Today hundreds of individuals with disabilities, family members, direct support professionals and other services providers will descend upon the capitol in Denver.  There legislators from both sides of the aisle will host these visitors and officially proclaim February 17, 2010 as Awareness Day for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities.

 

Participating in this event will be representatives from Community Connections, Inc. (CCI), the Community-Centered Board for individuals with developmental disabilities in Southwest Colorado, and Alliance, a Colorado professional organization representing thousands of direct support professionals across the state. The crucial issue at hand for 2010 is the alarming shortage of direct support professionals (DSP’s) to provide essential services for individuals with disabilities.

 

One individual representing CCI will be Lisa Vasquez, a direct support professional at the Durango-based Holly House and a nominee for the statewide DSP of the Year Award. For Vasquez, “It’s not about the money. It’s about seeing people being able to do something today that they weren’t able to do for themselves yesterday.”

 

However, the crisis for DSP’s is about the money. The job can be emotionally and physically tasking, yet nationwide, DSP’s make only 55% of national average in wages. This creates staggering turnover and a workforce of DSP’s living in poverty or at low-income levels.

 

The local situation is similar. While the intrinsic benefits are great, many DSP’s find that they cannot support themselves and their family on the wages offered, especially in the high cost-of-living communities in our area.

 

For individuals with developmental disabilities, their DSP’s can be some of the most important people in their lives. Often DSP’s are the ones who assure a person’s bills are paid, shopping is done and meals are prepared. DSP’s help get people out in the community to jobs. In some cases, DSP’s are taking care of the most basic of needs, including bathing, feeding and toileting. A good, caring Direct Support Professional is not only important to quality of life, but to life itself.

 

(Info Box)

 

Check Your Awareness – Did you know?

n      Community Connections serves over 250 adults, children and families with developmental disabilities in Archuleta, Dolores, La Plata, Montezuma, and San Juan counties.

n      The terms intellectual and developmental disabilities refer to a wide array of syndromes that can cause impairments to the intellect, including Down syndrome, cerebral palsy and autism.

n      Almost 40% of funding to services at Community Connections comes from Medicaid. Other funding comes from the State of Colorado, local governments, United Way, grants, fundraising efforts and private donations.

n      Services to individuals with intellectual and developmental delays and disabilities may start at birth and go through the end of life.

n      In 2010, Community Connections will celebrate its 25^th Anniversary of serving individuals and families in Southwest Colorado.

n      Services to individuals with developmental disabilities focus on building the strengths and abilities of each individual.

 

For more information or to see a video on developmental disabilities, visit the Community Connections’ website at cci-colorado.org.