NC enacts plan to address critical shortage of support workers for people with disabilities

North Carolina is ramping up efforts to address a shortage of direct support professionals (DSPs), who provide in-home and community-based services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD).

In June, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services released a multi-year plan aimed at resolving what it calls a critical shortage of DSPs. The goal is to improve recruitment, retention and training strategies.

Among the initiatives, the state will soon launch an awareness campaign targeting high school and community college students. To that end, the state will partner with community colleges to implement curriculum and certification programs, with the promise of scholarships covering tuition and other fees. It will also offer provider recruitment and retention grants.

NCDHHS will further its goals next year by expanding existing initiatives and exploring new approaches toward growing the workforce.

Portions of the comprehensive workforce plan address directives from a recent consent order stemming from a lawsuit against NCDHHS and the state of North Carolina. The 2017 suit was filed on behalf of people with I/DD who were unable to access needed services in their communities.