Originally published July 23, 2009 at 10:04a.m., updated July 23, 2009 at 03:18p.m.

TARC staff first to become nationally certified in the U.S.

By Valerie Town

Three of TARC's Direct Support Professionals are the first in the United States to be granted DSP-Certified status through the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals.

Kimberly Anderson, Leona Sawyer and Jeanette Shwe started the process of becoming nationally certified through the NADSP nineteen months ago. They had to develop portfolio work samples, complete three-thousand on the job hours and two-hundred instructional hours through the online College of Direct Support.

We spoke with Shwe and she said she is extremely proud of her accomplishment. She thinks better about herself, thinks her co-workers see her differently but said most importantly she is happy she can help people who really need it.

"The more education we get, whatever field we may be working in but directly impacting other people's lives is so important to know the most we can know about any given profession and I think when we're given an opportunity to expand those boundaries to make people whoever we are better than yesterday is huge," Shwe said.

NADSP is an organization that helps people with disabilities. TARC is a non-profit organization that helps improve the life of people with developmental and similar disabilities.

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