The Fall 2026 LEAD Program
Aug 11, 2026
– Sep 29, 2026
Dover, DE and Virtual
$1500 (to be reimbursed upon completion of the program for Delaware direct support professionals and frontline supervisors)
Details
Direct Support Professionals and Frontline Leaders from Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, and Virginia, you are invited to join the LEAD program! This program includes:
- An 8-week training series with in-person (in Dover, DE) and virtual components for a cohort of up to 25 DSPs and emerging frontline leaders, designed to build a foundation for leadership development and networking building
- Ongoing access to a Community of Practice to continually engage, inform, and connect DSPs across the state
- Quarterly virtual Networking and Learning events to support continuous learning and connection for DSPs
Goals of the LEAD Program
The LEAD Direct Support Professionals Training is designed to:
- Identify and build leadership capacity within the DSP community by investing in the development of skills and strengths of DSPs and emerging frontline leaders.
- Foster growth in confidence, knowledge, and leadership skills of Direct Support Professionals and strengthen their commitment to the disability service system.
- For those DSPs and frontline leaders in DE, LEAD demonstrate Delaware’s commitment to the essential role played by DSPs in supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and in the success of the Home and Community Based Service system.
What to Expect
DSPs and emerging frontline leaders who participate in the LEAD training will:
- Engage in an interactive and intensive leadership development experience through discussions, presentations, assessments, exercises, simulations, and ongoing development projects
- Identify and build on their personal leadership strengths and skills to become more confident and intentional leaders in their organizations and the Home and Community Based System
- Learn from a range of local and national leaders who will share ideas, best practices, strategies, and resources that participants can use in their day-to-day roles
- Gain a network of frontline leaders from across the state who will continue to support, collaborate with, and celebrate each other beyond the 8 week training program
Dates
The training will be held over an eight week period. Some sessions will be in person in Dover, DE. Some sessions will be held virtually on Zoom. All in-person sessions will be held from 10 am – 3:30 pm ET. All virtual sessions will be held from 10 am – 2 pm ET.
| August 11 | (in-person) |
| August 12 | (in-person) |
| August 18 | (virtual) |
| August 25 | (virtual) |
| September 1 | (in-person) |
| September 15 | (virtual) |
| September 22 | (virtual) |
| September 29 | (in-person) |
Cost
Each organization will pay a fee of $1500 per participating DSP.
For Delaware DSPs and frontline leaders, this fee plus a $500 stipend to help supplement salary or pay for the hours that DSPs are participating in the program will be reimbursed upon completion of the Training.
Deadlines
Applications are due July 27th. Applications are reviewed and accepted on a rolling basis.
Location
Dover, DE and Virtual
Speakers
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Caitlin Bailey, Ph.D.
Caitlin Bailey, PhD is Co-Director of the National Leadership Consortium on Developmental Disabilities, where she has been a driving force since 2010. She leads research and evaluation efforts, oversees technical assistance, and supports organizations and leaders across the disability sector. Caitlin also co-guides NLCDD’s strategic planning initiatives with Kristen Loomis Greenidge.
With deep expertise in research, facilitation, and leadership development, Caitlin has supported the development of leaders in the disability service sector, federal government, and more. She is constantly exploring the intersection of what it means to be a leader and what it means to be human, and is passionate about supporting leaders to understand what makes them great at both.
Caitlin has had the honor to serve on the boards of the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals and the Alliance for Citizen Directed Supports, and currently advises NAQ.
(Contact Caitlin Bailey at cbailey@natleadership.org)
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Emmanuel Jenkins
Emmanuel Jenkins is a nationally recognized motivational speaker, advocate, and community leader who has spent more than two decades using his voice to inspire change. Through powerful storytelling and lived experience, he encourages audiences to embrace resilience, leadership, and inclusion. Emmanuel has spoken at the White House, Procter & Gamble, and conferences across the country, challenging people from all walks of life to stand for something greater and recognize their ability to create lasting impact.
Beyond the stage, Emmanuel is the Founder and Executive Director of We Stand 4 Something, a nonprofit organization dedicated to building stronger and more inclusive communities. He is the Community Relations Officer for the Delaware Developmental Disabilities Council and Vice-Chair of the Delaware Developmental Disabilities Services Advisory Committee. In addition, Emmanuel serves on the Board of Directors for the Delaware Housing Alliance, supporting efforts to expand equitable and inclusive housing opportunities throughout the state.
A graduate of the Partners in Policymaking program and the University of Delaware’s LEND Program, Emmanuel continues to influence policy, leadership development, and advocacy at both the state and national levels. He serves as Chair of the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities (NACDD) Leaders with Lived Experiences Committee, a member of the NACDD Board of Directors, and a member of the Advisory Committee for the Self-Advocacy Resource and Technical Assistance Center. In 2024, he was appointed by Joe Biden to the President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities, further advancing his commitment to creating meaningful change and ensuring all people have opportunities to be heard, valued, and included. (Contact Emmanuel at ejenkins@westand4something.org)
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Joseph M. Macbeth
Joseph M. Macbeth is the Chief Executive Officer and President of the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP) and has worked in the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities for 42 years – beginning as a direct support professional. Macbeth is recognized as an international leader in the advocacy & movement to recognize direct support as a profession and has been a highly sought-after contributor on the workforce challenges that affects our service system.
In the early 2000s, while working for a New York trade association, Macbeth helped the state lead the nation in direct support workforce initiatives. The impact of his work in New York led to Macbeth being hired as the first employee at the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals as a part time Executive Director in 2011. During the ensuing 15 years, NADSP has built a robust membership of more than 300 service provider organizations representing nearly 60,000 direct support professionals, partnered with other national organizations to influence public policy reform and created the first national certification program using a digital badge platform called the E-Badge Academy where tens of thousands of direct support professionals are receiving recognition for the demonstration of their skills. Today, the NADSP employs twelve full time employees and dozens of part time employees working across North America.
Macbeth was appointed by the Governor of New York as a Member of the Advisory Council for the New York State Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs and appointed by President Biden to serve two terms on the President’s Committee for Intellectual Disabilities where he co-chaired the sub-committee for workforce shortages. He lives in North Bennington, VT. (Contact Joe at jmacbeth@nadsp.org)
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Kristen Loomis, MBA
Kristen Loomis Greenidge, MBA is the Co-Director of the National Leadership Consortium on Developmental Disabilities. In partnership with Caitlin Bailey, Kristen leads and oversees the strategic development, coordination, and implementation of all NLCDD programs, services, products, and activities.
Kristen has worked with NLCDD since 2012. Her work has focused on developing and coordinating training and technical assistance for leaders across the intellectual and developmental disabilities field.
Kristen received her Bachelor of Science degree in Human Services and her Master’s in Business Administration with a concentration in Strategic Leadership from the University of Delaware. (Contact Kristen Loomis at kloomis@natleadership.org)
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Nicole DamaPoleto
Nicole DamaPoleto, is the Office & Communications Manager for the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP) where she provides administrative, event and communications support. Previously, Nicole has worked with Families Together in NYS, NYS Coalition for Children’s Behavioral Health, the New York Alliance for Inclusion and Innovation, the State of New York Office of General Services, Urbanity Dance (Boston) and the Albany Institute of History & Art. Since earning her BA from The College of Saint Rose in Public Communication and a minor in Social Justice, Nicole has been an active member of the Capital District community. She regularly volunteers with at special events throughout Albany. Nicole has been a National Coalition Building Institute Trainer for over ten years.