Resources

Guides, reports, and more to help you elevate the status of DSPs

The National Alliance For Direct Support Professionals (NADSP) has compiled a number of resources to assist direct support professionals, people receiving services, family members, human service organizations, state/national associations, and more. These include guides, reports, toolkits, and more that cover a variety of topics related to the direct support professional workforce.

Code of Ethics

The NADSP Code of Ethics is intended to serve as a straightforward and relevant guide for DSPs as they resolve the ethical dilemmas they face every day.

Competency Areas

The NADSP Competency Areas offer DSPs the opportunity to address challenges, work on issues identified by the person they support, or assist someone in pursuing a goal.

Nurse applies bandaid to woman after she receives her COVID-19 vaccine

COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Campaign

The National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP) is conducting a comprehensive campaign across the country to address COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among direct support professionals (DSPs).

International Journal: Understanding Transference and Countertransference in the Direct Support Profession

International Journal: Understanding Transference and Countertransference in the Direct Support Profession

In this article the author discusses the importance of understanding our role as direct support professionals when it comes to ...
International Journal: Holiday Tips 2.0

International Journal: Holiday Tips 2.0

As we are approaching another holiday season with uncertainty about what is safe for those we support, we want to ...
International Journal: The Zen of Tom

International Journal: The Zen of Tom

The following article was written by Dave in May of this year for our December journal. It is the last ...
International Journal: One Candle: Finding Hope in the Darkness of a Pandemic

International Journal: One Candle: Finding Hope in the Darkness of a Pandemic

We have lost a lot but, in place of those losses, we have also gained, and I think we have ...
International Journal: The Art and Science of Verbal De-escalation

International Journal: The Art and Science of Verbal De-escalation

Conflict is inevitable in life, as we all have our own perspectives shaped by personal experience, what we have been ...
International Journal: The Art of Apology

International Journal: The Art of Apology

Working so closely with others in service to those who are vulnerable to us in so many ways, means that ...
International Journal: This Hot Mess Called COVID-19

International Journal: This Hot Mess Called COVID-19

In this article, I want to focus on what we can each do in the coming months to help our ...
International Journal: The Pandemic, The Professionals, And The People

International Journal: The Pandemic, The Professionals, And The People

Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities are at three times the risk of dying from Covid-19 disease. Many of the ...
International Journal: A Deep Dive Into The NADSP Code Of Ethics

International Journal: A Deep Dive Into The NADSP Code Of Ethics

We all have values and ideas/notions about the way things should be. We may work for provider agencies and/or people ...
International Journal: Ethics For Direct Support Professionals

International Journal: Ethics For Direct Support Professionals

Direct Support Professionals constantly act in situations and circumstances that warrant a guidebook. So many times, there are situations that ...
International Journal: Navigating Virtual Services

International Journal: Navigating Virtual Services

Recent reports have confirmed that individuals with IDD experience greater feelings of isolation and loneliness. COVID-19 has amplified these feelings ...
International Journal: The Importance of Self-Talk

International Journal: The Importance of Self-Talk

Negative self-statements such as, “It’s too hard, I can’t do it,” “I’m not smart enough,” and “There’s no point,” are ...