National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP)
"The NADSP is a coalition of organizations and individuals committed to strengthening the quality of human service support by strengthening the direct support workforce. The group has representatives from the fields of mental health, developmental disabilities, child welfare, education, and many others in the human services community. The Alliance has developed a national agenda to address conditions chronicled for 25 years that are harmful to people who rely on human services. These conditions include high staff turnover, low social status, insufficient training, limited educational and career opportunities, and poor wages. These undermine the commitment of the Direct Support Professionals, and have made it very difficult to recruit and train qualified and committed individuals in direct support roles in every area of human services.
The NADSP believes that service participants and direct support professionals are partners in the move towards a self-determined life, and in complimenting and facilitating growth of natural supports. We recognize that people needing support are more likely to fulfill their life dreams if they have well-trained, experienced, and motivated people at their side in long-term, stable, compatible support relationships. We also recognize that well-planned workforce development strategies are needed to strengthen our workforce."
