We Need a New ProfessionmNot Just an Upgraded Direct Care Worker!: A Response to Shealy Mette Christiansen Dutchess Community College, Poughkeepsie, NY It has been truly inspiring reading Craig Shealy's article; his work is both thorough and thought-provoking. In addition, it was encourag- ing to see that he asked the people who actually do the work: The direct care workers! It is a pleasure to be allowed to respond to the work that Shealy has done. The comments that follow are my reflec- tions-from a practice, an educational, and a cross-cultural perspec- tive-in the process of reading the article. They relate not only to the work that Shealy has done, but also to the field as a whole. The Search for Professional Identity As Shealy eloquently points out, child and youth care work (or di- rect care) has a long history of being a "service industry in search of a professional identity." The question of identity needs to be dealt with before other challenges facing the field, such as defining quality care, achieving professional recognition, and improving job status can be addressed. All recognized professions have some common defining characteris- tics, two of which include formal education and an organized body of knowledge. Direct care, the term this respondent prefers, is consid- ered to be a "low-status field, lacking some of the defining features of a profession" (Peters & Madle, 1991, p. 308). With the above in mind, it is imperative not to be tempted to aim merely for an upgrading of the current direct care profession when working toward professionalizing the field. That has not worked for 30 years and it will never work! What we need goes much further than an upgrading. We need a new profession! Why would anyonem Correspondence should be addressed to Mette Christiansen, Human Services Pro- grams, Dutchess Community College, 53 Pendell Road, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601. Child & Youth Care Forum, 25(5), October 1996 © 1996 Human Sciences Press, Inc. 305