Learning Session Overview: Federal Member Updates & Understanding the National Core Indicators – State of the Workforce: Aging and Disabilities (NCI-AD™) and Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (NCI-IDD SoTW)®
Join National Association of State Head Injury Administrators (NASHIA) for a focused exploration of recent findings from the National Core Indicators – State of the Workforce: Aging and Disabilities (NCI-AD™) and National Core Indicators State of the Workforce for IDD (NCI-IDD SoTW)® reports followed by early 2026 federal updates from NASHIA staff.
National Core Indicators
Laura Vegas from the National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services and Dorothy Hiersteiner from the Human Services Research Institute will join us to discuss the NCI. NCI reports represent the most comprehensive national datasets on the Direct Support Professional (DSP) workforce serving adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), older adults, and individuals with physical disabilities.
This topic carries critical implications for people with brain injury. Many individuals with traumatic or acquired brain injury receive services through aging, IDD, physical disability, home- and community-based services (HCBS), or Medicaid waiver systems. As a result, brain injury supports are frequently delivered by the same DSP workforce reflected in these data. Workforce shortages, high turnover, and training gaps directly affect continuity of care, community participation, behavioral stability, and health outcomes—particularly for individuals with cognitive, behavioral, or complex medical needs who rely on consistent, skilled support.
Participants will:
Review national DSP workforce trends.
Examine key indicators including wages, turnover, and service capacity.
Discuss what the data reveal about recruitment, retention, and continuity of Medicaid-funded services.
Identify actionable opportunities for state agencies, providers, and advocates to strengthen and stabilize the DSP workforce across disability systems.
Session highlights include updates on median hourly wages, referral acceptance rates in the context of staffing shortages, and early tenure turnover trends.
This session will provide practical context for using workforce data to inform policy, advance cross-disability advocacy, improve retention strategies, and ensure DSPs are recognized, valued, and supported in their essential role serving people with disabilities, including those with brain injury.
Federal Updates
NASHIA will provide a staff update about various policy topics, including:
ACL Grant Solicitation
TBI Act
Appropriations
Community Engagement Requirements
Other timely federal updates