Photocredit: HRSI

Over the past few weeks, we have shared Words of Encouragement from from some of our colleagues As the COVID-19 pandemic spreads throughout the world, news, social media and work can be overwhelming. We’ve committed to sharing resources for taking care of yourself but we’re not alone. Many of our colleagues want to share words of encouragement. In the past few weeks, NADSP has shared videos from our partners each week with words of encouragement for direct support professionals. We want you to know that as you continue your essential work in supporting people with disabilities, you are not alone and you are valued for the incredible work you do.

This week, we are pleased to share words of encouragement from Cathy Ficker Terrill. Cathy has worked in the disability field for over 40 years. She is a past president of the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD), CQL| The Council on Quality Leadership as well as a former chair at the Human Services Research Institute (HRSI). For the over 20 years, she has volunteered internationally, helping to create services for people with disabilities.

In Cathy’s video, she thanks direct support professionals and reminds them to take care of themselves . To watch the video, click the video below.

Looking for additional support during this time? Please note the resources below:

Self Care Resource Page for DSPs (webinars, handouts and additional resources: https://nadsp.org/covid-19resources/

On-Boarding New DSPs in A Crisis (Code of ethics Webinar Series, Competency Webinar Series, Additional Resources): https://nadsp.org/onboarding-in-crisis/

Want to Share Your Story?

If you have additional resources to share, please connect with us at ndama@nadsp.org.

NADSP recognizes the invaluable work that Direct Support Professionals all over the world are doing during this unprecedented time. We appreciate you. We hope you remain safe and well.

Thank you,

The NADSP Team