Posted on September 12, 2016
This week we are celebrating Direct Support Professionals Recognition Week, a national campaign that puts the spotlight on the thousands of dedicated, hard-working DSPs who make community living possible for people with disabilities.
Here at Penn-Mar we are hosting a number of events with food, games and prizes throughout the week at our locations to show our appreciation for this valued workforce, but that’s just the beginning.
On Monday we announced that we are partnering with the National Alliance of Direct Support Professionals to launch an outcomes-based DSP Credentialing Program with an inaugural class of 26 qualified and deserving DSPs.
These selected individuals have met high performance standards to be accepted into the program, and they will be devoting a minimum of 100 hours of course work and practicums to ultimately achieve their Certification and enhance their compensation.
Those who are eligible to participate in this program will become leaders among us, both informally and formally. Their rigorous training will enable them to be skill mentors to their peers, helping to improve team dynamics and Penn-Mar’s culture of care through their leadership and support.
At this year’s Black Tie Gala, we asked our guests to consider contributing to this valuable and critical initiative to help us improve the recruitment and retention of skilled DSPs — the support team that allows Penn-Mar to transform life into living for the individuals we serve.
The response was overwhelming. In just minutes we raised $150,000 and those funds have enabled us to put our vison into action.
But again, that’s just the beginning.
With your continued support and encouragement, we hope to show our DSPs how much they are valued at Penn-Mar and how far we are willing to go to see that they receive the education, respect and compensation they so rightfully deserve.
Please join me in thanking them for all they do.