Direct Support Professional (Certificate)
Jamestown, USA
Certificate
DURATION
3 semesters
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
Jan 2027
TUITION FEES
USD 5,820 / per semester *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* full-time out-of-state resident
Key Summary
About: The Direct Support Professional certificate at Jamestown Community College trains you to work as a DSP. JCC, part of the State University of New York system, offers an affordable, supportive pathway with small-college attention. Courses cover community health, human services, client care, crisis intervention, life skills, and a DSP coach for accreditation support.
Career Outcomes: Graduates can work in disability services, supported living, residential care, home care, and elder care. Job titles include Direct Support Professional, community support worker, residential support staff, home health aide, and behavioral technician, with employers such as nonprofits, group homes, and local health systems.
Start your career as a direct support professional at JCC
The Direct Support Professional certificate at Jamestown Community College prepares you to enter the workforce as a DSP. Direct support professionals are in high demand in western New York and across New York state. Many factors are driving the urgent need for DSPs, including continuing deinstitutionalization, longer lifespans for people with disabilities, and the recognition that people with disabilities are vital members of the community.
What does a direct support professional do?
As a direct support professional, you’ll help people needing support, including people with physical and developmental disabilities and the elderly, to recognize their full potential and to live active and more independent lives. A DSP also helps clients and their families navigate social and medical services, so they can live their best lives in the community.
What will JCC’s program teach you?
JCC’s Direct Support Professional certificate provides a strong foundation in community health work and human services, with courses focusing on client care, crisis intervention, and life conditions. As a part of the program, you’ll work with a DSP coach who will support you with coursework and obtaining national accreditation.
Semester 1
- COH 1400: Fundamentals of Client Care
- ENG 1510: English Composition I (or higher)
- HUS 1210: Introduction to Human Services
Semester 2
- HUS 1350: Crisis Intervention
- HUS 1410: Generalist Practice Skills
- PSY 1510: General Psychology
- COH 2010: Direct Support Professional Internship II
Semester 3
- HUS 2230: Interviewing and Counseling
- HUS 1280: Family Systems or
- HUS 2250: Policy and Organization
- ANT 2550/SOC 2550: Introduction to Dis/Ability Studies
- COH 1020: Direct Support Professional Internship
After you complete the program, you will be able to:
- Develop the skills necessary to become a Direct Support Professional.
- Demonstrate understanding of the ethics of the profession.
- Demonstrate understanding of how the principles of rights, access, equity, and autonomy apply to social justice action, past, current, or future.