Thursday, Nov. 21 at 6 p.m.—RUTLAND—Vermont Care Partners and Rutland Mental Health Services are pleased to bring the documentary, “Invaluable—The Unrecognized Profession of Direct Support,” to the Tuttle Hall Theater at College of St. Joseph in Rutland.
“Invaluable” explores the under appreciated and underfunded work of direct support professionals (DSPs), the people who support individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in living full lives as members of their communities. The movie was created by the Institute on Community Inclusion at the University of Minnesota.
This free film screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Jerry Smith from the University of Minnesota’s Institute on Community Integration. For more information visit ici.umn.edu/product/invaluable/main.
Through stories and interviews with DSPs, family members, advocates, and people with disabilities from across the country, the film honors the complexity of the work and the immense value it provides to individuals receiving support. We are asked to act now in strengthening the DSP workforce before the system collapses. One powerful quote from the movie says it all: “We need a million new workers in the next 10 years to do direct support. Where are they going to come from and how are we going to keep them?”
“Invaluable” is not a film only for DSPs or people who work in social services. This is a documentary that is meant for all community members to experience and gain a better understanding of the critical role DSPs play in the lives of those who live with developmental and intellectual challenges and their families.
