[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 144 (Thursday, September 11, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1771-E1772]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  DIRECT SUPPORT PROFESSIONALS PROVIDE ESSENTIAL SERVICES AND DESERVE 
                           FAIR COMPENSATION

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. THOMAS H. ALLEN

                                of maine

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 11, 2008

  Mr. ALLEN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the good people 
at Woodfords Family Services and the other members of the Maine 
Association for Community Service Providers who have come to 
Washington, D.C. this week to take part in the American Network of 
Community Options and Resources Governmental Activities Seminar and the 
``DSPs to D.C.'' events.
  In Maine, these agencies are working with hundreds of Direct Support 
Professionals (DSPs) to provide assistance to individuals with 
disabilities. DSPs help men, women, and children with aspects of daily 
living, rehabilitation, training, and other tasks, seven days a week, 
24 hours a day, enabling Americans with mental and physical 
disabilities to live and work in their communities. This highly 
trained, skilled, and committed workforce supports individuals in my 
Congressional District. The same is true throughout the State of Maine 
and the rest of the country.
  Years ago, the Maine Legislature decided to provide residential 
support to its most vulnerable citizens with developmental disabilities 
and other special needs. This community-based system consisted of a 
network of private providers who had a long history of offering 
services to individuals with special needs through local organizations 
that were created just for that purpose.
  Maine's decision was an historic step forward, for it allowed my 
State to achieve two major goals. First, the residents of Maine's only 
state institution for people with developmental disabilities, Pineland 
Center, were transferred to small, homelike settings in local 
communities. This resulted in the closing of the infamous Pineland 
facility in 1996. The second achievement was to permit people with 
disabilities to remain in their home communities instead of unfamiliar 
locations. The work of countless Direct Support Professionals was 
crucial to the success of Maine's initiative.
  DSPs are able to help their clients not only by lending them physical 
support, but by building a relationship of trust. They help individuals 
with communication issues convey their thoughts, enable people with 
physical disabilities explore the world beyond their homes, and help 
individuals establish friendships that allow them to give as well as 
receive from their communities. The success of these services is the 
direct result of the personal relationships that DSPs build with their 
clients.
  Thanks to the care and support of skilled DSPs, the quality of life 
of many Americans with special needs has improved significantly. 
However, this progress is threatened by expanding need and shrinking 
resources. In particular, we now face a critical DSP workforce shortage 
because, as the cost of living rises, the low wages associated with 
this career are driving employees out of the field.
  Despite today's high unemployment rate, members of the Maine 
Association for Community Service Providers struggle every day to hire 
and retain quality staff to work as DSPs in their residential 
facilities. To reverse this trend, many providers across the nation 
support H.R. 1279, the Direct Support Professionals Fairness and 
Security Act of 2007, introduced by Representative Lois Capps (D-CA). 
This measure would provide states with funds to increase the wages paid 
to DSPs who provide services to individuals with disabilities under the 
Medicaid program.
  It is time to recognize the dedication, commitment, and sacrifices 
DSPs make to ensure the safety and well-being of the people they serve, 
providing a critical safety net for our disabled citizens. This care is 
often physically and emotionally demanding. DSPs deserve fair 
compensation. Accordingly, I ask my colleagues to join me in 
cosponsoring the bipartisan Direct Support Professionals Fairness

[[Page E1772]]

and Security Act (H.R. 1279). Our health care workforce must include a 
sufficient number of trained Direct Support Professionals to provide 
these critical services. Investing in fair compensation for DSPs is the 
right thing to do.

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