Direct Support Professionals Recognition Week (2009)

Direct Support Professionals Recognition Week

WHEREAS, direct support workers, direct care workers, personal assistants, personal attendants, in-home support workers, and paraprofessionals are the primary providers of publicly funded long term support and services for millions of individuals; and

WHEREAS, a direct support professional must build a close, trusted relationship with an individual with disabilities, assist with the most intimate needs on a daily basis, and provide a broad range of support, including preparation of meals, helping with medications, bathing, dressing, mobility, getting to school, work, religious and recreational activities and general daily affairs; and

WHEREAS, direct support professionals provide essential support to help keep individuals with disabilities connected to family and community, help the individuals live meaningful and productive lives, and are the key to allowing an individual with disabilities live successfully in the community and to avoid more costly institutional care; and

WHEREAS, while direct support professionals work and pay taxes, many remain impoverished and are eligible for the same Federal and State public assistance programs on which the individuals with disabilities served by the direct support professionals must depend; and

WHEREAS, in 2009, the majority of direct support professionals are employed in home and community-based settings and this trend is projected to increase over the next decade, and there is a documented critical and growing shortage of direct support professionals in every community throughout the United States; and

WHEREAS, many direct support professionals are forced to leave jobs due to inadequate wages and benefits, creating high turnover and vacancy rates that research demonstrates adversely affects the quality of support to individuals with disabilities;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Timothy M. Kaine do hereby recognize September 14-18, 2009 as DIRECT SUPPORT PROFESSIONALS RECOGNITION WEEK in the COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, and I call this observance to the attention of all our citizens.