How to Make a Direct Support Professional’s Day

By Marisa Geitner

Every September we celebrate Direct Support Professional Recognition Week, recognizing our more than 3,800 caring professionals who walk alongside the people who choose our services. 

The difficulties faced by direct support professionals on a daily basis remain significant. There have been small gains made in our elected bodies of government, including recent legislation passed on June 12 in the U.S. Senate and the House Committee on Education and the Workforce that would establish a federal occupation code, which would make it easier to research the needs of the position. Nevertheless, many agencies continue to struggle with retaining competent direct support professionals, which has resulted in program closures and service reduction.

One simple act we can all carry out is recognizing their good deeds. Direct support professionals assist people in the most personal ways. No thank-you is too small, and when we highlight their work at the ground level, we validate their experiences and their importance to society as a whole. As we prepare to celebrate Direct Support Professional Recognition Week again, think about new and unique ways we can celebrate direct support professionals and their daily contributions to our agency. Every voice counts.