Establishing opportunities for professional development and career advancement is essential to boosting DSP retention. Here are some strategies an agency can use to create a career ladder:
Specialist positions: The American Network of Community Options and Resources (ANCOR) offers Certificates of Achievement for certain disciplines, including behavior specialist and community inclusion specialist.
Certifications: The National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP) offers e-badges for essential competencies for DSPs and for supplemental training. These e-badges can be grouped together to achieve NADSP’s certifications for DSPs.
Peer mentorship: Establishing a peer mentorship program creates a career step for your experiences DSPs and nurtures your new hires, which can increase the likelihood that they will be successful and stay in the job.