Op-ed urges Congress to classify DSPs in SOC

An op-ed is urging Congress to classify direct support professionals (DSPs) separately in the federal Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system. The commentary argues that DSPs remain “invisible” in federal workforce measurement because they are not recognized as a discrete occupation in the SOC system. The author says that lack of SOC recognition distorts data on shortages, wages, and turnover. The piece frames SOC classification as a prerequisite for better policy design and improved workforce stability.

The op-ed focuses on how federal workforce measurement drives the datasets used to understand labor-market conditions. In the author’s view, DSPs not being listed as a distinct occupation in the SOC system limits visibility into the workforce challenges providers report. The commentary argues that the current structure makes it harder to quantify the scale of shortages and to interpret wage and turnover data accurately. The author presents SOC recognition as a foundational step for collecting and using more precise workforce information.

The op-ed urges support for the Recognizing the Role of Direct Support Professionals Act, identified as H.R. 6137 / S. 3211. The piece links that legislation to the broader push for SOC recognition, positioning classification as a needed building block for subsequent policy work. The author’s core claim is that workforce policy is harder to design and target when the occupation is not separately counted and measured within the federal SOC system.

Provider organizations routinely cite workforce instability as the binding constraint on service capacity. The op-ed ties that operational reality to downstream effects that providers manage daily, including waitlists, shift coverage, and program closures.

The commentary argues the SOC push is structurally important because it would enable more precise labor-market data. In turn, that data could support evidence-based rate advocacy and targeted workforce development funding, with the goal of improving stability in the DSP workforce.