The SUNY Orange Direct Support Professional  (DSP-1 and DSP-2) microcredentials are offered in collaboration with the Office of People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD), the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP), and the State University of New York (SUNY) through a special grant program.

The microcredential is designed to help Direct Support Professionals serving individuals with intellectual  and developmental disabilities enhance their careers and skills. The necessary competencies and academic foundation for obtaining NADSP Level I and II comprise the core of the offerings. In support of this online, highly interactive, and hands-on sequence, the College is able to provide full funding for tuition, fees, books, course materials, and NADSP credentialing.

DSP-I Microcredential Learning Outcomes:

• Relate the codes of ethics defined by NADSP and OPWDD to the role of the DSP
• Identify the support services that assist people in leading self-directed lives
• Identify and promote the needed cognitive and behavioral skills of people served to foster lifetime health, fitness and wellness in line with individual’s personal needs
• Determine when and how to report potential or actual abuse, neglect, exploitation, or harm to people served
• Apply legal requirements concerning the confidentiality and privacy of client information to specific work situations
• Integrate classroom learning with field experience in order to meet agency and individual expectations

DSP-II Microcredential Learning Outcomes:

• Highlight the important characteristics of observation, assessment, documentation, and evaluation
• Establish ethical tenets rooted in national best practices
• Demonstrate familiarity with disability services systems
• Apply legal requirements concerning the confidentiality and privacy of client information to work situations
• Demonstrate coherent college-level oral communication that informs, persuades, or otherwise engages an audience
• Evaluate communication for substance, bias, and intended effect
• Demonstrate an understanding of how to apply principles of a professional Code of Ethics in working in Human Services
• Demonstrate the ability to listen, paraphrase and problem solve

Successful completion of the DSP-1 and DSP-II microcredentials will give the student:

• Transferable academic credits that can be applied to future certificates and degree programs at a number of institutions
• A nationally recognized certification by NADSP for DSP-I and DSP-II
• A $750 incentive for eligible students upon successful completion for every level of microcredential, DSP-I and DSP-II

SUNY Orange offers a comprehensive range of on-campus academic support and coaching services to prioritize student success and a strong collaboration with local agencies.

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Course Sequences

DSP I
HMS 101- Introduction to Human Services
Field Work Experience

PSY 111 - Introduction to Psychology
Field Work Experience

DSP II
HMS 201 - Field Experience
ENG 160 - Technical Writing for Human Services
*Beginning in Spring 2025, DSP 2 will be comprised of three credit-bearing courses (third course TBA)

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For more information contact:
Nolly Climes, LMHC
Human Services Coordinator
Behavioral Sciences Department
nolly.climes@sunyorange.edu
(845) 341-4139