Direct support professionals (DSPs) and frontline supervisors (FLSs) have critical roles in home and community-based services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Low wages and high levels of responsibility created a long-term crisis in recruitment and retention and are exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. A national…

Recruitment challenges and costs were identified by administrators from 129 agencies that provide residential, vocational, and other services to persons with developmental disabilities in Minnesota. Finding qualified applicants was the most difficult staffing problem reported. Incentives included competitive benefits, allowing time off without…

This curriculum was designed to teach frontline supervisors of community-based services and programs that provide supports to persons with developmental disabilities. The curriculum is based on a set of identified competencies for frontline supervisors and the findings of a series of focus groups that were conducted by the Institute on Community…

This curriculum was developed to train the frontline supervisors (FLS) in human service agencies to become active in their organizations and at their individual sites in the recruitment, retention, and training of direct support professionals. It is based on research-based competencies for frontline supervisors that were developed following a…