When I graduated from college, I imagined that I would be able to find a job as a case manager. I had my BA in Psychology, I was about to get my MHRT-C (Mental Health Rehabilitation Technician Certification) and I was ready to help people. However, there was a glitch in my plan: apparently to be a case manager, or anyone big in the mental health field, I needed experience as a DSP.

A DSP, or Direct Support Professional, is the base level of the mental health field. It's a position in Human Services that supports people with developmental, intellectual or physical disabilities. It's a position that requires no degrees but a high school diploma. I had just spent four years in college only to be told that without experience my degree didn't mean anything. I was hesitant in looking at Direct Support Professional jobs. I didn't want to deal with incontinence, I didn't want to have to clean feeding tubes and I didn't want to do dishes, laundry and clean the bathroom when I had a degree that allowed me to offer people so much more.

I started looking more and more at job descriptions for different mental health companies. All of them wanted at least one year of experience in DSP work. It was frustrating to me. I had been a full time student and thinking about taking on a job during school had not crossed my mind at all. I never realized that wanting to be a good student and putting my studies first (and my free time! I needed that too) would result in me having to work a job that pays $10 an hour with inconvenient hours that restrict what I can do and when I can do it.

Direct Support Professionals are the foundation to any mental health program keeping strong. We are the ones that sit with residents 24/7. We are the ones who cook for them. We are the ones who clean up after them. We are the one that bathe them, wipe them, drive them all over the place. And yet, we are the ones who make the least amount possible. We are the ones who spend every waking moment with these residents and yet we are still not treated with respect, kindness or with a decent pay wage.

Being a DSP is incredibly stressful. In just the two short months I've been working with Goodwill, I have been called names, been sworn at, been accused of poisoning clients, had to deal with sexual advances and comments from clients and been told that my best is still not good enough to get me anywhere. I have gone to the hospital and sat for hours. I have gone to multiple trainings. I have taken over the spending account at my workplace and completely saved our program from getting shut down for overspending. I have taken on the job of buying groceries and planning out meals.

I have realized that this is not what I want to do. I never wanted to work with adults with disabilities. I want to work with children. But for now, I am stuck where I am. I am going to do everything I can to make a name for myself in this company. My manager has told me I have the potential to be a director someday. But for now, I think it may be time to step back from the stress and find something that suits me until I can find what I really want to do.