September 13 – 19, 2015 is Direct Support Professionals Recognition Week! Direct support professionals are people who work directly with individuals who have an intellectual, social, or physical disability and assist them with many different areas of their lives, including activities of daily living, jobs, volunteering, community involvement, social skills, recreation, self-expression, relationships, and more.   With this week of appreciation upon us, we would like to call on our supporters to recognize the value of the direct support professional – that they are just that, a trained professional that provides vital services to people in our communities. Many DSPs come to us with backgrounds in psychology, nursing, education, behavioral health, early childhood development, and more. They are teachers, military veterans, parents, college students – the list goes on. So this week, we are asking our supporters, families, friends, and guardians to say “thank you” to an exceptional Direct Support Professional.

At Venture Community Services, we believe the opportunity to enhance the lives of individuals with disabilities has great personal rewards. However, we know how important it is to recognize the accomplishments and talent of our direct support professionals. These employees are the face of our agency – without them, we would never be able to realize our goals or offer the high quality of support services we provide. We are very proud of our incredible work force. If you would like to join the professional, highly-trained team of direct support professionals at Venture, click here for current job opportunities.

If you know a Direct Support Professional who excels at their job, nominate them for the 2016 Direct Support Professional Recognition Award through the American Network of Community Options and Resources (ANCOR). ANCOR’s National Advocacy Campaign advocates for the resources necessary to recruit, train, and retain a healthy, sustainable direct support workforce. Their issues include the promotion of awareness, professionalization, and fair wages for direct support professionals.

To learn more about DSPs, visit the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals.

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