by Carli Friedman, CQL Director of Research, The Council on Quality and Leadership
March 8, 2021
Direct support professionals (DSPs) provide individualized personal assistance to people with disabilities and older adults. They not only provide a wide range of services, but must often balance a complex set of competencies to do so.
Human service organizations often experience DSP turnover rates ranging from 30-70% annually. Not only does DSP turnover impact DSPs themselves, it also significantly impacts the services organizations provide to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), and by extension, people with IDD’s quality of life. While DSPs help facilitate people with IDD’s quality of life, turnover can hinder people with IDD’s quality of life significantly.
