Effectively Supporting Direct Support Professionals – what that looks like

In the state of Oregon, the staff (Direct support professionals) retention rate is 40%. That means 60% of people who are hired will leave within 3 to 6 months of being hired. Is this because the job is truly that difficult? Is the turnover due to lack of appropriate pay?

Effectively supporting direct support professionals is about more than just base compensation rates - there are often some key elements missing that likely have much more to do with the turnover than the difficulty or pay.

• Lack of adequate and meaningful training – there are very little resources (training, coaching, or resources) currently available for direct support staff to become more knowledgeable and confident.

• Lack of appreciation, acknowledgement of work, and celebration – throwing parties and giving away gift cards can be beneficial, however, if you feel undervalued and overworked, no amount of gift cards can make up for the true, human interaction, appreciation, particularly from the management/administration. To be recognized for your work can feel exhilarating and you gain a sense of empowerment and belonging – especially if it is genuinely done and more than once a year. Celebrating humans when they say yes to show up and face challenging behavior day after day is essential to maintain healthy and happy staff.

• Limited potential for growth (increase in pay or position) – Unless a direct support professional decides to go back to school, growth potential is limited. And not too often do employers encourage or support staff in building a career, personal goals, or otherwise.  This field is hard – it requires a great deal of patience, understanding, and commitment, yet it is one of the most under-appreciated and underpaid. Creating opportunities for staff to grow personally and professionally can contribute a significant amount to retention, as they feel a part of something, rather than working “for” someone.  

• Lack of support from managers and administration – Managers and administration are often inundated with tasks, meetings, putting out fires and running the business, unfortunately this often leads to a lack of presence or connection with the staff that are building the business day after day. Having present and mindful leadership encourages comradery and security – the workplace is safe, therefore staying feels good.

  
  

• A lack of true, on the job, training that includes modeling, coaching, and collaboration – When a person is signing up for a job to support someone who has common moments of dysregulation that can lead to physical and verbal aggression, there should be a safety net, a plan, a way for that person to feel confident they have the tools and ability to maintain a state of self-regulation. Creating training for this may be challenging, however, without it, these people are being asked to become human shields without protection. Implementing a robust training program that provides educational tools alongside real-life scenarios (to practice), the individual can face the stress in a controlled environment with people who are skilled and able to compassionately coach and model for that person to gain confidence and understanding.

Supported people can effectively support others. Unsupported people may leave, neglect their duties, or worse. Ensuring staff feel appreciated, supported, and well prepared may likely result in a significant reduction in staff turnover.