E-Badge Academy Frequently Asked Questions
Curious about the E-Badge Academy? The questions below are some of NADSP’s most frequently asked questions about our certification program. Have additional questions? Send them to us by clicking here.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I set up a NADSP E-Badge Academy account?
When purchasing access to the NADSP E-Badge Academy, your organization will designate a local administrator who will have the ability to enroll staff in the NADSP E-Badge Academy.
What is the first E-Badge that I need earn?
When purchasing access to the NADSP E-Badge Academy, your organization will designate a local administrator who will have the ability to enroll staff in the NADSP E-Badge Academy.
How do I demonstrate participation in NADSP webinars?
You will need to complete the Accredited Education Documentation Form in its entirety and submit with other records of NADSP-Accredited Education when applying for an Accredited Education E-Badge.
How long does it take to apply for an E-Badge?
While the work you do to meet the requirements for a E-Badge may take many hours, the process of applying for each E-Badge should only take about 15 minutes.
How is confidentiality protected in the NADSP E-Badge Academy?
The NADSP Code of Ethics requires each DSP to safeguard and respect the confidentiality and privacy of the people they support. For this reason, no testimonial including individually-identifiable information will be approved for an E-Badge.
What are the differences between NADSP Certification through the E-Badge Academy and portfolio-based credentialing?
The achievement of E-Badges can be applied to the requirements for DSPs to attain DSP-I, DSP-II, and DSP-III Certification. Each level of certification builds off of the requirements of the preceding level. As you’ll see in NADSP’s Certification Comparison document and Comparison Webinar here are key differences between achieving NADSP Certification through The NADSP E-Badge Academy and the traditional, portfolio-based model of achieving NADSP Certification.
What are the requirements for DSP-I Certification through the NADSP E-Badge Academy?
To earn the DSP-I Certification, you must earn 15 total E-Badges. These E-Badges must include:
- The Code of Ethics Commitment E-Badge
- The 50 hours of Accredited Education E-Badge
- At least one Core Competency E-Badge from the Crisis Prevention and Intervention competency area
- At least one Core Competency E-Badge from the Safety competency area
- At least one Core Competency E-Badge from the Person-Centered Practices competency area
- At least one Core Competency E-Badge from the Health and Wellness competency area
What are the requirements for DSP-II Certification through the NADSP E-Badge Academy?
To earn the DSP-II Certification, you must earn 30 total E-Badges. These E-Badges must include:
- The DSP-I E-Badge
- The 100 hours of Accredited Education E-Badge
- At least one Core Competency E-Badge from the Evaluation and Observation competency area
- At least one Core Competency E-Badge from the Communication competency area
- At least one Core Competency E-Badge from the Professionalism and Ethics competency area
- At least one Core Competency E-Badge from the Community Inclusion and Networking competency area
What are the requirements for DSP-III Certification through the NADSP E-Badge Academy?
To earn the DSP-III Certification, you must earn 50 total E-Badges. These E-Badges must include:
- The DSP-II E-Badge
- At least one Core Competency E-Badge from the Empowerment and Advocacy competency area
- At least one Core Competency E-Badge from the Community Living Skills and Supports competency area
- At least one Core Competency E-Badge from the Education, Training, and Self-Development competency area
- At least one Core Competency E-Badge from the Cultural Competence competency area
How do I apply for re-certification?
NADSP Certification (DSP-I, DSP-II, DSP-III, FLS) requires recertification every two years. To initiate your re-certification, you must complete the Renewal Application Form. After you complete the form, you will be directed to a payment page to submit your payment for your certification.
How will the NADSP Code of Ethics be incorporated into the E-Badge Academy?
The NADSP E-Badge Academy is really designed to get DSPs in the habit of frequently referring to and reflecting on the Code of Ethics. We do this by asking DSPs to make a connection between their work and the Code in most of the Core Competency E-Badges. The Code of Ethics is woven into the entire NADSP E-Badge Academy in a much more deliberate way than it was in the traditional certification program.
Can providers continue to use a cohort model, as with the traditional portfolio-based certification program?
Absolutely. Some of the best practices for implementation of the NADSP E-Badge Academy will be similar to the traditional portfolio-based program, but we expect that agencies will develop new approaches as well. NADSP will share success stories from around the country in a variety of ways.
Who reviews the E-Badge submissions? How are reviewers trained and evaluated?
Our initial reviewers are I/DD professionals who are well-versed in the NADSP Code of Ethics and Competency Areas. All reviewers complete a two hour training session, and there will be both oversight and support for these reviewers. We are creating an inter-rater reliability standard for the reviewers and they will be tested at least twice a year.
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