Department for Aging and Disability Services
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The Urgent Need to Strengthen the Direct Support Workforce
By 2030, the demand for Direct Support Workers (DSWs) [also known as Direct Support Professionals (DSPs)]—the frontline professionals who support people with disabilities in their homes and communities—is expected to far exceed the available workforce. National projections indicate a severe shortage due to a growing population of individuals needing support, combined with high turnover and low recruitment rates in this vital profession.
DSWs play a crucial role in ensuring people with disabilities can live meaningful, self-directed lives. Without a strong and stable workforce, individuals and families face service disruptions, safety concerns, and a reduced quality of life. To address this, Kansas is investing in workforce training, career ladder pathways, and recognition initiatives that elevate the value of direct support roles. Key strategies to remedy the shortage include:
- increasing wages and benefits
- offering certification and advancement opportunities
- improving working conditions
- promoting the profession through public awareness and education
Recruiting and retaining a strong DSW workforce is not just an economic issue—it’s a matter of dignity, inclusion, and equity.
Documents
Direct Service Workforce Training and Career Ladder
The University of Kansas (KU) and Wichita State University (WSU) worked with KDADS to develop online training courses for Direct Support Workers (DSW) in the Home- and Community-Based Services (HCBS) program. Enhanced training of DSWs was developed to improve staff confidence in providing essential services that improve the quality of life by ensuring DSWs have the knowledge, skills, and abilities to provide support to each individual they serve in a strengths-based, person-centered manner that produces the outcomes outlined in the Person-Centered Support Plan.Research indicates a link between thorough DSW training and increased retention rates. Enhanced training also provides DSWs the skill set necessary to be more marketable, allowing the DSW the opportunity to grow personally and professionally, earn higher wages, and increase the quality of care provided.
Direct Support Professionals Careers
In partnership with InterHab, Sunflower Health Plan has produced videos highlighting the importance and value of the DSP position. Videos and links:
“A Great Foundation – Direct Support Professionals” – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t17qiWYC9Lg
“Discover Your Passion while Serving Others” – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sA01f_DtraM
“A Profession that Grows with You” – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfdgLW_8qtQ
Direct Support Workforce Data
News & Announcements
Expansion of the Direct Care Workforce Strategies Center Technical Assistance Program
August 11, 2025
The National Council on Aging, in partnership with ACL, has announced the next round of states and territories selected to participate in the Direct Care Workforce Strategies Center’s Technical Assistance Program.
Eighteen teams will receive tailored support over the next year to advance solutions in recruitment, retention, well-being, and career advancement for the direct care workforce serving older adults and people with disabilities. Launched in 2024, the program equips states with up to 250 hours of expert support, collaborative learning, and customized technical assistance to build a stronger, more sustainable workforce for home and community-based services.
This year’s participant states and territories will center their work in three areas of focus:
- Joining the Workforce: These teams will focus on strategies to recruit new individuals into the direct care field.
- California, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Vermont, and West Virginia.
- Well-Being at Work: These teams will focus on improving the day-to-day experience of direct care professionals, including supportive services, responsive trainings, and cultivation of a strong workplace culture.
- Alabama, Colorado, New Hampshire, Puerto Rico, and Tennessee.
- Career Progression: These teams will focus on building clear and meaningful career pathways, training, and credentialing opportunities.
- Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Oregon, and Washington.