Direct Support Professionals Workforce

North Carolina is currently facing a critical shortage of DSPs, significantly affecting the availability and quality of home and community-based services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). The DSP Workforce Plan outlines the Department's comprehensive, multi-year strategy to address this shortage and reaffirms our commitment to supporting DSPs and the vital services they provide. Implementation of the plan will begin on July 1.

Direct Support Professionals (DSP) Incentives – Round Two

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) is continuing its commitment to strengthening the Direct Support Professional (DSP) workforce with Round Two of the DSP Recruitment and Retention Incentive Program. This funding will support efforts to recruit and retain DSPs, ensuring that individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) receive high-quality care in their communities.

Please review the linked instructional video for a walkthrough on how to submit an application.
Instructional Video

Please review the provided application assistance documents:
DSP Incentives Program Round 2 Application
DSP Incentive Program Round 2 FAQ

The team was offered 3 sessions of office hours, if your question is unable to be answered within the FAQ document, please email: dmhiddcontact@dhhs.nc.gov 

Important: Only one application per agency or Employer of Record (EOR) is permitted. Submitting multiple applications will result in disqualification.
Live application
Please note the application will close at 5pm on May 27th, 2025. Submissions after this time will not be accepted.