Addressing the Disability Services Workforce Crisis of the 21st Century

Intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) services are contending with external market disruptions which severely affect workforce retention and recruitment and are causing a public health crisis. Without qualified staff, agencies are limited in how they offer client-driven services, namely assisting individuals with IDD in living where, with whom and how they choose.

This report examines what we know about the recruitment and retention crisis in the I/DD field and explores key reasons why significant investments in the direct support workforce crisis are needed now before our system is pushed past the point of no return.