Institute on Community Integration, University of Minnesota
  • National Workforce Consultant
Email
sand1041@umn.edu
Phone
+1 612-624-6830
Address
Masonic Institute on the Developing Brain
Rm 1-305B1g [map]
2025 E River Pkwy
MInneapolis, MN 55414

Megan Sanders is a national workforce consultant at the University of Minnesota's Institute on Community Integration. She provides training, consultation, and technical assistance to provider organizations, states, and individuals to address workforce challenges for direct support professionals (DSPs) and frontline supervisors (FLSs). Using data and best practices, her work informs strategies to support the recruitment, selection, training, and retention of DSPs and FLSs. She earned master's degrees in social work and public policy from the University of Minnesota and a bachelor's degree from Truman State University. Working as both a DSP and a FLS before joining the ICI staff in 2020, Sanders learned firsthand how the field’s persistently high staff turnover and vacancy rates affected her and the people she supported.

“I loved the work, but I was at the group home all of my waking hours and was on call even while sleeping because of the workforce shortage, and that wasn’t sustainable,” Sanders said. “I knew I needed to contribute to systems-level solutions so that people being supported are truly part of their communities and don’t have to worry about whether their staff will show up the next day.”

Projects

Project

DirectCourse

Offers a suite of competency-based, online curricula for professionals providing services to people with intellectual, developmental, physical, and psychiatric disabilities, and to older adults....

Project

Minnesota DHS Systems Change and Capacity Building Through Research, Training, and Technical Assistance Projects

Conducts research, training and technical assistance activities that enhance Minnesota's capacity to support community living for individuals with disabilities and/or mental illness. Primary areas …

Project

Maryland - College of Direct Support

These services will strengthen Maryland's direct support workforce through professional development, competency-based training, and a credentialing system. The Training Policy Framework for DSPs ( …

Project

Sherlock Workforce Initiative Project

Conducts training and technical assistance to recruit, select, hire, train, and retain direct support professionals (DSPs) and frontline supervisors (FLSs), ultimately improving services and …

Project

Direct Support Workforce Solutions

Direct Support Workforce Solutions is a national consulting group addressing the workforce needs of organizations providing community-based supports for individuals with disabilities. Drawing on …

Products

The Direct Support Workforce and COVID-19 National Report: Six-Month Follow-up

Reports on the findings of a survey—conducted by ICI in partnership with the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals—of approximately 9,000 direct support professionals (DSPs) from …

Published: 2021-04-02