Solving the Care Crisis: How One Fellowship Is Building a New Workforce

NEW YORK, NY – August 26, 2026 – As the nation grapples with a deepening crisis in care, one nonprofit is scaling an innovative business model that does more than just fill a gap—it builds a bridge to the future. NEXT for AUTISM, a leading organization dedicated to transforming services for autistic adults, announced today the significant expansion of its NEXT for AUTISM FELLOWS program. This work-based scholarship initiative offers a compelling dual solution to one of the healthcare sector's most pressing challenges: the chronic shortage of Direct Support Professionals (DSPs).

This fall, the program will welcome its largest cohort yet—37 college and graduate students—bringing its active roster to 60 Fellows. By nearly doubling in size and expanding into three new regions, including its first foray outside the continental U.S. in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the organization is amplifying a model that pairs students in need of financial aid and experience with autistic adults who require consistent, skilled support. It’s an intersection of need and opportunity that offers a powerful lesson in strategic, human-centered innovation.

A Workforce on the Brink

The expansion of the FELLOWS program is not happening in a vacuum. It is a direct response to a systemic failure in the American care infrastructure. The shortage of DSPs—the frontline professionals who provide essential daily support for individuals with autism and other disabilities—has reached critical levels. According to recent industry reports, the statistics paint a grim picture: nearly 90% of service providers are currently short-staffed, and almost one in five DSP positions nationwide remains unfilled.

The core of the problem is a persistent cycle of high turnover, with national rates hovering near 40%. Research shows that roughly two-thirds of DSPs who leave their jobs do so within the first year, a churn driven primarily by low wages that often fail to keep pace with the cost of living. Despite recent increases, the national average wage of around $18 per hour is often insufficient, forcing these vital professionals to work multiple jobs or rely on public assistance. This economic pressure is compounded by the lack of a specific federal job classification for DSPs, which hinders data collection and devalues the profession.

The consequences of this workforce instability are devastating. Providers are forced to make impossible choices, with over 60% reporting they have had to turn away new referrals. This has created staggering waitlists, with over 331,000 Americans waiting an average of more than four years for intellectual and developmental disability services. For families, this means shouldering an immense caregiving burden, while for autistic individuals, it means a loss of opportunity for community engagement, independent living, and a dignified life.

A Strategic and Sustainable Intervention

It is within this challenging landscape that the NEXT for AUTISM FELLOWS program emerges as a beacon of strategic design. The model is elegantly simple yet profoundly effective: it provides tuition assistance to qualified health and human services students in exchange for paid work as a DSP serving neurodivergent adults. This creates a pipeline of motivated, educated, and dedicated support professionals.

"The need for skilled Direct Support Professionals has never been greater, but the impact of this work extends far beyond the time spent as a DSP," said Gillian Leek, CEO of NEXT for AUTISM. "Through FELLOWS, students gain invaluable skills in communication, leadership and empathy that they can carry into any career they choose, creating lasting impact for autistic adults and communities."

Beyond the immediate benefit of filling crucial roles, the program invests in long-term professional development. Fellows meet quarterly to study the 'NEXT for DSP' framework, a person-centered curriculum focused on four pillars: Choice, Belonging, Healthy Living, and Lifelong Learning. This training ensures that the support provided is not merely custodial but empowering, fostering autonomy and well-being for the individuals they serve. The program's design creates a virtuous cycle. "What makes this program so powerful is that everyone benefits," explained Abigayle Jayroe, SVP of Strategic Initiatives. "Autistic adults receive more consistent, trained support, and students gain the kind of real-world experience that cannot be taught in a classroom alone and will stay with them throughout their careers."

Scaling Impact from Coast to Coast

The program's success is now fueling its ambitious expansion. Since its launch in 2023, FELLOWS has awarded 80 scholarships and contributed nearly 40,000 hours of direct support. The 2026-27 academic year marks a pivotal moment of growth, with the addition of new partnerships in Essex County, NJ; Monticello, NY; and, most notably, San Juan, Puerto Rico. This expansion into Puerto Rico is a deliberate move to extend the organization's reach into an underserved region with significant demand for trained DSPs, demonstrating a commitment to addressing care deserts.

This growth is underwritten by strategic philanthropic partnerships with The Louis J. and June E. Kay Foundation, The Taft Foundation, and the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation. Their support validates the model's potential not just as a charitable endeavor, but as a replicable blueprint for workforce development that could be adopted in other sectors facing similar crises.

Cultivating a New Generation of Leaders

Perhaps the most profound impact of the FELLOWS program is the one that is hardest to quantify: the cultivation of empathy and understanding in the next generation of healthcare leaders. The program doesn't just create DSPs; it creates more informed doctors, researchers, therapists, and policymakers.

Nancy Elsohafy, a program alumna, embodies this long-term value. "Working as a Direct Support Professional gave me the opportunity to continue my education while gaining a much deeper understanding of autistic adults and their experiences," she shared. The scholarship and paid experience were instrumental in helping her complete a master's degree and pursue a Ph.D. in cognitive neuroscience. For her, the impact is indelible. "What I learned through this work will stay with me as I pursue a career in research, and I believe that experience supporting autistic adults directly will make me a more thoughtful and informed professional."

Her story illustrates the program's ultimate promise. By embedding future leaders in the realities of direct support, NEXT for AUTISM is ensuring that the lessons of person-centered care ripple outward, influencing fields far beyond the immediate world of disability services and shaping a more inclusive and empathetic society for years to come.