Direct-care agency leaders in New Hampshire are as concerned about the workforce shortage as are their counterparts nationally.

Without an ability to pay higher wages, Area Agencies and other providers serving individuals with developmental disabilities, acquired brain disorders, and autism, as well as seniors in need of care across the state, continue to struggle to find and keep workers. Individuals who may have otherwise served as Direct Support Professionals are instead opting for better paying and less stressful jobs at other larger scale employers, such as Whole Foods and Walmart.

Community Support Network Inc. (CSNI), an association of NH’s area agencies, calculates the level of vacancies at service providers is 33%. And we know families also continue to struggle to find experienced workers for the budgets they can afford. Current staff and families struggle to balance workloads without sufficient staff.

It seems the only solution is to increase wages through increased reimbursement rates. That could happen through the NH Department of Health and Human Services and state legislators supporting such an effort. Unfortunately, that’s not yet in the cards.

U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan and some of her federal colleagues have introduced legislation that can help. The Gateway to Careers Act addresses the workforce challenge by supporting career pathways strategies, which combine work, education, and support services to help individuals earn recognized postsecondary credentials. Similarly, The Relaunching America’s Workforce Act increases support to allow employers to receive partial funding to keep workers on the payroll while employees improve their job skills through training. The bill also restarts a grant program supporting partnerships between community colleges and industry, which was implemented during the Great Recession and is geared toward getting workers skills for in-demand jobs.

New Hampshire organizations are working on solutions too. At the start of 2021, Gateways Community Services (an Area Agency) and The PLUS Company (a private provider) partnered with Wilbur H. Palmer Career-Technical Center at Alvirne High School to educate high school students about becoming a Direct Support Professional (DSP). Funding came from a UNH Institute on Disability grant subcontracted through CSNI. “This project creates an opportunity to educate students and address workforce challenges,” said Sandy Pelletier, CEO/President of Gateways Community Services. A handful of students have already started working for families. Similar DSP courses are expected to expand to other high schools and Adult Learning Centers over the coming year.

However, that won’t be enough to solve the workforce shortages. Just like direct-care agency leaders in our neighboring states and beyond, we need our state policymakers to address this issue as a priority.

Susan O’Callaghan is Gateways Community Services director of public policy/legal affairs and chief of staff.

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