It’s been a little over a year and a half since the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP) launched the E-Badge Academy. We now have 51 badges that represent various skills and accomplishments in direct support which can be stacked into three levels of national certification for direct support professionals.  DSPs from participating organizations across the country have been submitting examples of their work, which are being evaluated by trained NADSP reviewers. As they earn individual badges, DSPs are also making progress toward a national DSP certification.

The E-Badge Academy is based on some of the core beliefs of NADSP. That quality is best measured at the point of interaction, and that quality direct support requires knowledge, skills and values to be present at that point of interaction. Knowledge comes from both training based on sound research and from a DSP’s knowledge of the person they are supporting. The skills needed to provide direct support are listed in the twelve cross-sector Core Competencies published by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (and well as the 15 NADSP Competency Areas specific to IDD services).  The values of this profession are spelled out in the NADSP Code of Ethics. Each and every day, DSPs across North America are using their knowledge, skills and values to provide high quality direct support. 

The supervisors of those DSPs also rely on knowledge, skills and values in their work. While the values established in the NADSP Code of Ethics apply to both DSPs and their supervisors, the knowledge and skills needed to be an effective supervisor are different than the knowledge and skills needed to be an effective DSP.

After 18 months of success with certifying DSPs through the E-Badge Academy, NADSP has now launched a new set of badges and a new certification process designed for the frontline supervisors of DSPs. There are now 20 badges available which are tied to skills identified in the National Frontline Supervisor Competencies. Frontline supervisors can now join the DSPs they supervise in earning badges and working toward a national certification.

Quality happens at the point of interaction between DSPs and the people they support, but we also know that a knowledgeable and skilled frontline supervisor often plays a key role in helping DSPs to provide high quality support. The E-Badge Academy will now allow both DSPs and their supervisors to get credit for their competency.

 

You must earn the following badges to meet the criteria for the NADSP FLS Certification.

• The Code of Ethics Commitment badge
• The FLS Accredited Education (25 hours) badge

At least one badge from each of the following CMS Core Competency Areas. (These badges are tied to direct support skills.)

• Core Competency Area: Crisis Prevention and Intervention
• Core Competency Area: Safety
• Core Competency Area: Person-Centered Practices
• Core Competency Area: Health and Wellness

At least one badge from each of the following National Frontline Supervisor Competencies (These badges are tied to frontline supervision skills.)  

• FLS Competency Area: Health, Wellness, and Safety
• FLS Competency Area: Participant Support Plan Development, Monitoring, and Assessment
• FLS Competency Area: Facilitating Community Inclusion Across the Lifespan
• FLS Competency Area: Promoting Professional Relations and Teamwork
• FLS Competency Area: Staff Recruitment, Selection, and Hiring
• FLS Competency Area: Staff Supervision, Training, and Development
• FLS Competency Area: Service Management and Quality Assurance
• FLS Competency Area: Advocacy and Public Relations
• FLS Competency Area: Leadership, Professionalism and Self-Development
• FLS Competency Area: Cultural Awareness and Responsiveness

About the NADSP E- Badge Academy

The NADSP E-Badge Academy, offers Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) and Frontline Supervisors the ability to earn electronic badges as a way to demonstrate their knowledge, skills, and values on the job.  Through the platform WebCourseworks, these electronic badges recognize and celebrate the professional development that might otherwise go unacknowledged.