Bill Text: NJ AR204 | 2018-2019 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Urges United States Bureau of Labor Statistics to designate Direct Support Professionals as Standard Occupational Classification.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-12-06 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Human Services Committee [AR204 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2018-AR204-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman JOANN DOWNEY
District 11 (Monmouth)
SYNOPSIS
Urges United States Bureau of Labor Statistics to designate Direct Support Professionals as Standard Occupational Classification.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Assembly Resolution urging the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics to designate Direct Support Professionals as a Standard Occupational Classification.
Whereas, Direct support professionals (DSPs) help individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities stay connected to their families, friends, and communities by keeping them out of costly institutional care, and are the primary providers of publicly-funded long-term services and supports for those individuals; and
Whereas, Despite the vital role they play in the lives of individuals who are disabled as well as in the healthcare system at large, there is little data on DSPs, including how many DSPs there are in each state, what their wages are, and what areas they specialize in; and
Whereas, The United States Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics is the principal federal agency for collecting, analyzing, and disseminating economic information, including employment and wage data, to support public and private decision making; and
Whereas, The Standard Occupational Classification system is a federal statistical standard used by federal agencies to classify workers into occupational categories to use in data collection; and
Whereas, Currently, DSPs are misclassified in labor reports as Personal Care Assistants or Home Health Aides, both of which are job classifications that do not adequately represent the skill requirements of a DSP; and
Whereas, Designating DSPs as a Standard Occupational Classification would provide crucial information as policymakers look to address many interconnected policy issues relating to DSPs, including a workforce shortage amongst DSPs, high turnover rates, difficulties in recruiting and retaining DSPs, and low wages; and
Whereas, The continuation of current DSP workforce deficiencies may lead to a revolving door of unprepared or inexperienced workers, thus having a negative impact on the quality of services and supports and leading to inconsistent care for many individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities; and
Whereas, Designating a Standard Occupational Classification for DSPs would help officials make important decisions such as setting proper Medicaid reimbursement rates for services which compensate DSPs and identifying staffing needs, gaps in services, and risks for termination of services; and
Whereas, Designating a Standard Occupational Classification for DSPs would be a crucial step forward in addressing DSP workforce issues and for improving quality of care for many individuals with disabilities; now, therefore,
Be It
Resolved by the General Assembly of the State
of New Jersey:
1. This resolution urges the United States Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics to designate Direct Support Professionals as a Standard Occupational Classification.
2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General Assembly to the Commissioner of the United States Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics.
STATEMENT
This resolution urges the United States Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to designate Direct Support Professionals as a Standard Occupational Classification for data collection purposes.
Direct support professionals (DSPs) are the primary providers of publicly-funded long-term services and supports for millions of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. DSPs provide essential services and supports to help keep individuals with disabilities connected to their families, friends, and communities and out of costly institutional care.
While DSPs play a vital role in the lives of individuals with disabilities as well as in the healthcare system at large, there is little data or information available on DSPs. Currently, DSPs are misclassified in labor reports from the BLS and other agencies as Personal Care Assistants or Home Health Aides, both of which are job classifications that do not adequately represent the skill requirements of a DSP.
There is a critical need to capture accurate data on DSPs to ensure the federal government and state governments have accurate and timely information to make important decisions to address several workforce and other public policy issues relating to DSPs. Designating a Standard Occupational Classification for DSPs would help officials make important decisions such as setting proper Medicaid reimbursement rates for services which compensate DSPs and identifying staffing needs, gaps in services, and risks for termination of services. Addressing these issues through access to data on DSPs would help in addressing the workforce shortage amongst DSPs, high turnover rates, difficulties in recruiting and retaining DSPs, and low wages for those working in this occupation.
Designating a Standard Occupational Classification for DSPs would be a crucial step forward in addressing DSP workforce issues and for improving quality of care for many individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
