In June, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) published the Federal Register notice announcing review of the 2018 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) Manual for possible revision in 2028 and soliciting comments. This notice starts the process of reviewing and possibly changing the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) Manual for 2028. They’re looking at things like how jobs are classified, the rules for coding them, the main groups of jobs, specific jobs such as public safety telecommunicators and care workers and adding new types of jobs to the classification system.

NADSP Senior Policy Advisor Nicole Jorwic created an explainer video with an overview on the topic. In the video she explains the process that just started with the Federal Government, for them to identify new job types that require a Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code. Cllck here to watch the video.

The time is now to ACT, to show why direct support professionals (DSPs) need their own SOC code. Without one, the unique work that DSPs do will not be captured and the historically low wages that DSPs make will remain the norm. An SOC will allow for good data around wages and allow for the professionalization of the DSP workforce. The US Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is seeking comments, so take some time, use our template below and make your voice heard. We encourage you to edit our template to share why you as a DSP would benefit from an SOC.  To access our template, click here.

NADSP recognizes how complex direct support is. There are so many important aspects of the profession that need to be recognized. We have updated our template to include editable phrases that correspond to the NADSP Competencies.

You can submit comments by August 12, 2024, through the website http://www.regulations.gov/. This site allows the public to view and comment on documents published in the Federal Register. To find the document, enter “BLS-2024-0001” in the Comment or Submission search box, click Go, and follow the instructions to submit your comments. Your comments will become part of the official record if received by the specified date. Start your comments with the Docket ID “BLS-2024-0001” and include the phrase “Standard Occupation Classification (SOC) – Updates for 2028.”

We’d love to know when you submit a public comment so that we may document how many have come from our NADSP Community. If you submit a public comment, please email us here – njorwic@nadsp.org.

Helpful Links for Action

VIDEO: NADSP Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) Explainer

Where Do I Submit My Comments – Regulations.gov

Comment Template for DSPs- We Encourage to Edit to Share YOUR Why

Revising the Standard Occupational Classification