COLUMBIA, S.C. — There's a new way for existing and entering employees of the South Carolina Department of Disabilities and Special Needs (DDSN) to climb through the ranks faster.
It's all in an effort to retain and recruit more staff due to the healthcare worker shortage our state is dealing with.
Gene Baughman, the Midlands Center facility administrator tells News19 this is their way of thinking creatively with a challenging labor market.
"From what I understand it's way better. The incentives are much better and the place for advancement -- and if you want to change your path of what type of career you want to take out here -- it's there, it's doable," said Yvonne Gilyard, direct support professional at DDSN.
According to its mission statement, DDSN is the state agency that plans, develops, oversees and funds services for South Carolinians with severe, lifelong disabilities and the conditions that arise from conditions such as intellectual disability, autism, traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury.
Once you have three years of experience at the DDSN Midlands Center, you get a pay bump and can serve as a team lead. DDSN has also tripled the number of staff per unit.
One of these state employees, Latoya Tillman, explains she expects this new career path will give her co-workers the bump they need.
"This is a rewarding job but also challenging, so for the staff to get that promotion or be bumped up and get that extra income, especially due to how everything is high out here in society, the cost of living, so I'm very excited for the staff," Tillman.
Employees say at the end of the day they love what they do because they put smiles on the faces of people who rely on them.
"It's a great feeling that you get when you walk into your unit and your consumers run up to you and grab your hand, everybody pulling you in different directions. They enjoy being with you because they like the way you care for them," Gilyard said.