Advocates Bring Awareness to Needs of Direct Support Professionals at Iowa State Capitol
Article written by the Iowa DD Council member Emily Koss
DES MOINES, Iowa (February-March 2023) – Advocates for people with disabilities from across Iowa visited the Capitol recently to draw lawmakers’ attention to the immense need for more workers and better pay for direct support professionals so that people with disabilities can maintain their independence.
Direct support professionals, or DSPs, typically work for community provider agencies and provide a variety of supports to individuals with disabilities in their homes. Their services allow people with disabilities to manage their daily tasks and prepare for work, school, appointments, meals, and other activities. Currently, 96% of provider agencies in Iowa have staff vacancies for these positions.
“We want to bring awareness that these jobs are valued. What DSPs are doing is actually changing lives,” said Brooke Lovelace, Executive Director of the Iowa Developmental Disabilities Council (Iowa DD Council).
With the assistance of the Iowa DD Council, several provider organizations brought their staff and advocates from across the state to the Capitol to urge lawmakers to increase reimbursement rates through Medicaid, raise wages, and provide tax incentives to help fill the need for DSPs. Advocates are hopeful for the passage of a bill that would eliminate State income tax on wages for DSPs yet this session.
“An innovative approach like the removing payment of income tax could be a good incentive to attract new applicants for the many positions that we need to fill,” said Mona Kenyon, CEO of Systems Unlimited, a community provider that serves eastern Iowa.
Systems Unlimited, which is based in Iowa City and employs nearly 1,000 staff throughout eastern Iowa, was one of the several organizations that visited lawmakers. Others who visited the Capitol in March were Mosaic (with offices throughout Iowa), Life Connections Peer Recovery Network from DeWitt, and First Resources of Ottumwa. Students with intellectual and developmental disabilities who attend the REACH program at the University of Iowa also advocated for scholarships for students with disabilities.
The DD Council is a federally funded state agency that advocates for the development of services and supports so that Iowans with developmental disabilities can make choices and take control of their lives. The Council is made up of volunteers who represent Iowans with disabilities, family members, service providers, state agencies and organizations concerned with developmental disability issues. For more information about the DD Council, please visit www.iowaddcouncil.org.
