House file would pilot direct‑support professional certification to grow direct‑care workforce

House File 1742, introduced by Representative Perez Vega and heard April 1 by the House Committee for Human Services, would establish a three‑year pilot to create a direct‑support professional (DSP) certification pathway and related supports.

Sponsor testimony said Minnesota faces a persistent direct‑care worker shortage and that the 2018 Olmstead recommendations and subsequent work show credentialing and career ladders can help recruitment and retention. The bill calls for DHS to partner with the Office of Higher Education, selected counties (Anoka and Dakota were mentioned), Metropolitan Center for Independent Living and willing postsecondary institutions to implement a curriculum leading to a certified direct‑support professional credential. The pilot would provide stipends for participants (jobseekers, family caregivers, college students) to complete training and seek placements across child, adult disability and older‑adult service settings.

Jesse Beth Gomez, executive director of the Metropolitan Center for Independent Living, described the organization’s role developing curriculum and noted the direct‑care workforce gap has grown from about 10,000 in 2018 to an estimated 53,000 today, citing displacement of people into higher‑cost institutional settings. Supporters said the pilot aims to scale education and credentialing to bring more workers into community settings and reduce pressure on institutional care.

The committee laid the bill over for possible inclusion; members and witnesses framed the proposal as a workforce development approach that requires collaboration among DHS, higher education and counties to be effective.