Gov. Mitch Daniels Declares September 11-17 Direct Support Professional Recognition Week

OE-Celebration-of-Achievement-Shawn-AshtonIn Indiana, over 19,000 people with physical and developmental disabilities rely on Direct Support Professionals for essential support with employment, connections within their community, and basic health and safety needs. As the teachers, mentors and many times the primary advocate for the individuals they serve, Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) require a broad range of skills, yet they earn an average wage far below the typical American worker.

To honor their important role and highlight the growing shortage of Direct Support Professionals in Indiana, Governor Mitch Daniels has declared September 11-17, 2011 to be Direct Support Professional Recognition Week.

Opportunity Enterprises employs about 270 Direct Support Professionals in Northwest Indiana. “We are glad to take this week to celebrate the contributions of the valued DSPs who make so many accomplishments possible for Hoosiers with disabilities. Our DSPs are absolutely amazing, and are the reason OE is able to provide such professional, compassionate care to the clients we serve” said Bill Trowbridge, President/CEO of Opportunity Enterprises.

Indiana’s 26,000 Direct Support Professionals are making differences every day in the lives of those they support,” said Shannon Gilbert, President of Direct Support Professionals of Indiana, a new group of DSPs focused on development and awareness about their profession. “DSPs assist individuals to see beyond their disabilities and help them live meaningful lives within their community. Some individuals with disabilities may have been told they would never walk or they have never been given the opportunity to make their own choices. This is not acceptable in the eyes of a DSP. This week is a great time to recognize the DSPs who make dreams into a reality for people with disabilities.”

In addition to paying tribute to their contributions, the Governor’s Proclamation highlights a workforce crisis for DSPs – the third fasting growing occupation in the country. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average US worker earns $16.75 an hour, but the average hourly DSP wage is only $9.26. These low wages contribute to a turnover rate of over 45%.

Funding of Direct Support Professional positions is especially critical in Indiana, which is one of only nine states to rely solely on community-based services for people with disabilities. (The last state-run institution, Fort Wayne Developmental Center, was closed in 2007.) Community-based Direct Support Professionals across the US earn 51% less than DSPs working in public institutions, according to a 2009 report by the American Network of Community Options and Resources. The same report ranked Indiana in the bottom third of states for average DSP entry wage.

Indiana DSPs will be celebrating Direct Support Professionals Recognition Week by increasing awareness of their role supporting Hoosiers with disabilities and encouraging others to investigate a career in their important field. Indiana’s DSP week coincides with National Direct Support Professionals Week as declared by the United States Senate.

DSP Profile – Shawn Ashton

Opportunity Enterprises OutSource Solutions DSP Shawn Ashton was recognized this spring by the agency as its Outstanding DSP of the Year.

Ashton began working at OE several years ago as a Production Assistant, a position that doesn’t work directly with clients. Not long after starting at OE, he began expressing an interest in working with one particular client who was having severe behaviors on a daily basis. This client’s care team had decided that maybe the workshop wasn’t the best fit for him, and had begun looking for a different placement for him, but Sean thought otherwise, and willingly and enthusiastically took on the challenge of working with the client one-on-one to find a routine that worked for him. Eventually, through Ashton’s dedication, creativity, and persistence, the client’s behaviors lessened, and he began completing production work and participating in activities with other clients – something that had been impossible before.

Since then, Ashton has moved on to become a line supervisor in OutSource Solutions, and currently supervises 8-16 clients on a daily basis. Ashton has developed a special relationship with each individual on his line, and takes the time to determine what works and what doesn’t for each client, finding ways to make them as independent as possible, recognizing them on a daily basis for their strengths and talents, and giving them special jobs to ensure they know they are an important part of the team. Because of Ashton’s efforts, negative behaviors have decreased, and participation and productivity have increased from those clients working with him.

One of the reasons Ashton has been so successful is because he has fun with his group – joking and laughing, music and dancing are all a daily part of the job on Ashton’s line. One co-worker at OE shares that “she has a waiting list of clients who want to be on Ashton’s line. He can never leave – I don’t know what we’d do!

Ashton not only cares for the clients who work directly for him, but advocates for all clients at OE. Several months ago, Ashton noticed a client who had been coming into work with poor hygiene. Ashton purchased some razors, and stopped by the consumer’s home one evening to teach him about shaving and grooming, something he did on his own time simply because it needed to be done.

Ashton not only shows incredible compassion and caring for the clients he works with, but also supports his co-workers. He picks up extra shifts throughout the week at group homes or in supported living when needed, sometimes working double shifts with the same level of commitment he shows as a line supervisor.

oe_logoThrough his caring actions and positive attitude, Shawn Ashton embodies the reasons why Direct Support Professionals play such a critical role in caring for individuals with developmental disabilities, and illustrates the care and compassion so common in his field.

Direct Support Professionals of Indiana (DSPIN) is a group of Direct Support Professionals from around the state interested in creating a positive change and building a qualified workforce through the formation of a state chapter of the National Alliance of Direct Support Professionals (NADSP).

INARF, the principal Indiana trade association representing providers of services to people with disabilities, supports the Governor’s Proclamation and works to provide increased educational opportunities and professional development for Direct Support Professionals, in addition to advocating for higher wages.

Since 1967, OE has been a non-profit organization which enriches the lives of individuals with disabilities by providing exceptional support and creating meaningful opportunities that allow its consumers to serve as an inspiration to the community. Today, OE serves 1,100 adults and children with disabilities in Porter County and throughout Northwest Indiana. For more information, visit www.oppent.org.

Photo: Opportunity Enterprises Outstanding DSP of the Year Shawn Ashton gives his acceptance speech at the agency’s Celebration of Achievement held in June of this year