Who sets the training requirements for my agency?
Your state's DD agency — the department that licenses and regulates providers serving individuals with developmental disabilities. In Virginia that's DBHDS; in Pennsylvania, ODP; in Ohio, DODD; in New York, OPWDD — every state has its own. Providers must meet the training requirements their state sets to maintain their license, and TrainingHub loads a catalog aligned to your state's regulator when you sign up.
What training is required for Direct Support Professionals (DSPs)?
Most states require DSPs to complete training in areas including Orientation, Human Rights, Health and Safety, Medication Administration, Positive Behavior Support, First Aid/CPR, and incident reporting. Specific requirements depend on your state, the service type, and the individual's support needs — your state's catalog in TrainingHub reflects its specific rules.
How long does it take to complete a course?
Course length varies by topic. Most courses take between 30 minutes and 2 hours to complete. All courses are self-paced, so you can start, pause, and resume at any time. Your progress is saved automatically.
Do I receive a certificate when I finish a course?
Yes. A certificate of completion is generated automatically when you finish all modules and pass any required quizzes. You can view and download your certificates from the Certificates section in your dashboard.
What are competency evaluations?
Competency evaluations are supervisor-completed assessments that verify a staff member can apply what they learned in training. Many states require them — Virginia, for example, requires an initial evaluation within the first 6 months of employment and annual evaluations thereafter. Supervisors can complete these evaluations directly in DSPlife.
How does compliance tracking work?
DSPlife tracks each staff member's training completion, certificate expiration dates, and evaluation status. Supervisors and administrators can view compliance dashboards showing who is current, who is due soon, and who is overdue — so nothing falls through the cracks.
Is the training content specific to my state?
For 18 states, yes — fully. Virginia, Pennsylvania, Texas, Ohio, Florida, North Carolina, Georgia, New Jersey, Michigan, New York, Illinois, California, Washington, Arizona, Tennessee, Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Indiana each have a localized catalog covering that state's regulations, reporting systems, and required topics. Providers in every other state get a core DSP catalog built on universal HCBS requirements, which you can extend with your own courses.
Can supervisors track their staff's progress?
Yes. Supervisors and administrators have access to management dashboards where they can view staff enrollment status, course completion, compliance records, and evaluation history across their entire organization.
What happens when a training certificate expires?
DSPlife tracks certificate expiration dates and flags staff whose training is due for renewal. You will see "Due Soon" and "Overdue" indicators in both the staff member's dashboard and the supervisor's compliance view, so renewals can be completed before they lapse.
How do I get started?
Sign up for an account, and your organization administrator will add you to your provider's account. Once you're set up, you can browse the course catalog, enroll in courses, and begin training immediately.
