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Definitions and Occupational Characteristics of Direct Support Professionals

Publication Date
Authors
Giuseppina Chiri, Abbie Levinson, Ella Shenker, Marie R. Squillace, Raphael Gaeta, Kasey Knopp, Caroline Ryan, Nancy Thaler

This study explores duties and activities that distinguish the DSP occupation from other direct care workforce occupations to inform the consideration of a DSP SOC code and other workforce data collection efforts. This study also identifies information beyond what is needed to create a DSP SOC code that states need on the DSP workforce to address policy and workforce planning activities.

This research was conducted under contract between HHS/ASPE’s Office of Behavioral Health, Disability, and Aging Policy (BHDAP) and Research Triangle Institute. Additional research in this area is available at the ASPE Aging & Disability page.

*This content is in the process of Section 508 review. If you need immediate assistance accessing this content, please submit a request to Brenda Veazey, brenda.veazey@hhs.gov. Content will be updated pending the outcome of the Section 508 review.

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Direct Care Worker Wages