Direct Support Professionals: Start Here, Go Anywhere!

Tuesday, December 16, 2025 | 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM Eastern Time | 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM Central Time

Description:

Join the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) on Tuesday, December 16, at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time for the webinar “Advancing Direct Support Professional Careers: Start Here, Go Anywhere.” Direct support professionals, or DSPs, help people with disabilities, including intellectual and developmental disabilities, build skills to live independently, participate in their community, and succeed in employment. Currently, the nation has a severe shortage of these essential support workers. The upcoming webinar hosted by ODEP’s LEAD Center will discuss strategies to help boost recruitment and retention of DSPs, strengthen career pathways within the profession, and highlight opportunities for advancement into related fields.

Panelists from Georgia and New Jersey will discuss strategies to recruit and retain DSPs, strengthen career pathways within the profession, and highlight opportunities for advancement into related fields.

During this webinar, participants will:

Understand the role of DSPs and how DSP work experience can lead to careers in workforce development, health care, education, social services, and other fields.
Learn how to apply the new DSP Career Exploration infographic as a practical tool to guide job seekers interested in this profession.
Hear lessons from the field on launching, sustaining, and scaling successful initiatives aimed at increasing DSP labor force.
Learn how Registered Apprenticeship Programs are being used to expand and strengthen the DSP workforce.

This webinar is designed for workforce development professionals, American Job Center staff, vocational rehabilitation counselors, education and training providers, state and local policymakers, apprenticeship sponsors, and service providers interested in strengthening DSP recruitment, retention, and career pathways. It will also benefit employer partners and community organizations working to expand opportunities for job seekers and build a sustainable DSP workforce.

Featured speakers:

Sarah Loizeaux (Moderator), LEAD Center, National Disability Institute (NDI)
Julie Hocker, Assistant Secretary, Office of Disability Employment Policy, U.S. Department of Labor
Leah Cadena-Igdalsky, LEAD Center SME, Social Policy Research Associates
Kris Palmer, LEAD Center SME, Social Policy Research Associates
Dr. Carol Britton Laws, Institute on Human Development and Disabilities, University of Georgia
Jack Teters, New Jersey Department of Human Services

The LEAD Center is committed to ensuring that all attendees can participate fully in its webinars. We provide live CART and ASL interpreting for all our webinars, but if you would like an additional accommodation, please email Courtney Williams at cwilliams@ndi-inc.org within 7 days of the event.

Web: leadcenter.org/webinar/advancing-direct-support-professional-dsp-careers-start-here-go-anywhere