This episode features Elizabeth Lucke, long-term DSP Caregiver
• Falling in love with being a DSP;
• Duties as a DSP and caregiver;
• The best part of being a DSP;
• Self-care and preventing burnout; and
• Ways to help improve the lives of DSPs.

Timestamps:

• 2:15 – Falling in love with being a DSP
• 3:30 – Elizabeth’s duties as a DSP
• 7:40 – The best part of being a DSP
• 8:45 – The importance of a DSP in an individual with IDD’s life
• 13:40 – Why become a DSP?
• 17:35 – Self-care and preventing burn out as a DSP
• 21:00 – Learn more about Host Home Providers by taking this course.
• 21:25 – How to make DSP’s lives better
• 24:00 – What to know if you are thinking about becoming a DSP?
• 28:10 – We need to come together to support vulnerable populations and include them in our communities, closing thoughts from Elizabeth Lucke.

Quality Direct Support Professionals (DSP) are vital to the lives of people with disabilities. They are the professionals that provide supports such as helping with employment, providing personal care, and are sometimes the support that someone with a disability needs to be able to live independently.

A shortage of DSPs has been mounting in the United States for years now, with a 2022 report finding that 71% of case managers are struggling to find available providers for direct support services. With DSPs being such a vital workforce, tune into Addressing the Direct Support Professional Shortage TRAINING series, to learn more about the challenges and solutions!

Why you should tune in
Understand the everyday lives of Direct Support Professionals and the need to support this essential workforce. Being a DSP is not just a job, but a skilled career and must be valued as such! Tune into this podcast/vodcast series to learn about the variables behind this workforce crisis and how you can get involved in the solutions.