Direct Support Professionals
A Direct Support Professional (DSP) is a person who assists an individual with a disability to lead a self-directed life, contribute to the community, and encourages attitudes and behaviors that enhance community inclusion. A DSP may provide supports to a person with a disability at home, work, school, church, and other community places.
According to Kathy Kliebert, Assistant Secretary of the Office for Citizens with Developmental Disabilities, on Friday January 19, 2007 at the Joint Legislation Committee on the Budget, DHH received approval to provide a direct support wage increase for direct support staff in the NOW , Children's Choice, and EDA waivers, EPSDT, LT PCS, private ICF/DDs, and private nursing homes. It did not include funding for many of the vocational services provided through the NOW and Supports waiver but we are reviewing to see if there are any possibilities for increasing those rates also. We are working on an emergency rule to allow for implementation February 1, 2007. There will be reporting requirements that were agreed upon by a stakeholder group and providers will receive information on those requirements in the next two weeks. This is great news for the Louisiana direct support professionals as well people with disabilities and those with that are elderly. Please share this news with others and let them know that additional specifics will be available in the near future. Thanks for your support of this initiative.
Today, (December 21, 2006) in a small private ceremony in the Oval Office, the President signed the Lifespan Respite Care Act into law. We can now officially begin our appropriations advocacy in the New Year. I look forward to our joint continued advocacy on behalf of this important program. Have a wonderful and peaceful New Year!
The Lifespan Respite Care Act authorizes competitive grants to states through Aging and Disability Resource Centers which must work in collaboration with state respite coalitions or state respite organizations to make quality respite available and accessible to family caregivers, regardless of age or disability. The bill requires grantees to identify, coordinate and build on federal, state and local respite resources and would help support, expand and streamline planned and emergency respite, provider recruitment and training, and caregiver training.
For more information on the legislation, please contact Jill Kagan, ARCH National Respite Coalition at jbkagan@verizon.net or call 703-256-9578. Visit www.archrespite.org/nrc.htm
ATTENTION: The next DSP newsletter is in need of articles. We are looking for articles highlight the great ccomplishments of DSP or other issues related to DSP. Articles can be submitted by mail or fax to Sharon Delvisco at 1100 Florida Ave Building 119 New Orleans, LA 70119 or email to sdelvi@lsuhsc.edu
Please sign up for our newsletter!
Maine’s Governor signed legislation (LD 1991, LD 1934) in July 2006 proposing a pay increase for direct care workers from $7.71 per hour to $10.00 per hour. For more information visit: http://janus.state.me.us or www.directcareclearinghouse.org