Dan Hermreck is the Director of Certification and Accreditation for the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP). He has a background in math education and initially worked as a teacher before transitioning to adult education. Dan got involved with direct support work by accident when he took on a training coordinator position at a local ARC chapter. He became familiar with NADSP through his connection with a state-level advocacy group and eventually became one of the first mentors for nationally certified direct support professionals. Dan is passionate about recognizing the professional skills of DSPs and advocating for their rights and fair compensation.

Episode Summary:

In this episode, Gina Scarpa interviews Dan Hermreck, the Director of Certification and Accreditation for the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP). Dan shares his journey into the field of direct support and discusses the importance of recognizing the professional skills of DSPs. He highlights the unique role of DSPs in supporting individuals with disabilities across various aspects of their lives and emphasizes the need for a unique Standard Occupational Code (SoC) to accurately classify and gather data on DSPs. Dan also introduces the NADSP E-Badge Academy, a certification program that recognizes and awards DSPs for their professional skills.

Key Takeaways:

• DSPs are skilled professionals who support individuals with disabilities across all aspects of their lives, including health and wellness, community inclusion, and relationship-building.
• DSPs wear many hats and perform a variety of tasks that overlap with other caring professions such as home health aides and personal care attendants.
• The lack of a unique Standard Occupational Code (SoC) for DSPs makes it challenging to gather accurate data on the workforce and advocate for fair wages and resources.
• The introduction of a unique SoC for DSPs would enable policymakers to make informed decisions and allocate appropriate funding for the field.
• The NADSP E-Badge Academy offers a competency-based certification process for DSPs, allowing them to earn badges and demonstrate their professional skills over time.

Notable Quotes:

• "Whenever I talk about great things that are happening in a human service provider, I always try to point out that, you know, this is because of your skill. This is not… you are a nice person, don't get me wrong, but you're also a skilled professional, and it's that professional skill that's really coming into play here." - Dan Hermreck
•  "It [direct support profession] really is this kind of multifaceted profession, and that's what makes it unique in my mind."- Dan Hermreck
•  "What I think we never say enough is that they're skilled, that they have really diverse set of professional skills that they're using each and every day."- Dan Hermreck
• "The lack of a unique SoC for DSPs makes it challenging to gather accurate data on the workforce and advocate for fair wages and resources." - Dan Hermreck
• "The NADSP E-Badge Academy offers a more manageable and achievable certification process for DSPs, allowing them to earn badges and demonstrate their professional skills over time." - Dan Hermreck

Resources:

• National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP) website
• The Arc of the United States website
• Kansans Mobilizing for Direct Support Workforce Change: Final Report

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