SUNY Oneonta Celebrates First DSP Microcredential Class

SUNY Oneonta celebrated its inaugural class of direct support professional (DSP) micro-credential program graduates on Saturday, May 10, in Morris Hall.

Eighteen local students, all Springbrook employees, received college credits for the new workforce training program offered by the State University of New York (SUNY) in partnership with the Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD).

SUNY Oneonta was one of six SUNY campuses chosen to expand the program and granted $706,455 through Governor Hochul’s office to provide local workforce training and fill a growing need for specially trained support professionals across our region.

“The SUNY DSP Microcredentialing Program is providing the direct support workforce with a true professional career path and the tools to sharpen skills, think creatively and really examine how to best support people with developmental disabilities while advancing their careers, said Willow Baer, Acting Commissioner, NYS Office for People with Developmental Disabilities. “I am thrilled with the success of this program and am grateful for our partnership with SUNY and providers who are championing this effort to elevate the status of direct support professionals who deserve this recognition and investment. Thank you to SUNY Oneonta for helping to engage and support this vital workforce that is truly changing the lives of people with developmental disabilities every day.”

The DSP program made it possible for Springbrook employees to earn SUNY microcredentials, national certification from the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP), and college credit toward a certificate or bachelor’s degree. Grant funding secured by SUNY Oneonta covered tuition, books, course materials, NADSP credentialing for students and educational supports. Additionally, the program provided a $750 incentive to eligible students who successfully completed each microcredential and earned a certification.

“Congratulations to all the graduates on their hard work. Microcredentials set students up for success. And you are part of a national microcredentialing movement led by New York State,” said Chris White, SUNY Vice Chancellor of Workforce Development and Upward Mobility. “By completing this program, you are building relevant, nimble and powerful skills and creating the momentum for what you want to do next. The work you do as direct support professionals builds communities, and the world needs more people like you.”

Mandy (Miranda) Van Wormer, a staff development and training coordinator at Springbrook, recently participated in the DSP microcredential program. Having worked at Springbrook since 2012, she saw this new opportunity as a chance to further improve her skills and build camaraderie between the people throughout Community Homes, The School and all the Springbrook departments. Van Wormer described the instructors as phenomenal and said the program brings people together in a safe environment for learning and communication. She looks forward to using her new skills and knowledge to improve her work with the people supported by Springbrook.

“This is just the beginning. Over the next five years, we are committed to partnering with local organizations serving people with developmental disabilities - Springbrook, Pathfinder Village and The Arc Otsego - to tailor this nationally recognized DSP coursework for their employees,” said Mark Davies, Dean of the School of Education, Human Ecology, and Sport Studies at SUNY Oneonta.

Moving forward, the SUNY Oneonta’s Extended and Community Learning (ExC) Center will focus upon developing partnerships, like this one, aimed at helping members of Otsego County and surrounding communities advance in their current careers or gain the skills and certifications to pursue new ones.