Title:
The Intellectual Disability Workforce Crisis: Trends, Causes, & Remedies

Authors:
Scott Spreat, USA

Abstract:

The intellectual disability field is unable to hire and retain a sufficient number of qualified Direct Support Professionals.  These are the individuals who provide care and training directly to individuals who have intellectual disability.   The magnitude of this workforce crisis was examined through a series of seven Pennsylvania (USA) surveys collected between 2015 and 2024.   Surveys revealed that Direct Support Professional wages increased at a rate that exceeded inflation, however, the wage increases appeared to have no appreciable impact on either turnover or vacancy rate. Possible causes and maintaining factors of the workforce crisis are hypothesized, along with possible remedies.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.51505/IJEBMR.2024.81015