About Us
Learn all about the CDS.
CDS PARTNERS
MEET OUR PARTNERS
The College of Direct Support values its association and partnerships with national organizations that are committed to building the capacity of our provider system to provide choice in the lives of people with disabilities.
Our partners are:
ANCOR Foundation – American Network of Community Options and Resources.
The Arc of the United States.
DDNA – Developmental Disabilities Nurses Association.
NCCET – National Council for Continuing Education and Training.
At the CDS, we are “Building Careers, Supporting Lives.” Our partners support us in our efforts and we support each in their missions as well.
Below you will learn more about each of our partners. We have included links to their respective websites to assist you in learning even more about each partner, their organizations and their missions.
We salute each of them for their hard work and contributions and we are honored to call them “Our Partners.”
ANCOR
The American Network of Community Options and Resources – ANCOR – is a nonprofit trade association representing private providers who provide supports and services to people with disabilities. ANCOR is distinguished in this industry by its balance of leading practices resources and advocacy for member agencies and the people and families they serve and support.
ANCOR’s efforts in the area of public policy, federal legislative and regulatory initiatives, judicial results, state-level initiatives and the culling of leading practices have uniquely positioned it as the national presence for private providers. Congress and federal agencies turn to ANCOR as the authority in our profession.
The ANCOR Foundation is a major component of ANCOR and its mission is to build the commitment and capacity of providers and communities to improve the quality of the life for people with disabilities. The Foundation’s vision focuses on people with disabilities living meaningful, productive, personally satisfying and well-supported lives in communities of their choice.
The College of Direct Support and ANCOR are partners in the ANCOR Buying Pool in which ANCOR members receive significant savings on enrolling in and having staff trained using the CDS. Please open this PDF file to read about the Buying Pool.
To learn more about the ANCOR Foundation and ANCOR and its array of programs and priorities, visit its website at www.ancor.org or call ANCOR at 1.703.535.7850.
The Arc of the U.S.
The Arc of the U.S. is the world’s largest community-based organization of and for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It provides an array of services and support for families and individuals and includes over 140,000 members affiliated through more than 850 state and local chapters across the nation.
The Arc is devoted to promoting and improving supports and services for all people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Its Mission Statement says: “The Arc of the United States advocates for the rights and full participation of all children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Together with our network of members and affiliated chapters, we improve systems of supports and services, connect families, inspire communities, and influence public policy.”
Local chapters of The Arc come in every shape, form and size – from small voluntary groups to large and sophisticated multi-million dollar organizations.
The College of Direct Support, the Arc of the U.S., and the Philadelphia Insurance Companies are partners in the “The Arc@Work” program that offers all Arc agencies access to the CDS curriculum at a reduced price and a 5 percent discount on their risk management insurance.
To learn more about The Arc and The Arc@Work program, visit its website at www.thearc.org or call The Arc at 1.800.433.5255.
DDNA
The Developmental Disabilities Nurses Association (DDNA) is a nursing specialty organization that has been committed to advocacy, education, and care for nurses who provide services to persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities since 1992.
More than 1,750 nurses, associate members, and student nurses have united to promote national recognition and certification of this important, high-skilled area of nursing practice.
The College of Direct Support is a Silver Sponsor of the International Journal of Nursing in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities that can be accessed on the DDNA website.
To learn more about DDNA, its activities and its upcoming 2008 conference, please go to its website at www.ddna.org.
NCCET
The National Council for Continuing Education and Training (NCCET) is an organization that provides numerous membership services and benefits. Its mission is to provide leadership in the areas of continuing education, community services, workforce development, and distance learning for administrators in America’s community and technical colleges.
In addition to its publications, NCCET sponsors an annual conference, leadership institutes and invitational colloquia. NCCET conferences provide not only an excellent place to get new ideas that work but also help develop lasting professional friendships.
The College of Direct Support is a Sustaining Partner in NCCET’s Corporate Program.
NCCET, with some 1,185 members, offers individual and institutional memberships as well as a special Corporate Partner membership level. For more information about NCCET and its upcoming conferences, visit its website at www.nccet.org.
The College of Direct Support is an important national intiative that provides validated, competency-based training in the specific knowledge, skills and abilities needed by Direct Support Professionals. The College of Direct Support has important features such as the scientific analysis of the content of the direct support role; its engagement of national experts in all courses; its platform that provides interactive, multi-media content; the permanancy and portability of its training records; the articulation of its training into college credit; and its adherence to the principles of adult learning."
James Reihnhard, M.D.
Commissioner
Virginia Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services
