At Sandata, supporting the agencies we serve is of the utmost importance—our passion is to help organizations provide the best care possible to those in need. Part of that support is advocating for the necessary federal funding to keep agencies running. On October 12th, 2022, Sandata team members Carey Sowle, SVP Professional Services, and Joe Miller, I/DD Sales Executive, had the opportunity to advocate on Capitol Hill on behalf of the I/DD provider community during the ANCOR Policy Summit.
The ANCOR Policy Summit is anchored in its commitment to advocating on behalf of the community of providers who make magic happen every day. Providers are the lifeblood of the industry, and they’re struggling to stay afloat. Here are some of the current industry challenges*:
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- 92% of providers are struggling to achieve quality standards
- 83% of providers are turning away new referrals
- 63% of providers are discontinuing certain programs and services
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The I/DD workforce crisis is real, and it is affecting the ability for individuals with disabilities to receive the care they need. There were three main objectives when the Sandata team joined ANCOR members on the Hill:
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- Increase funding for workforce initiatives
- Create a standard Occupational Classification for Direct Support Professionals (DSPs)
- Support career pipeline programs for DSPs
Carey Sowle had the opportunity to join an advocacy group with provider members from New York state. “The New York providers are passionate and confident in the requests they were making on Capitol Hill,” said Sowle. “It was an enlightening experience and one that helped create strong connections that we can continue to build on.”
Joe Miller joined a group of providers from Ohio on his Hill visits, exclaiming that this “was an incredible behind-the-scenes look at how our field works diligently to advocate on the Hill. I got to see first-hand the energy and effort behind advocating for better working conditions for their staff to ensure better care for their clients.”
Through our advocacy work with ANCOR, we better understand the pain points of those in the I/DD industry, and better address those issues through the software and services we provide. It is a unique perspective that is invaluable to our organization. By understanding, supporting, and advocating for providers, we’re confident that our company, software, and services will continuously improve to better address challenges within the I/DD industry.
*The State of America’s Direct Support Workforce Crisis 2022. Alexandria, VA: ANCOR, 2022
