The New York City Training Collaborative, which includes HeartShare, United Cerebral Palsy of New York and Services for the Underserved, has been recognized with the 2015 Moving Mountains Award. The University of Minnesota’s Research and Training Center and National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP) issue this prestigious award, which recognizes organizations for developing a nationally accredited credential program for frontline supervisors. The Collaborative was only one of two national award recipients. The award will be presented at the Reinventing Quality Conference.

To be recognized for this award, an organization must demonstrate workforce practices and philosophy in how it engages its Direct Support Professionals, including the opportunities for well-constructed and ongoing training experiences and incentives for continuing education. The award also acknowledges organizations that actively strengthen relationships and partnerships between Direct Support Professionals, self-advocates and families.

HeartShare developed and continues to improve a series of trainings for its managerial and supervisory staff. From enhancing medical care and safety to helping a person with a disability achieve personally meaningful life goals, those trainings provide the basis for the highest quality of services possible for those in HeartShare’s care.

Additionally, as an agency-wide philosophy, HeartShare routinely invests in employee growth and retention, including its Management Training Program for employees to enhance their managerial skills, Tuition Assistance Program to help fund employees enrolled in higher education degree programs, as well as HeartShare University (HSU) that hosts workshops, taught by employees for employees, for the purpose of professional advancement and personal growth.