Dedication from the start.

DirectCourse is an online training curriculum designed to empower support and care professionals to help others lead meaningful lives within their communities. Every course and lesson is developed within a consistent and cohesive framework, through long-standing partnerships with thought leaders in the field.

The idea behind DirectCourse was conceived because of the need for reliable, standardized training. With the idea that we all want the best for our loved ones, DirectCourse started as a way to give direct support professionals the training they need to deliver the best support for every family.

I was often told by parents of individuals with ID/DD that they had no faith in our support system. It became apparent to me that the only way to address this concern was to build a stronger Direct Support workforce – better supporting those who serve and those served. –Bill Tapp Founder of College of Direct Support

The College of Direct Support was born in 2002 – in collaboration with the Research and Training Center on Community Living at the University of Minnesota, a national leader in research supporting people with developmental disabilities. By starting as a Project of National Significance with support of the United States Department of Health & Human Services Administration on Disabilities, we made commitments to training – ones we still hold today.

Since then, the DirectCourse family has grown as the need for training in other areas expanded. It now includes the College of Employment Services, the College of Personal Assistance and Caregiving, and the College of Recovery and Community Inclusion. Like the College of Direct Support, each of these curricula are authored by the leading university-based Research and Training Centers in that field.

Today, DirectCourse is proud to bring best practices and the highest training standards across sectors with our university partners. Together with our content authors, national advisory boards, national editorial boards, and partners, we are a team comprised of parents and families of people with disabilities, former direct support professionals and researchers, so our content is created for the community, by the community.