Dear Direct Support Professionals: Thank You!

No matter where you are, I’m sure you’re feeling the beginning of the shift, that unmistakable transition into fall. The air is cooler, snow has already settled onto some mountain peaks, gardens are being harvested at full force, the final camping and hiking weekends are winding down, kids are back in school, and daylight is doing what it always does this time of year—leaving us earlier and earlier.

Yet along with those changes comes a familiar feeling: Let’s do this. For me—and perhaps you can relate—September carries the energy of beginning again. It feels like a fresh start. A chance to revisit goals, embrace new opportunities, and consider what lies ahead. As the seasons prepare to change, it’s natural to look forward. To think about new adventures, new challenges, and new paths to follow.

But amid all that change, there is one thing that remains constant, steadfast, and reliable: the exceptional Direct Support Professionals who support the people we serve.

It doesn’t matter the season, the weather, or day of the week. DSPs are the roots that hold steady beneath the ever-changing landscape of the I/DD world. September brings Direct Support Professional Appreciation Week, a time for all of us to pause and intentionally recognize the incredible contributions DSPs make every single day.

Lately I’ve been asking myself: How do we move beyond a simple “thank you for all you do”? How do we express our gratitude in a way that truly reflects the depth of appreciation we feel? Because the truth is, this work is about so much more than the tasks. It’s more than assisting with activities of daily living. More than medication administration. More than covering shifts, working overtime, transporting people, completing documentation, and staying current on training requirements.

Those things matter. But it’s the human moments that deserve to be celebrated.

Direct Support Professionals: We see, recognize, celebrate and appreciate you. we sit in awe and wonder of who you are and what you bring to this work every day. Thank you for that morning you were running late when the person you support is counting on you to get them to work, a volunteer activity, or community event. Thank you for being vulnerable enough to apologize, then taking the extra step of stopping for a special coffee because you know how much they enjoy it. Thank you for treating people the way you would want someone to treat you.

Thank you for helping someone find their voice, and for being a voice when the world isn’t listening. Thank you for taking the time to truly listen when someone is experiencing fear, anxiety, or uncertainty about a new person, place, or situation. Thank you for offering patience, kindness, reassurance, and guidance. Thank you for being the safe person they can lean into when life feels overwhelming.

Thank you for celebrating accomplishments that others may overlook. You know the victories I’m talking about. They come in all shapes and sizes. Learning to zip up a jacket independently; making a successful road trip; speaking up at a planning meeting; or advocating for additional service hours. These moments matter because they represent growth, determination, and possibility. You celebrate them because you truly know the people you support. You see them every day. You witness their journey.

Thank you for your patience, especially on the days when things are hard and life is getting a little “lifey.” Thank you for knowing someone’s favorite music and changing the radio station to their favorite jam without being asked. Thank you for knowing their favorite foods, friends, activities, sports teams, movie stars, colors, and animals. More importantly, thank you for showing through your actions that these things matter because the person matters.

DSPs, thank you for helping people build lives, not simply receive services. Thank you for creating opportunities for relationships to develop, friendships to flourish, belonging to happen, and independence to grow. Thank you for helping people discover their gifts and find ways to share those gifts with the world.

You truly are the roots beneath it all. Much of what you do happens quietly and often goes unseen, but your work supports everything around you, and us. Families depend on you. Providers rely on you. Communities are strengthened by you. In many ways, our entire developmental disability system stands on the foundation you help create every single day.

Thank you for being steady when times feel uncertain. Thank you for bringing light, compassion, and hope into the lives of the people you support. Thank you for your unwavering commitment to helping people live the independent, flexible, and meaningful lives they choose. And most of all, thank you for knowing that it all begins with relationships. Relationships built on trust. Relationships grounded in honesty. Relationships strengthened by respect. Relationships filled with compassion. And especially relationships made brighter and better by laughter.

Thank you for the countless acts of kindness that may never make headlines, but changes lives. In a world that is always shifting, DSP’s remain a steady presence, helping people navigate life’s changes with dignity, confidence, and connection. You are the constant that helps make growth possible. You are the heart of this work. During DSP Appreciation Month, and every month, we celebrate and thank you.

Cindy Hensley is the President & CEO at ANCOR member Cindy & Vic’s R&R, Inc.