2012 Direct Support Professional Recognition Contest

Through its landmark National Advocacy Campaign, ANCOR continues to provide a strong voice in Washington for the direct support workforce on issues that impact their ability to provide quality supports to millions of Americans with disabilities. In addition, ANCOR has led the way to increasingly high standards for quality, inclusion and individual choice.

To honor the long term supports and services workforce, ANCOR is pleased to announce the 6th Annual Direct Support Professional Recognition Award competition. There’s no question that direct support professions (DSPs) constitute the backbone of community supports and services and without whom we could not function.

By nominating the star of your DSP staff for this coveted award, you have a unique opportunity to bestow deserved national recognition, while fueling advocacy initiatives on behalf of direct support professionals (DSPs) nationwide. We invite you to showcase the best and brightest within your organization’s DSP community. Recognize this invaluable workforce by answering the call for nominations today!

Medicaid Values People

Over the past four decades significant advancements have been made in how millions of Americans with disabilities receive the supports and services they rely upon to live and work in communities of choice. Many of these advancements have evolved, in part, due to the availability of federal Medicaid funds. Today, federal budget writers have targeted Medicaid for severe budget cuts that would greatly impact the delivery of long term supports and services to our most vulnerable populations. Such cuts would also Such cuts would only make worse the nation’s unemployment problem, with the elimination of tens of thousands of jobs currently held by members of the direct support workforce.

DSP Week Wrap-Up

It was a wonderful week for DSPs! Every year, ANCOR members create new and unique ways to honor and celebrate their unsung heroes--their direct support professionals. This year, the U.S. Senate and 14 states joined with and its members in proclaiming the week of September 11-17 as National Direct Support Recognition Week. Click here to see the Senate Resolution and the participating states. To see what other providers did to support DSP Week and to add photos of your event, log in to the ANCOR Connected Community, access the “Discussions Home” tab, and click on “DSP Recognition Week.”

Senate Passes Resolution for DSP Week

In a show of bipartisan support--and for the fourth-consecutive year--the U.S. Senate unanimously approved a resolution designating the week beginning September 11 as "National Direct Support Professionals Recognition Week."

Sponsored by Senator Ben Nelson (D-NE), Senate Resolution 263 recognizes Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) for their commitment to supporting individuals and promoting community-inclusion for individuals with disabilities of all ages. Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME) co-sponsored the bill.

This acknowledgment by the Senate is significant to the ANCOR National Advocacy Campaign (NAC) as work continues to secure increased funding for DSPs and improve supports and services for people with disabilities.

"We are proud that the U.S. Senate has bestowed this recognition in honor and observation of the direct support workforce and the tremendous impact they have in communities across the country," said ANCOR CEO Renee Pietrangelo. "The DSP workforce deserves our highest praise and respect for the critical services they provide daily. They are vital the fabric of our communities and the need for the quality supports provided by DSPs continues to grow at an alarming rate."

National Direct Support Professional Recognition Week is celebrated annually across the country with special events and ceremonies earmarked to honor the tens of thousands of workers who enable our most fragile citizens and their families to live healthy community-oriented lives. Read more about DSP Week here.

Celebrate DSP Recognition Week 2011
September 11–17, 2011

Once again this year, ANCOR's National Advocacy Campaign is sponsoring National Direct Support Professional Recognition Week, beginning September 11, 2011. This is a great opportunity for your organization and your entire community to honor the direct support workforce and the tremendous difference they make each day in the lives of millions of Americans with disabilities (see the ANCOR Board resolution).

Make plans now to hold your own DSP Recognition Week celebration and join us on Wednesday, September 14 for our national DSP Call Congress Day.

2011 Direct Support Professional of the Year
Gina Bartlow, Twin Rivers Associates, Stratham, NH

It is no surprise to the disability community how vital the Direct Support Professional’s role is. DSPs are not only support givers, they are advocates, teachers, and friends. That is why each year, ANCOR recognizes those whose unfailing devotion to the people they support draw the attention of providers, community members, and family of people served.

Through ANCOR’s DSP Recognition Contest, the best of the best are recognized and awarded the title of Direct Support Professional of the Year for their respective state. Additionally, one recipient is chosen as the DSP of the Year: the best of the best of the best. This year’s recipient is Gina Bartlow, a lead senior instructor at Twin Rivers Associates in Stratham, New Hampshire.

Share What We Need to Know About You
And You Could Win an iPod!

We think DSPs are pretty special—and we think everyone else should know it. By simply filling out a 10-question questionnaire, you will be entered to win an Apple iPod Touch and have a chance to be featured on this website.

To enter, click "more" below to access the “What You Need to Know About Me” questionnaire. The questionnaire must be filled out in its entirety and a picture must be attached. Every DSP who fills out their questionnaire will receive one entry into the iPod contest.

Contest ended on June 30.

2011 DSPs to DC and the Rally for Community Living
July 6 - 8, 2011

Join fellow Direct Support Professionals at the 2011 DSPs to DC event, June 6-8 in Washington, D.C. DSPs will learn, collaborate and advocate with fun, information-packed sessions, including topics like Communicating with Congress: You Can Make a Difference; How Technology Can Help You; and The NADSP Code of Ethics: Live and In High-Definition Full Color!

DSPs will also attend sessions on advocacy, such as How to Make Your Voices Heard on the Hill where members will learn effective grassroots techniques and have the opportunity to ask questions to panelist. On Wednesday, DSPs will have the opportunity to meeting with Members of Congress and speak out on the importance of providers and DSPs that are the essential bridge to community living for people with disabilities.

Additionally, we look forward to a large gathering of DSPs at the Rally for Community Living on Capitol Hill. Come out and hear from powerful speakers including Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), the ANCOR 2011 DSP of the Year winner, self-advocate David Liscomb and best-selling author Rachel Simon.

NADSP and ANCOR Announce the Direct Support Professional Registered Apprenticeship Program
Program Promotes a Highly Qualified Stable Workforce

The National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP) and the American Network of Community Options and Resources (ANCOR) announce the Direct Support Professional Registered Apprenticeship Program. This new program, approved by the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration’s (DOLETA) Office of Apprenticeship, addresses the need for a quality, competency-based model of instruction to educate Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) and promotes opportunities for advancement and career pathways within this workforce. The DSP Registered Apprenticeship Program model provides a structure for the development of quality educational programs that can be tailored and implemented across the nation to meet state and regional needs.

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