THE FACTS
Direct Support
30%
Pennsylvania pays workers in its state centers 30% more than it reimburses for direct support professionals and direct care workers.
50%
Percentage of intellectual disability and autism providers that say they have reduced service capacity due to staffing shortages for residential and community-based programs.
24%
The reported vacancy rate for direct support professional positions.
130%
Annual turnover rate of direct support professionals who separate from their positions within three months of hire. Many cited the low pay, difficult work and uncertain schedules.
6500
Number of Pennsylvanians with ID/A that have lost day services during the pandemic and have not returned due to the staffing crisis.
Mental Health
40%
Percentage of U.S. adults who reported struggling with mental health or substance use in the prior 30 days based on federal data amid the pandemic.
26%
Among people ages 18-24, one in four “seriously considered suicide in the past 30 days,” translating into 82.5 million young men and women across the country.
73%
Percentage of parents who say COVID-19 has impacted the mental wellbeing of their K-12 children.
1/2
Nearly half of all Black, Hispanic, Asian, Native American and LGBTQ+ individuals say they have personally experienced increased mental health challenges over the past 12 months, but few received treatment.
