Frontline Initiative Diversity

Alliance Update

The National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP) recently sponsored a two-day working meeting in Washington D.C. to develop the initial draft of a national code of ethics for Direct Support Professionals (DSPs). Attended by DSPs from the states of New Hampshire, New York, Minnesota, and Missouri, this spectacular event generated amazingly productive discussion and resulted in a draft code of ethics and preamble. The NADSP Steering Committee is reviewing the initial draft and hopes to disseminate the draft to members soon for feedback and input. Look for this draft version in the next issue of Frontline Initiative.
We welcome Cliff Poetz as a new NADSP Co-Chair. Cliff has been involved in NADSP-related issues for years including as a columnist for Frontline Initiative’s “The Real Scoop” and a Steering Committee member. We are thrilled by the rich experience in DSP policy development and training that Cliff brings to his co-chair position.
Regretfully, Tom Gannon, the NADSP State Representative from the Ohio Alliance for Direct Support Professionals, has left his position due to acceptance of a new challenge. We will greatly miss his leadership role and want to thank him for all his contributions on national and regional levels. Tom has committed to staying involved and in particular, to move forward his efforts in building an Ohio coalition eager to address direct support workforce issues including development of a DSP credentialing program.
Tony Thomas, Executive Director for Welcome House, has agreed to serve as the Ohio State Representative and as a Steering Committee member. Tony brings excellent experience, ideas, and enthusiasm in addressing issues of recruitment, retention, and training for agencies which hire DSPs. He has developed creative partnerships with other organizations within the Cleveland area to increase the status and image of DSPs and to provide cost-effective competency-based DSP training. We are thrilled to have him on board.
We are excited to announce that an internet e-mail service is now available to NADSP members. The NADSP list service is a way for members to keep in contact with each other and share ideas and information that relate to the NADSP mission and activities