NCI Releases 2017 Staff Stability Survey Report on DSP Workforce and Working Conditions

Direct support professionals play a crucial role in the system that supports community life for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Yet, this workforce experiences high rates of instability. Increasingly high turnover and vacancy rates are being described by community providers as the greatest threat to sustaining community services.

National Core Indicators released its latest report on employment and working conditions for the DSP workforce: The 2017 Staff Stability Report. It features the results of a survey that was run in 19 states and DC, covering more than 3,300 provider agencies. The results of this survey can provide states with critical information to examine the DSP workforce and address the workforce experience.  

Key findings include:

• 35% of DSPs employed as of December 31, 2017 were relatively new to their provider agency, having been employed there a year or less.
• 50% of the DSPs who left their positions in 2017 had been with the provider agency for less than a year.
• Average turnover rate for DSPs in 2017 ranged by state from 24.4% to 68.8%. The weighted average across states was 43.8%.
• Across all states, service types, and settings, DSPs received a median hourly wage of $12.09.

Read the full report on the NCI website

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