Across the nation, I/DD provider agencies are facing a painful reality: the direct support workforce is in crisis. Agencies are short-staffed, leadership teams are stretched thin, and the professionals who are meant to be delivering care are burned out or walking away.
The traditional methods of recruiting, hiring, and retaining Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) are no longer working. But that doesn’t mean providers are out of options. At GoodLife Innovations, we’ve spent decades in the field, navigating the same workforce challenges you face today. That real-world experience led us to create GoodLife University (GoodLife U). This provider-to-provider consulting solution is helping agencies redesign their workforce strategies and finally break free from the chaos of staffing shortages.
GoodLife U is not a job board, a short-term training program, or a tech platform. It is a proven, research-backed system that helps you stabilize your workforce, improve staff retention, and ensure continuity of care by reimagining your scheduling and compensation models.
Why Traditional Staffing Models Are No Longer Enough
Many provider agencies are still relying on outdated scheduling strategies, heavy use of part-time or relief staff, and reactive coverage methods. These models may have worked 15 years ago, but in today’s labor market, they create exhaustion and instability.
When schedules are unpredictable, wages are inconsistent, and leadership is forced to cover shifts, it is not surprising that turnover remains high. Every lost DSP means more pressure on the team, more overtime, more service gaps, and more risk.
It’s not sustainable. That’s why GoodLife U starts with one goal: immediate relief for organizations that are drowning in workforce challenges.
What Is GoodLife U?
GoodLife U is a hands-on consulting program that helps I/DD providers build a better, more stable DSP workforce from the ground up. It focuses on three core areas:
Schedule Redesign
Using your agency’s existing structure, we identify smarter shift models — like 36- or 48-hour workweeks — that reduce the need for part-time staff, eliminate unnecessary handoffs, and give DSPs better work-life balance.
Compensation Strategy
We help agencies restructure their existing payroll to better support their workforce, often resulting in DSP wage increases without requiring additional funding. In some cases, we’ve helped agencies raise hourly wages by as much as $3, depending on their pay structure and budget.
Implementation Support
We don’t just give you a plan and walk away. Our team walks with you, providing weekly consultation, internal communication support, and access to our library of tools and templates so you can lead change with confidence.
The result is a workforce model that actually works — one that reduces vacancies, lowers burnout, and improves the quality of care for the individuals you serve.
Built for Providers, by Providers
What makes GoodLife U unique is that it wasn’t built in a boardroom or a research lab. It was built by a nonprofit provider that has spent over 40 years delivering residential and community-based services to people with disabilities.
We know the struggle because we’ve lived it. We’ve had managers covering direct care shifts. We’ve seen promising new hires leave after two weeks because the schedule didn’t work for their family. And we’ve felt the weight of trying to deliver consistent care with an inconsistent team.
That lived experience is what shaped the GoodLife U approach — practical, flexible, and entirely focused on what agencies actually need to succeed.
What Kind of Results Can You Expect?
In a multi-state study across 27 organizations, GoodLife U helped providers:
- Add thousands of hours of full-time DSP capacity
- Reduce reliance on relief or part-time staff
- Increase hourly DSP wages without increasing total payroll
- Stabilize staffing schedules with guaranteed time off
And the outcomes go beyond the numbers. Leaders report lower stress. Teams report better morale. And most importantly, individuals receiving services experience more consistent, higher-quality care.
Your Path to Relief Starts with Workforce 101
The best way to learn what GoodLife U can do for your agency is through Workforce 101, a free, no-commitment session led by our CEO. In this session, you’ll hear directly from our consulting team, review case studies, and explore which strategies may be the right fit for your agency.
If you decide to move forward, we’ll begin our three-step consulting process:
Site Review – We take a deep dive into your current workforce structure, programs, and goals.
Analysis – Our team develops a customized plan that illustrates how GoodLife U strategies will impact your staffing, finances, and service delivery.
Implementation – We work alongside your team to roll out changes, provide coaching, and support your staff during the transition.
The Future of Care Requires Bold New Thinking
The staffing crisis isn’t going away. But it doesn’t have to define your organization’s future. GoodLife U offers a way forward that is built on evidence, compassion, and a deep commitment to helping agencies do what they do best — provide exceptional care.
If you’re ready to reduce turnover, increase wages, and reclaim your leadership bandwidth, we’re here to help.
