Direct Support Professionals are the Heart of Connection
Mosaic’s Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) are the heart of connection at our organization because their work builds relationships, communities and meaningful lives.
September 7-13 is Direct Support Professional Recognition Week, a time to honor their important contributions.
A good analogy for DSPs is supporting cast members in a play. The star is the person with intellectual or developmental disabilities a DSP supports; DSPs the ones who help that person thrive.
They are the heart of connection.
But they’re more than just connectors. They are a knowing smile, a supportive hand, a willing listener, a patient mentor. They are there in the good times and the tough ones.
It can be very demanding work. DSPs must have the physical strength to help people transfer from a wheelchair to a chair or bed. They must have the emotional strength to maintain composure if the person they’re helping gets frustrated and lashes out verbally or physically.
But when you ask a tenured DSP why they stick around, the answer is invariably the same: the people. They find reward in helping people have better, more fulfilling lives than they could without their support.
“Our direct support workforce, across Mosaic’s 12 states, are at the very heart of our mission,” said Jenniffer LeDoux, Mosaic Chief Operating Officer. “They don’t just provide support; they empower people to live the lives they choose. Their dedication transforms our purpose into a reality, one person at a time.”
Mosaic DSPs have various job titles and responsibilities. They work as employees or contracted shared living Home Providers or direct care workers. In whatever role they serve, they don’t seek attention or recognition for themselves.
That’s why Direct Support Professional Recognition Week is important. It lets us shine a spotlight on them for a moment, to highlight the good people they are and the great work they do.
If you know or interact with any DSPs this week, please thank them for improving lives. While they may try to shrug off the recognition, remind them they deserve it.