Resources

Articles & Publications

Community Supports in Crisis: No Staff, No Services
For individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and their loved ones, direct support professionals (DSPs) are the heart and soul of IDD services. Read this white paper from the DirectCourse curriculum developers at the University of Minnesota’s (UMN) Institute on Community Integration and partners to learn about this vital profession, the drivers and impact of the DSP crisis, and what we need to do now.

Equity, Equality, and Inclusion
The difference between equality and equity is a concept that recently has seen a resurgence in interest and one closely tied to the greater issue of community inclusion for people with disabilities.

The “Dual-Customer” Approach is Changing Vocational Rehabilitation
In recent years, some states have recognized the value of seeing the employer as a customer, as much as the person with a disability. This is called the “dual-customer” approach.

Report to the U.S. President to support the DSP workforce
Read this report to the President of the United States about the state of the direct support workforce. Amy Hewitt, founder of DirectCourse and director of UMN’s Institute on Community Integration, contributed her decades-long research and recommendations for federal acknowledgement and support of direct support professionals.

Frontline Initiative
This longstanding publication covers the issues important to direct support professionals and supervisors who support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and other disabilities in community settings. Created by UMN’s Institute on Community Integration, each issue contains resources, perspectives, and strategies to advance the profession of direct support.

More direct support resources
Explore helpful resources developed by UMN’s Institute on Community Integration, many in partnership with national colleagues in direct support workforce development, including ebooks, magazines, research briefs, reports, webinars, videos, and more.

Testimonials

Success Snapshot: State of New Jersey Career Path and DirectCourse
Read how DirectCourse online training program helped the state of New Jersey implement skill and competency development opportunities that aligned with a career pathway for direct support professionals.

Success Snapshot: State of Minnesota and DirectCourse
Read how the partnership between Minnesota DHS and DirectCourse was formed to advance the statewide commitment that Minnesotans with disabilities have choices about their community settings and where they live.

Success Snapshot: State of Mississippi and DirectCourse
Read how the Arc of Mississippi implemented DirectCourse statewide to provide the direct support and direct care workforce with easy access to training to help enhance their practical skills and professionalism while decreasing training costs and standardizing quality.

Videos

Learn more about the College of Direct Support curriculum

The College of Direct Support curriculum is developed by the Research and Training Center on Community Living at the University of Minnesota — leading experts in the recruitment, retention, and training of direct support professionals.

Webinar: Empower your employment specialists with tailored training

Watch this previously recorded webinar to learn how you can help your employment specialists meet their full potential with training from the College of Employment Services (CES) within DirectCourse.

Webinar: Elevating person-centered caregiving for older adults and people with disabilities

Watch the webinar recording to discover best practices and the latest training tools, including new dementia content, to foster job satisfaction in your staff while elevating quality of life and independence for individuals in your care.

Watch selections from the documentary Invaluable: The Unrecognized Profession of Direct Support

Watch videos from the documentary film, Invaluable: The Unrecognized Profession of Direct Support, which explores strategies to address the DSP workforce crisis including professional development, credentialing opportunities, and the use of technology supports.