Direct Service Provider I

Connect and support your community through a meaningful career! Direct Support Professionals (DSP) work with individuals with physical and/or intellectual disabilities to support their full integration into their environments and communities. By completing this DSP I microcredential, you can expect to gain a deeper understanding of the field while you gain hands-on skills like helping individuals work toward stated goals and using person-first language through both classroom instruction and meaningful fieldwork. This microcredential is the first in a series of three from Tompkins Cortland, along with the DSP II and DSP III microcredentials, that are part of a new, limited time grant program from the NYS Office of People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD). Thanks to a partnership with OPWDD, limited time grant funding is available to pay for your tuition, fees, books, course materials, NADSP credentialing, and educational support. Eligible students who complete each microcredential and certification can earn $750 stipends. Successful completion of this microcredential prepares you for continued study and readies existing DSPs for advancement.