There is overwhelming consensus that pay is not adequate. Direct service providers report not being able to support their families on their wages alone, despite the levels of education. Supervisors also recognize that pay is low and carry an emotional burden of not being able to increase wages and provide staff the compensation they deserve for the work that they do.

A DIRECT SERVICE PROVIDERS PERSPECTIVE

“It also makes the whole field kind of looked down upon. I'm not gonna make money right away. I'm getting all this extra education. I have to take out all these loans, and I'm gonna get paid nothing.”

THE PERSPECTIVE OF AN ADMINISTRATOR

“It's hard for me to watch and not have any control of the budget situation. All of my employees are working for almost the same amount of money as in the fast food industry...that's painful to me, people with 4 year plus degrees.”

Benefits were identified as both a barrier to hiring (when they are missing) but also a reason people stay in their jobs (if they are available). Many administrators shared that they offer benefits, particularly flexibility in work hours, as a way to offset low wages.

A DIRECT SERVICE PROVIDER’S PERSPECTIVE

“We have lost staff because we don't have retirement plans. We've had staff moved off of salary because they've changed to an hourly wage and a lower wage. Logistic-wise that hurts the longevity of what a career can look like in this field.”

AN ADMINISTRATOR’S PERSPECTIVE

“I've had to do a lot of hiring since I've been in this role. I feel at times that I have to put on the used care salesman hat and do the dance of "Well, this is going to be your salary that I can offer. But guess what! You get more work/life balance, you get flexibility, you get time off, staff with amazing people." And I can list a lot of really amazing benefits.”

Providers report personally paying for the trainings necessary to maintain their licensing credentials. There is a desire for these costs to be covered by the employer since the trainings benefit not only the individuals but also the organization that they work for.

PERSPECTIVES FROM DIRECT SERVICE PROVIDERS

“A lot of us need certificates, or credentials, to do our job. Every so many years we have to reapply. All of that costs money. A way to retain some of us would be to provide time to take those classes and money to help renew our certificates. That would be wonderful...it would benefits us and our clients.”

“Training costs a week's worth of time and x amount of money. However, my institution cannot afford that. So I am out of luck. Now, if I wanted to spend my own money that is totally acceptable. I think there at least should be some sort of grant or reimbursement rate...if I'm paying for these services to get trained, to then provide care, I'm also bolstering and increasing the quality of the institution that I'm working in.”