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Do you know someone who is making a difference in the field of Direct Support? Then they should be nominated to win an award from DSPAT and DMRS More…
Join the DSPAT Family
DSPAT Membership Drive
2010
The overall focus of the Direct Support Professionals Association of Tennessee (DSPAT) is to build a membership base of DSPs (Direct Support Professionals) and supporters of our workforce. We strive to help with professionalizing the ranks of all DSPs by seeking the best training available, advocating for a livable wage as well as any resources that assists DSPs with providing the very best support possible to our friends with developmental and intellectual disabilities. With the increasing need to provide support to the supporters, DSPAT will continue to be the “One Strong Voice” for DSPs in the state of Tennessee.
Over the course of the next year DSPAT will conduct our most intense membership drive to date to ensure that DSPs and our supporters understand that advocacy is the best way to resolve the issues that have plagued our workforce for so many years. This will require all DSPs to be proactive and join direct support organizations on the state and national level. We need DSPs to share your success stories as well as the not so positive side of our workforce.
DSPAT will initiate its 2010 statewide membership drive by targeting each region two months at a time. We will begin in Middle Tennessee in January and February. March and April will be dedicated to West Tennessee and we will end the first half of the year in East Tennessee during the months of May and June. We will repeat the cycle throughout the remainder of the year and it is our belief that the entire state will be well informed about our organization and our goals. Our overall mission is to once again build the largest DSP and supporter membership database that will give us the tremendous voice needed to advocate for change in our industry.
For several years DSPAT has continued a longstanding relationship with the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP) and we stand behind their many efforts to advocate for DSPs across the entire nation. Together DSPAT and the NADSP, as well as many other states, are joining forces in an effort to encourage DSPs to become members of our organizations by launching our new Dual Membership Campaign. You can obtain Dual Membership by logging onto www.nadsp.org and clicking on “Membership,” then “Local Chapter” and entering your state. You will be able to join both organizations by only having to complete one application at a special $20.00 membership rate. DSP membership benefits include:
- A subscription to Frontline Initiative, the national NADSP newsletter and a quarterly newsletter from DSPAT
- A Code of Ethics card from the NADSP
- A DSPAT and NADSP membership card
- The opportunity to learn about national and international practices, such as certificate programs, apprenticeships, credit bearing coursework and ways to improve agency cultures.
- The opportunity to educate policy makers and legislators about the importance of high quality human services.
- Access to information regarding public forums and conferences focusing on DSP issues.
- The opportunity to develop leadership skills in the field of direct support.
We can work together to make our job and the lives of others better than ever. Together we will stand as “Many Caring People and One Strong Voice.”