PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES DESERVE MORE.
They need caregivers who earn a living wage.
Those living with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities are valuable and important citizens who have a right to the quality support and services they require. This includes support for everything from eating, bathing and assisting with medication to a job and
life-skills training.
Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) work directly with people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities with the goal of assisting the individual to become fully included in their community. DSPs provide a highly valuable service that used to be fulfilled by government institutions, yet they still aren’t making a livable wage.
Individuals with disabilities and their caregivers deserve more.
THEY DESERVE MORE
DSP LABOR EMERGENCY IN GEORGIA
LOW WAGES
DSPs make a low hourly wage that hasn’t increased with demand, inflation or the move away from housing individuals in institutions.
The median hourly wage is $10.07 in GA.
STATE FUNDING
For every dollar DSPs are paid, 33 cents come from the State of Georgia and 66 cents come from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
HIGH TURNOVER
Additionally, the 39.1% turnover rate is contributing to this emergency, costing around $2 billion annually to replace DSPs.