this month. “Accurate and complete data on DSPs is crucial to understanding the workforce crisis and developing effective solutions.”
The Office of Management and Budget’s request for comment comes as Congress is moving forward with legislation that would pressure the budget office to act on data shortages on DSPs by adding a Standard Occupational Classification code for these workers. The bill, known as the Recognizing the Role of Direct Support Professionals Act, was unanimously passed by the U.S. Senate in March and by a House committee earlier this month.
Lydia Dawson, vice president of government relations for the American Network of Community Options and Resources (ANCOR), which represents 2,100 disability service providers nationwide, said an act of Congress is not necessary for a code to be added, but “it sends a message to OMB about the importance of addressing the lack of a classification for DSPs.”
Additionally, Dawson noted that there is urgency. The Office of Management and Budget is currently considering changes to include in its 2028 manual. Once that process concludes, no additional revisions are expected until 2038, he said.
The Office of Management and Budget is accepting comments on possible changes to the Standard Occupational Classification Manual until August 12.
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