DSP Ambassador Program

The deadline to apply for the DSP Ambassador Program for 2026 has passed. If you applied for the program by the March 6 deadline, you will be notified about the status of your application no later than early April.

If you’ve spent any amount of time supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), you know that decades of underinvestment in Medicaid has long prevented community providers from recruiting and retaining enough qualified direct support professionals, or DSPs. In recent years, new challenges like funding cuts, rising costs and a global health pandemic have exposed the fragility of our national direct support workforce.

In light of these challenges, the direct support workforce demands more visibility now than ever before, which is why ANCOR launched the DSP Ambassador Program in 2025. Designed to enhance the ability of DSPs to speak up, speak out, and tell their stories about the vital role they play in the communities they serve, the inaugural cohort of the DSP Ambassador Program invited 38 of the nation’s leading DSPs to take the next step in their journeys as spokespeople for I/DD services and the professionals who deliver them.

Building on the tremendous success of our first cohort, ANCOR is expanding the program in 2026 to include two cohorts with two unique and exciting experiences:

• From May 18-21, 2026, our Spring 2026 cohort will convene up to 24 DSPs in the Salt Lake City area for a fully in-person experience that includes intensive trainings and the chance to practice your newly sharpened skills.
• Starting this summer and culminating in September, our Fall 2026 cohort will convene up to 24 DSPs fora hybrid experience. Members of the Fall 2026 cohort will participate in virtual trainings over the summer, and then gather in Washington, DC, for three days of learning, skill-building and advocating on Capitol Hill during ANCOR’s 2026 Policy Summit & Hill Day.

Participants in the DSP Ambassador program enjoy access to a series of trainings that aim to position them as more effective spokespeople when engaging with the press, lawmakers and members of the community. Topics covered during these immersive training experiences include:

• Multifaceted approaches for engaging lawmakers at the federal, state and local levels
• The ins and outs of engaging with the press
• Building partnerships that enhance community inclusion for the people you support
• Amplifying your message on social media
• Techniques for refining your professional brand

These trainings are supplemented with additional opportunities to:

• Build lasting relationships with peers from across the country.
• Receive mentoring from graduates of the DSP Ambassador Program.
• Meet other ANCOR members who are leaders in their communities and at the national level.

Throughout the program and after program completion, ANCOR will call on DSP Ambassadors to share their stories and add their perspective to outreach to the media and lawmakers when advocating on behalf of the direct support workforce.

In short, any DSP who is passionate about staying in the profession for the foreseeable future and has the support of their employer to participate is welcome to apply!

Here are a few specific criteria to keep in mind as you determine whether the DSP Ambassador Program is a good fit for you:

• We are seeking applications from DSPs who are passionate about working in this field and advocating to strengthen the direct support workforce. Therefore, professionals who have been in the field for any amount of time are welcome to apply, but priority will be given to DSPs who have been in the field for at least two years.
• Applicants must be able to demonstrate institutional support for their participation in the program by furnishing a letter of support from their agency’s CEO/executive director or their designee. Institutional support means that the organization (1) agrees to pay for the costs related to participation in the program, including the program enrollment fee and travel expenses (i.e., airfare, ground transportation, lodging, meals and incidentals) related to in-person meetings, and (2) understands that selected participants will work directly with ANCOR or its representatives to collaborate on press and advocacy outreach efforts.
• Applicants interested in the Spring 2026 cohort must be available to participate in person in the Salt Lake City area on May 18-21, 2026.
• Applicants interested in the Fall 2026 cohort must be available to participate in 3-4 virtual meetings over the summer (exact dates TBD based on selected participants’ availability) AND be available to participate in person in the Washington, DC, area on September 14-16, 2026.
• Applicants do not need to be members of ANCOR to participate, but in the event that the number of applications we receive exceeds the number of participants we can accommodate, priority will be given to ANCOR members. Additionally, ANCOR members enjoy a discounted program enrollment fee.

There is no cost to apply for the program, but selected participants’ organizations will be required to pay a program enrollment fee ($600 for ANCOR member organizations; $800 for non-members).

The program enrollment fee covers the cost of all training and instructional materials, access to expert trainers and peer mentors, several meals during in-person meetings, site visits for in-person learning experiences (for Spring 2026 cohort participants only), and registration for the 2026 Policy Summit & Hill Day (for Fall 2026 cohort participants only).

In addition to the program enrollment fee, the organizations that employ DSPs selected to participate in the program are expected to cover travel expenses for in-person experiences. This includes airfare, ground transportation, at least three nights of lodging in Salt Lake City (for Spring 2026 cohort participants) or Washington, DC (for Fall 2026 cohort participants), meals not provided by ANCOR, and incidentals.

Selected participants will be expected to:

• Participate in all scheduled training and activities (a comprehensive schedule will be provided during the virtual orientation).
• Be willing and available to share their perspectives as a DSP when opportunities arise, including by working with ANCOR to respond to inquiries from press.
• Leverage what they learn in the program to raise the profile of the important work carried out by direct support professionals, both during their time in the program and beyond.

Through March 6, 2026
Application Window Open

By End of March 2026
Applicants Notified of Application Status

May 18-21, 2026
Spring 2026 Cohort Convenes in Salt Lake City Area

Summer 2026
Fall 2026 Cohort Participates in 3-4 Virtual Meetings/Trainings

September 14-16, 2026
Fall 2026 Cohort Participates in 2026 Policy Summit & Hill Day in Washington, DC, Area

All applications must be submitted online no later than 11:59 pm HST on Friday, March 6, 2026. Applications submitted after that time may not be reviewed.

The online application form, which can be accessed by clicking on the button below, asks for a series of information about the applicant, their organization and their organization’s leadership, as well as brief (approx. 100 words each or less) answers to a few questions to help ANCOR assess your fitness for the program. The application form also requires you to attach a letter of support from your organization.

Applicants should take note of the following important information:

• The application form does not offer the option to save your responses and return later to finish the application. Therefore, we encourage you to prepare your responses in a separate document, and then paste your answers into the online form when you are ready to submit your application.
• Applicants must complete the same application, regardless of whether they are interested in participating in the Spring 2026 or Fall 2026 cohort. The application form allows you to indicate if you are interested in either experience, or if you are only interested in one of the two available options.
• No applicant will be accepted to participate in both experiences. Applicants that are deemed a good fit for the program and indicate their ability and willingness to participate in either cohort will be assigned a cohort based on space available.

Apply Today

We invite you to review answers to frequently asked questions on our FAQs page. If you don’t find the answer to your question there, please reach out to Robyn Wolfe via email.