Congratulations to our DSP II advanced training graduates! Applications open for our next session.
As a founding member of the Maryland Direct Support Professional Training Consortium, Jubilee offers advanced training and certification for our direct support professionals. We work to create an educated and empathetic workforce that provide high-quality support to people who rely on Jubilee.
Our 7th class just graduated from the rigorous five-month DSP II certification program offered through the Consortium. Please join us in congratulating them! (Names listed below).
The Consortium is designed to help with employee retention and create increased competence and confidence that helps DSPs grow in their role. This innovative program is a marked shift from the passive, compliance-oriented training most DSPs have participated in. Through dynamic and proactive sessions, the DSP II students demonstrate what they have learned on competencies developed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP). For example, in a session on professional communication, the students submit a real-life email addressing a challenging work situation and then are scored via a rubric.
Jubilee is joined in this program by five partner agencies, the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Administration and MACS. Begun in 2017, Jubilee has had 48 staff participate so far, the most of any agency involved in the program. This program builds on Jubilee’s reputation as an innovator and industry leader.
We see first-hand the benefits of the program for both our staff and the people we support. Retention among program graduates is a sky high 93 percent. Sade Thompson shared that the “DSP II program allowed me to grow as a DSP. You come in with your own mindset, and it stretches you personally and professionally.” We’ve heard from several DSPs that “I thought I knew what I was doing before, but now I truly understand my role.”
Our program graduates become leaders in our community, and most importantly, apply what they’ve learned to the crucial role of direct support professional. To highlight just a few of our phenomenal staff and prior DSP II graduates, Ade Odusanya is now a part-time trainer and Travon Budd and Keisha Harry are part-time recruiters. Eric Grillo and Donna Crooks now mentor employees after attending an additional three-month mentor track program. Oyebusola Oworu and Aviva Bensimon were promoted to program manager after graduating from the program.
We look forward to great things from our newest batch of graduates, and we encourage all our DSPs to apply for the next session. The application for the DSP II Cohort 8 is linked here, and the deadline to apply is Monday, March 15.
A big thank you to Jubilee’s Cohort 7 trainers: Melanie Moore, Brandon Bell, and Monicquea Chance. Cohort 7 was the first cohort taught at Jubilee fully virtual with more than 20 learners. The dedication and hard work of our trainers and the support of Sade Thompson and Keisha Harry made this rewarding experience possible for all our learners.
Cohort 7 Graduates – Congratulations!
Aiyla Vallier
Anne Confer
Avon Abrahams
Eunice Davies
Jean-Marie Worou
Joy Agina
Loveth Chikezie
Lyubov Galperina
Margie Kuenzli
Memuna Mansaray
Nicola Francis
Odunayo Onalaja
Prisca Owuama
Suzanne Williams
Vincent Kamugisha