More than 500 Missourians with disabilities are waiting on services because of a caregiver shortage. Without proper staffing, many in-home and group home providers have stopped taking clients from the state鈥檚 waitlist. The list has doubled since July and continues to grow.
The coronavirus pandemic spurred a hemorrhaging of workers in an already short-staffed industry. In 2019, Missouri had a 50% turnover rate in the industry. The state Department of Mental Health is working on updating statistics, but a spokesperson said the pandemic only made turnover worse. And not enough new workers are waiting in the wings.
鈥淣ow it is a crisis on top of a crisis,鈥� Joy Steele said on Friday鈥檚 St. Louis on the Air. She鈥檚 the CEO of Willows Way, a disability caregiving service in St. Charles.
People in the industry attribute the shortage to one main thing: a lack of competitive wages. Providers must often pay wages permitted by state-determined Medicaid reimbursement rates, and these days, fast food and retail chains often offer better pay than those rates.
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson proposed $375 million in additional funding for the fiscal year that starts in July. That would bring the starting wage for direct care providers to $15 an hour. Until then, direct care staff in Missouri start at $12.39 an hour.
Jessica Bax, the director of developmental disabilities for Missouri鈥檚 Department of Mental Health, said she hopes the legislature signs off on Parson鈥檚 proposal.
鈥淲e know that the market is very competitive right now for labor,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e feel like this is a significant increase and investment beyond what is being included in the rates today.鈥�
But some providers wonder if Parson鈥檚 increase would even be enough. Through fundraising, Willows Way raised its wages to up to $18 an hour. Steele said she still has trouble attracting staff.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think we鈥檝e reached the magic wage,鈥� Steele said.
The shortage forced Willows Way to stop accepting new residential clients. And they certainly aren鈥檛 alone. Statewide, more than 2,000 vacancies for direct support professionals need to be filled, according to the Missouri Association of Rehabilitation Services. Some providers have had to close homes and end leases with clients, shuttering services. Some are relying on overtime and temp agencies to fill the gap.
Maddy Williams has waited for an independent supported-living placement for eight months. She鈥檚 18 and has autism. Her mom, Angie, stays home to take care of her, but she said she needs to start working to provide for her family.
鈥淵ou ask for help, and it鈥檚 simply not there,鈥� Angie Williams said.
Whether it鈥檚 a group home or in-home services, these programs generally operate 24/7, 365 days a year. It鈥檚 a lot of hours to fill.
Steele said Willows Way needs to staff 1,000 more hours a week right now. To fill shifts, it's tripled overtime hours. Sometimes, Steele is the one covering shifts. She doesn鈥檛 see an alternative.
鈥淲e鈥檙e not an industry that can close,鈥� Steele said.
Karen Mabins has worked as a direct support professional for 30 years. She鈥檚 seen firsthand how lack of pay hurts the industry, but still, she calls the job a blessing.
鈥淚 couldn't possibly pay you enough in order for you to treat someone well, in order for you to have a kind heart and be considerate and be concerned. There's no dollar value on that,鈥� Mabins said. 鈥淏ut you would like to be compensated for it the best that you can.鈥�
Mabins said she doesn鈥檛 want her clients to end up in a congregate living setting within a hospital or big institution, which she fears could happen if staffing shortages grow more acute. Mabins is convinced Missourians with disabilities belong in community homes.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know who needs to sound the alarm and say how much of a precious entity this is,鈥� she said.
鈥�鈥� brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is hosted by and produced by , , and . Jane Mather-Glass is our production assistant. The audio engineer is .
