Goal: Texas will promote the growth, stability and respect in the direct service workforce, ensuring that there are enough direct service workers to meet the needs of people with disabilities living in the community and that direct service workers receive livable wages and benefits for the important work that they do.
Problem: Texas direct service workers currently receive extremely low wages and little or no benefits, causing high turnover in the profession and a severe shortage of direct service workers available to support Texans with disabilities living in the community.
Recommendation: The Texas Legislature needs to direct the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to implement a livable minimum wage and access to health and other benefits for all direct service workers, as well as establish a Community Attendant Retention and Outreach Council composed of consumers and direct service workers to address the many challenges facing Texas’ direct service workforce.
Specific Recommendations for Change:
The Disability Policy Consortium (DPC) recommends that the Texas Legislature direct HHSC to:
Background: According to the June 2008 report of the Texas Direct Service Workforce Initiative, more than 250,000 direct service workers provide hands-on long-term services and supports to older Texans and people with disabilities across the state. For the people who receive these services, direct service workers play a critical role in helping them avoid institutionalization, maintain their health and independence, and make meaningful contributions to the communities where they live. Despite the vital role they play, direct service workers in Texas often work long hours for low pay and rarely have access to health insurance, retirement benefits, or sick leave. Many do not receive reimbursement for travel or other work-related expenses. This has led to a current shortage of direct service workers throughout the state as well as an extremely high turnover rate among existing direct service workers.
When people cannot access the services and supports they depend on in their daily lives because of the crisis facing the direct service workforce, people with disabilities and older Texans face a loss of independence, avoidable health problems and a greater likelihood of unnecessary and costly institutionalization. Texas must take action to address the looming crisis in wages, benefits, retention and recruitment of direct service workers.
Justification: Recruiting more direct service workers to the profession will create local, stable jobs in many communities in Texas. Creating livable wages and benefits for direct service workers will allow them to keep their jobs and add more dollars to local economies across Texas. Additionally, higher wages and efforts put toward recruitment and retention of direct service workers will mean that more people disabilities and older Texans will be able to live successfully in the community and avoid costly institutionalization.