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State opens $9 million DSP recruitment-and-retention grant for provider agencies
Summary
The Division announced a DSP recruitment-and-retention grant for agencies that employ direct support professionals: applications opened with an expected $9,000,000 total to fund up to 100 awards; the application window closes Nov. 8 and awards are expected in early 2025.
Tina Barrett, IDD team lead at the Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse Services, announced a new recruitment-and-retention grant for agencies that employ direct support professionals (DSPs), saying the request for proposals opened that day.
"We are looking at expecting to fund up to 100 grants, at $9,000,000 total," Barrett said, describing the awards as one-time investments to support recruitment and retention initiatives for providers who deliver Medicaid or state-funded IDD services.
Barrett said the application will remain open through Nov. 8 and that the division plans a webinar on Sept. 11 and office hours on Sept. 19, Sept. 26 and Oct. 3 to answer applicant questions. Eligible providers include agencies that deliver Medicaid and/or state-funded IDD services; Barrett specified the RFA targets provider-based models rather than employer-of-record/self-directed models.
The division asked applicants to submit proposals outlining initiatives and budgets and said it will prioritize projects that propose sustainable recruitment and retention strategies. Barrett said the division intends to make awards and distribute funds in early 2025.
The announcement followed the division's broader discussion of workforce shortages in the IDD service system and other strategic-plan priorities aimed at strengthening community-based services and reducing wait lists. The division encouraged providers to use the scheduled webinar and office hours to clarify allowable uses and application requirements.
Next steps: the RFP is open through Nov. 8; applicants should consult the division's RFA documentation and the scheduled informational events for application guidance.
