Direct Support Professional Week September 13–19, 2026
More Than a Job: Honoring Jawonio’s Direct Support Professionals
From September 13–19, Jawonio joins organizations across the country in celebrating Direct Support Professional Recognition Week. This is a time to recognize the extraordinary people whose work helps individuals with disabilities live with dignity, choice, independence and belonging.
At Jawonio, our Direct Support Professionals, DSPs, are at the heart of that work. They assist with personal care and medications, prepare meals, provide transportation, support communication and help people participate fully in their communities. But a list of responsibilities does not begin to describe what a DSP really does.
DSPs know the people they support. They know their routines and preferences, what makes them laugh, when something doesn’t seem quite right and when to offer assistance or step back and encourage independence. They celebrate accomplishments that may seem small to others but can represent months of work, patience and trust.
The National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP) has long worked to elevate direct support as a profession grounded in knowledge, skill and strong ethical standards. At its core is a belief Jawonio shares deeply: people with disabilities should have the opportunity to make choices, build relationships, participate in their communities and direct their own lives as they strive for independence.
For the individuals and families we serve, DSPs are far more than employees who arrive for a shift. They are trusted professionals and an essential part of everyday life.
A Year That Showed Us Just How Essential They Are
This DSP Week carries particular meaning at Jawonio.
For months, we traveled an extraordinarily difficult road surrounding Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for members of our Haitian workforce, many of whom are DSPs in Community Living Services (CLS) and Day Services, with the greatest impact on our residential programs.
Behind the headlines, court decisions and changing deadlines were our colleagues, people who had built lives here and who came to work every day supporting people with disabilities. Suddenly, they faced tremendous uncertainty about whether they could continue working and what the future would hold for themselves and their families.
Jawonio also had to prepare for what losing experienced DSPs could mean for the people we support, particularly in our residences.
These are homes. They operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. The people who live there depend upon their care professionals.
The end of work authorization for 22 of our staff TPS holders went much deeper than staffing a shift. It was the loss of trusted relationships, the familiarity and security of being supported by someone who knows you, understands how you communicate and has become part of the rhythm of your everyday life.
Throughout months of uncertainty, our CLS team worked tirelessly to maintain stability and prepare for circumstances that seemed to change constantly. Our Human Resources team navigated complicated employment requirements, documentation and deadlines while supporting employees through an incredibly difficult time. Jawonio leadership advocated with elected officials and government agencies and spoke publicly about what was happening.
It was and continues to be a heartbreaking and difficult road, but it demonstrated something powerful: when challenges arise, our people stand together for the people we serve and for one another.
Recognition Must Go Beyond One Week
Across New York and the nation, providers continue to struggle with DSP recruitment, retention, wages and workforce shortages. Behind those statistics are real people. An open position can mean another DSP working additional hours, a team trying to cover a home or program, and a family wondering whether the support their loved one depends upon will remain stable.
Recognizing DSPs therefore cannot end when DSP Week does. This profession deserves competitive wages, sustainable funding, opportunities for growth and the respect that comes with recognizing the skill and responsibility the work demands.
To Our DSPs: Thank You
During DSP Recognition Week, September 13–19, we celebrate our Jawonio DSPs. Thank you for the early mornings, late nights, weekends and holidays. Thank you for your patience and flexibility, for respecting choices, encouraging independence and helping people experience meaningful lives filled with relationships, opportunities and belonging.
This year, we offer an especially heartfelt thank-you to our entire CLS team for navigating an extraordinarily challenging period with determination, flexibility and compassion, and to our Human Resources team for the countless hours spent supporting our employees through the complexities and uncertainty surrounding TPS.
And to the DSPs who continued showing up for the people who depended upon them while facing uncertainty about their own futures: we see you, we value you and we thank you.
For nearly 80 years, Jawonio has worked to create opportunities for people with disabilities to live with independence, dignity, choice and belonging. Our DSPs make that mission real every day.
During DSP Week and every week we honor them, thank them and will continue to advocate for the recognition, respect and investment they deserve.***
So Much Good Happens Here.
***Jawonio will again be hosting our 4th Annual Rally in the Valley on March 19, 2027 at Rockland Community College in collaboration with more than 35 agencies who make up the Hudson Valley Service Providers. We will again advocate in support of DSPs and focus on what federal and state governments must do in recognizing both staff and the most vulnerable. Mark your calendars!
SO MUCH GOOD HAPPENS HERE.
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