Free Direct Support Professional (DSP) Free Direct Support Professional
Announcing the… DIRECT SUPPORT PROFESSIONAL (DSP) EDUCATION PROGRAMA program developed by Emmaus Community of Pittsburgh and CCAC CommunityTraining and Development in conjunction with residential providers ofintellectual disability services. Funding provided by FISA Foundation.The program is FREE to participants. WHO is the target audience for the DSP Education Program?∙ New hires in the direct support field who need some training to “hit the ground running”∙ Existing employees who would benefit from additional training∙ People who are not yet employed in the field but aspire to work with individuals with intellectual disabilities WHAT is the DSP Education Program?This comprehensive eight-week program includes 120 hours in the classroom and 60 hours of practicum. Classroom instruction will cover a variety of topics including: Exploring the MR System, Historic Perspectives, Outcome-based Planning, Knowing Your Neighborhood, Community Integration, Sexuality and Anti-Victimization, Incident Management, Positive Outcomes to Challenging Behaviors, Lifting Techniques, General Human Resources, OSHA, HIPPA, Understanding Ethics and Values, PA Code Regulations, Basic Communication Skills, Budgeting and Basic Computer Training. Participants will also receive instruction on the following required courses: Crisis Intervention/Staff Effectiveness, Heartsaver CPR, Basic First Aid, Fire Safety and State-Mandated Medication Training. WHEN is the program scheduled?Classroom/instructional hours are Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. for five weeks beginning Monday, September 20 through Thursday, October 21, 2010. The student is responsible for scheduling 60 practicum hours with a local provider agency during the last three weeks of the program (between October 25 and November 11, 2010). WHERE is the program held?Most of the classroom hours are at CCAC Allegheny Campus on Pittsburgh’s North Shore. (There are occasional “field trips” to nearby agency locations during the classroom segment.) The practicum is at local provider agencies as chosen by the student. An application form is attached to this email. Interested candidates should complete an application and return it to the address shown on the bottom of the form no later than September 8, 2010. If you have any questions or need additional information about the DSP Education Program, please contact: Susan Kennedy at CCAC OR Mary Jo Guercio at CCAC412-237-6587 412-237-2732skennedy@ccac.edu mguercio@ccac.edu Susan Susan KennedyCommunity College of Allegheny CountyAllegheny Campus808 Ridge Avenue, 202 Byers HallPittsburgh, PA 15212-6097Phone: 412-237-6587 Fax: 412-237-4512Email: skennedy@ccac.edu
