By Jeffery Fox, Ph.D.
Every day in New York State, tens of thousands of direct support professionals (DSPs) perform indispensable work that makes community life possible for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). They promote independence, dignity and full inclusion — supporting people at jobs, coaching communication, implementing complex clinical plans, assisting with daily living and providing steady, compassionate partnership. Their work is skilled, essential and life-changing.
Yet DSPs remain invisible in one of the nation’s most fundamental workforce systems: the federal Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system. Because “direct support professional” is not recognized as its own occupational category, DSP data is buried within broad classifications such as home health aides or personal care aides — roles with very different responsibilities and training requirements. This lack of recognition has prevented states and the nation from gathering accurate workforce data, obscuring shortages, wage stagnation and dangerously high turnover rates.
Congress must act — and New Yorkers should rally behind H.R. 6137/S. 3211, the Recognizing the Role of Direct Support
Professionals Act.
Introduced with bipartisan and bicameral support in November 2025, this legislation directs the Office of Management and Budget to consider creating a distinct SOC code for DSPs. The bill’s sponsors point to alarming national instability: turnover rates around 39%-40%, repeatedly documented by National Core Indicators and highlighted in both chambers of Congress.
This crisis is deeply felt in New York. Nonprofit providers across the state struggle to fill vacancies, maintain services and retain experienced staff. Without clear federal data, policymakers cannot accurately assess shortages, wages or employment trends — making it nearly impossible to design effective, long-term solutions. As Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania noted when introducing the bill: “We cannot solve a workforce crisis we cannot accurately measure.”
A distinct SOC code would allow New York and other states to:
- Accurately Track Workforce Data: Clear federal labor statistics would finally separate DSPs from unrelated roles, giving policymakers reliable information on wages, turnover, job availability and long-term trends.
- Strengthen Recruitment and Retention: With better data, states could develop smarter training pipelines, improve Medicaid rate setting, and create career pathways that reflect the true skill and responsibility of DSP work.
- Ensure Stability for Individuals with Disabilities: Consistent staffing is essential for people with I/DD to live safely and participate fully in their communities. A national DSP shortage is not simply a workforce issue — it is a civil rights issue.
The bill has earned strong bipartisan support, including from New York’s congressional delegation, and companion legislation has been introduced in the Senate. Supporting DSPs is not a partisan matter — it is a moral one.
As a nonprofit leader in New York’s disability services sector, I see every day how DSPs transform lives — and how the lack of structural recognition harms the entire system. Our workforce crisis will not resolve itself. It requires action.
The bill is now before the House of Representatives. I urge all New Yorkers to contact their representatives and support this critical legislation.
