Featured Story Home > Featured Story A A A NATIONAL EFFORT CONTINUES FOR RECOGNITION OF DSPS National advocacy for direct support professionals is pressing forward, with ongoing efforts to secure federal recognition for them. The outcome could directly shape wages, benefits and the long-overdue recognition these workers deserve. Joe Macbeth, president and C.E.O. of the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals, is a leading advocate for establishing a federal Standard Occupational Classification for direct support professionals. This is a critical step in the continued work for fair wages, benefits and recognition for direct care workers. Although the U.S. House of Representatives did not pass the recent Recognizing the Role of Direct Support Professionals Act, there is still work to do. “We are hopeful that our advocacy efforts will be recognized and direct support professional will become an official job title and classification,” Macbeth said. More than 10,000 people weighed in during a recent review process, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics is now considering new occupational categories, a rare opportunity that comes only once every eight to 10 years. To read the rest of the Spirit newsletter, click here.