Dear Friends and Colleagues:
Direct Support Professional Recognition Week is September 9-15. This is a great opportunity for us to recognize and thank the more than 90,000 direct support professionals (DSPs) who are the heart of our workforce. Each day DSPs have a profound impact on the lives of the more than 126,000 New Yorkers with developmental disabilities. To paraphrase one nonprofit executive director, “the second most important person in our system after the individuals we support, is the direct support professional.”
These professionals face challenges that can be physically and emotionally demanding, and often put the needs of others before their own. But the broad range of supports they provide at our state-operated and voluntary programs help the individuals we serve connect with others and become part of the communities in which they live. We honor DSPs this week for their ongoing commitment to our mission and their pledge to help individuals with developmental disabilities live richer lives.
This year marked an important step in our support for the DSPs of our state, as we adopted the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals’ Code of Ethics. The tenets set forth in this code reflect the quality and highest standards for this profession, which include:
- · Integrity and responsibility
- · Justice, fairness, and equity
- · Respect and advocacy
I know many nonprofit providers are holding recognition events of their own, and I would like to take this opportunity to share with all stakeholders the OPWDD honorees for 2012:
- Region 1: Terrence McCall and Colleen Franz
- Region 2: Sharyn Powers and Kathy Moore
- Region 3: Jason Shear, Joseph Gadway, and Wendy Bashant
- Region 4: Maria Stay and Paulette Rose
- Region 5: Gerard Fils-Aime, Deborah Tolson, and Victoria Gaasbeck
- Region 6: Seanette Lofton and Vincent Cagnone
Please join me in congratulating this year’s honorees, and extending our heartfelt thanks to all DSPs for the amazing job they do every day.
Sincerely,
Commissioner Burke
P.S. Communication is critical to our collective success, and OPWDD’s Facebook page is a great place for individuals, family members, employees, advocates, and other stakeholders to exchange thoughts and ideas. Please feel free to join the conversation.