Featuring: Joseph Macbeth, NADSP President and CEO.
Each Friday since late March, the NADSP has shared “Words of Encouragement videos from friends and colleagues across North America expressing their affection, thanks and praise to the direct support workforce. These videos – sometimes emotional, sometimes provocative, sometimes funny, always sincere – were created to show direct support professionals that their commitment to people with disabilities during the pandemic was being recognized and offered encouragement to maintain excellence. As we conclude our week-long “From Praise to Promise” virtual event, this closing session will reflect on the nature of direct support practice and how it required resourcefulness, flexibility and creativity during very uncertain times. We will also begin a discussion on the promises we must make to direct support professionals in a post-COVID world and advance direct support into a profession that is worthy of all the praise that’s been shared.
Last year, in Cleveland, we thanked Dave Hingsburger with our inaugural “Gratitude Award”, given to an individual who has volunteered their time and energy, while showing strong commitment to the mission of the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals. This year, we are proud to recognize Dr. Diane Potts from Tulsa Community College. For the past decade, Dr. Potts has given us her time and expertise by co-chairing our Education, Training and Workforce Development Committee (ETWD), authored several of our train-the-trainer curricula. Working “behind the scenes”, Diane has transformed our products into intuitive, accessible and practical professional development opportunities for direct support professionals. Dr. Potts has also been an integral part of developing national credentialing metrics for direct support as well as assisting the design of the NADSP Electronic Badge Academy.