Calls continue for an increase in pay for Direct Service Professionals in Illinois
Due to higher turnover rates and vacancies, state legislators and Direct Service Professionals are asking for $3.00 rate wage increase.
The call for a rate increase comes after a $2.50 wage increase for the workers in Fiscal Year 2024.
Skipping an increase for Fiscal Year 2025 means that there have been two consecutive years without wage rate increases.
Guidehouse recommends wage rates for Direct Service Professionals at 150% of the state’s minimum wage. The current wage rate of $17.39 is 139% of the minimum wage.
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Lawmakers and advocates cite a high turnover rate as part of the need for the increase. The turnover rates for Direct Service Professional workers have gone up to 50%, which is an increase from the 2022 rate of 41.6%.
And while vacancy rates for Direct Service Professionals have dropped slightly from 18.7% to 17.3%, nearly 58% of Illinois Association of Rehabilitation Facilities surveyed so far in 2024 have reported an increase in vacancies.
Legislation has been drawn up in both the Illinois House and Senate to help increase the rate wage for Direct Service Professionals, but no progress has been made on advancing the legislation thus far.
Rep. Maurice West, D-Rockford, sponsor of House Bill 4962 discussed the importance of the wage increase and how it will help the workers and the industry as a whole.
“This workforce is at a breaking point, and if we are to recruit and retain staff we need to invest in these critical services,” West said during a May 8 news conference. “Without adequate pay we will see higher turnover rates, without adequate pay we will see dissatisfied workers, and without adequate pay it could potentially cause harm to the quality of life for those who have intellectual and developmental disabilities.”
Contact Hope Gadson: hgadson@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Calls continue for an increase in pay for Direct Service Professionals
