Commentary: Congress must bring direct-support professionals out of the shadows
Put this essential job category into the federal Standard Occupational Classification system.
By Jeffery Fox, For the Times Union
Every day, tens of thousands of direct-support professionals in New York perform indispensable work that makes community life possible for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. They promote independence, dignity and full inclusion — supporting people at jobs, coaching communication, implementing complex clinical plans, assisting with daily living and providing steady, compassionate partnership. Their work is skilled, essential and life-changing.
Yet these professionals remain invisible in one of the nation’s most fundamental workforce systems: the federal Standard Occupational Classification system.
Because “direct-support professional” is not recognized as its own occupational category, data on this workforce is buried within broad classifications such as “home health aides” or “personal care aides” — roles with very different responsibilities and training requirements. This lack of recognition has prevented states and the nation from gathering accurate workforce data. That obscures shortages, wage stagnation and dangerously high turnover rates.
Congress must act. New Yorkers should rally behind H.R. 6137/S. 3211, the Recognizing the Role of Direct Support Professionals Act. Introduced with bipartisan and bicameral support in November, this legislation directs the Office of Management and Budget to consider creating a distinct Standard Occupational Classification code for direct-support professionals.
The bill’s sponsors point to alarming national instability: turnover rates around 39% to 40%. This crisis is deeply felt in New York: Nonprofit providers across the state struggle to fill vacancies, maintain services and retain experienced staff. Without clear federal data, policymakers cannot accurately assess shortages, wages or employment trends — making it nearly impossible to design effective, long-term solutions. As Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania noted when introducing the bill: “We cannot solve a workforce crisis we cannot accurately measure.”
A distinct classification code would allow New York and other states to:
• Accurately track workforce data: Clear federal labor statistics would finally separate direct-support professionals from unrelated roles, giving policymakers reliable information on wages, turnover, job availability and long-term trends.
• Strengthen recruitment and retention: With better data, states could develop smarter training pipelines, improve Medicaid rate setting and create career pathways that reflect the true skill and responsibility of this work.
• Ensure stability for individuals with disabilities: Consistent staffing is essential for people with disabilities to live safely and participate fully in their communities. A national shortage of direct-support professionals is not simply a workforce issue; it is a civil rights issue.
The bill has earned strong bipartisan support, including from New York’s congressional delegation, and companion legislation has been introduced in the Senate.
As a nonprofit leader in New York’s disability services sector, I see every day how direct-support professionals transform lives — and how the lack of structural recognition harms the entire system. Our workforce crisis will not resolve itself. It requires action.
The bill is now before the House of Representatives. I urge all New Yorkers to contact their representatives and support this critical legislation.
Jeffery Fox is the president and CEO of Abilities First, which serves people with intellectual and developmental disabilities across the Hudson Valley.
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