Direct Support Professional Week

WHEREAS, direct support workers, direct care workers, personal assistants and in-home support workers are the primary providers of publicly funded, long-term support and services for millions of individuals who have special needs; and

WHEREAS, these professionals provide a broad range of services including perperation of meals, help with medications, personal hygiene, mobility and transportation; and

WHEREAS, recognizing the importance of social interaction and community involvement, a direct support professional helps keep individuals with disabilities connected to family, friends and the community; and

WHEREAS, the work of these professionals is essential to allowing the disabled to live successfully as a part of their communities, and also enables those individuals and their families to avoid costly institutional care:

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Robert Bentley, Governor of Alabama, do hereby proclaim September 7 through September 13, 2014, as

Direct Support Professional Week

in the state of the Alabama.