Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch and State Representative Ed Clere recently presented the 2021 Rauch Imagine Award to Direct Support Professionals (DSP) who commit their lives to serving Hoosiers.
Over 26,000 Hoosiers work as DSPs, helping individuals with disabilities retain independence, community involvement and family connections.
According to Lt. Governor Crouch, “It has been their passion and their hard work that has touched my heart and inspires me to do all I can to lift them up and honor them.”
Across the country, we are experiencing a critical shortage of DSPs: a crisis that will increase significantly over the next decade. These individuals make a tremendous difference in the lives of people with disabilities, and their work cannot go unnoticed.
We need to change how they are trained and compensated in order to:
- Grow the workforce
- Increase retention
- Reduce turnover
- Provide a career path forward
Representative Clere noted: “Throughout the Coronavirus pandemic, DSPs have worked tirelessly every day to ensure the health and safety of people with disabilities and exemplified the definition of essential workers.”
To see the Imagine Award presentation, click here.
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