Specifications include, but are not limited to: Educational organizations such as the Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) and high school districts may apply for grant funding to implement or expand high school level DSP training and certification programs. OPWDD will develop a stakeholder committee to create a standardized Career and Technical Education (CTE) DSP curriculum. The program curriculum will align with the industry-recognized National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP) credential to support students’ attainment of the DSP-I Certification. Upon completion of the curriculum, OPWDD intends to award funding based on the number of eligible and interested educational organizations, either through equitable distribution or a competitive procurement. Additional funding will be allocated through an RFA for the development and implementation of DSP training and certification programs at the high school level to support the field. Data collection and evaluation by the University of Minnesota will be components of each grant awarded. The expansion of the high school pipeline will benefit the New York State service provider system to strengthen the candidate pool of highly skilled workers, improve recruitment and retention efforts, and increase awareness of the DSP occupation.
