AUSTIN, TX – In case you missed it, this week the San Antonio Report highlighted the escalating workforce crisis facing direct support professionals (DSPs) who serve Texans with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). The report points out that the State of Texas currently only reimburses agencies at $10.60 an hour for community-based DSPs “who work directly with some of the state’s most vulnerable residents,” resulting in a “critical shortage” of staff to care for Texans with IDD.

To address this crisis, the Time To Care coalition has implored state leaders to authorize an emergency appropriations request to ensure individuals with IDD aren’t left behind.

Jelynne LeBlanc Jamison, President and CEO of the Center for Health Care Services (CHCS), told the San Antonio Report she hopes lawmakers will help stem the tide of community-based DSPs leaving for higher-paying jobs:

Higher pay for employees at state-run institutions was much needed, she said. “I just wish, with the [budget] surplus that we’ve been able to enjoy in the state of Texas,” lawmakers also prioritized community-based caregiving of “this very, very vulnerable population.”

Jamison also pointed out the misconceptions surrounding the responsibilities of DSPs serving the IDD community in Texas:

“I think people misjudge the technical requirements to care for them…It really is just unbelievable what you’re asking someone to do for $10.60 an hour.”

Kristina Malloy, who has worked for the CHCS adult day program for the past seven years, said she often takes overtime shifts at one of the center’s group homes until as late as 9 p.m. before delivering for a food delivery company until early the next morning. Even with the prospect of leaving for higher-paying work, Malloy remains devoted to serving the most vulnerable Texans, saying:

“I could never leave my clients.”

Malloy’s colleague, Charlette Phillips worked at CHCS for a decade before leaving to work elsewhere for five years. Two years ago, she returned to her role at CHCS, citing the deep bond she developed for the Texans with IDD she serves every day:

“My guys brought me back…In all honesty, for what we do, no dollar amount can suffice.”

To read the full story in the San Antonio Report, please click here.  

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