NADSA Direct Care Academy — DCW Level III
Advanced Practice & Mentorship: the apex credential of the NADSA Direct Care Academy. Seven advanced competency areas — activity programming, care planning, family partnership, end-of-life care — 50 cumulative accredited hours, and two professional testimonials including one from center leadership.
One organized view of what each learner has completed, what is still due, and what needs to be renewed.
Pathway curriculum
Each module shows the training or evidence that satisfies a requirement, when it is first due, and how often it must be renewed.
Designing and leading purposeful activities: engagement, adaptation, and therapeutic programming. Center-delivered and documented as evidence until the Academy's dedicated course launches.
Contributing to person-centered plans of care; documentation that stands up to survey.
Partnering with family caregivers: communication, respite value, and shared care goals. Center-delivered and documented as evidence until the Academy's dedicated course launches.
Connecting participants to community life, combating isolation, and building belonging.
Supporting participants and families through decline, grief, and end-of-life transitions. Center-delivered and documented as evidence until the Academy's dedicated course launches.
Culturally responsive care across language, tradition, faith, and identity.
Professional ethics, boundaries, and mentoring newer DCWs — the leadership half of the credential.
Complete 50 cumulative hours of accredited training across the Direct Care Academy curriculum. Hours carry forward between levels.
Two professional testimonials — one from a supervisor and one from center leadership — attesting to competency demonstrated on the floor. Uploaded as evidence and approved by a manager.
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