For Georgia DBHDD community DD providers

Georgia, meet the training pathway built around DBHDD's Provider Manual

DBHDD's Provider Manual lists more than a dozen topics every new DSP must finish within 60 days. Several must be repeated each year as part of 16 annual hours, and CPR, crisis intervention and medication training are on top of that. Keeping all of it straight for every staff member, every year, is hard.

TES turns the manual's staff training section into one checklist for each person. Courses for the 60-day and annual topics are ready to assign, and outside certifications are tracked as evidence. Your training record holds up when DBHDD reviews it.

Mapped to the DBHDD FY2027 Provider Manual for Community DD Providers (effective October 1, 2026). Last reviewed October 2026.

  • 400+ courses and programs
  • 200,000+ professionals trained

What DBHDD requires, and how TES tracks it

DBHDD's staff training standards apply to community DD providers. Topics marked * in the manual must be repeated every year as part of the 16 annual hours [DBHDD FY2027 Provider Manual, Part II, item 13].

Before direct contact with individuals

RequirementOfficial sourceHow TES handles it
Orientation on your agency's purpose, scope of services and policies; HIPAA and confidentiality; rights and responsibilities of individuals; recognizing and reporting abuse, neglect and exploitation; HCBS Settings RuleDBHDD FY2027 Provider Manual, Part II, Adequate and Competent Staff, item 13Mapped courses in the Georgia pathway: HIPAA for Direct Support Professionals; Fundamental Rights for Direct Support Professionals; Recognition, Prevention, and Obligation to Report Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation. Agency policy orientation tracked alongside

Within 60 days of hire

RequirementOfficial sourceHow TES handles it
Person-centered values and a holistic approach; medical, physical, behavioral and social needs; human rights*; building relationships; communication skills*DBHDD FY2027 Provider Manual, Part II, Adequate and Competent Staff, item 13Mapped/supporting courses: Person Centered Planning for Direct Support Professionals; Human Rights and Recognizing Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation; Making Friends and Building Relationships; Communication Foundations for Direct Support Professionals
Cultural competencyDBHDD FY2027 Provider Manual, Part II, Adequate and Competent Staff, item 13Embracing Diversity: Cultural Competency in the Workplace
Fire safety*; emergency and disaster plans*DBHDD FY2027 Provider Manual, Part II, Adequate and Competent Staff, item 13Fire Safety for Direct Support Professionals; Emergency Preparedness
Standard precautions (infection control)DBHDD FY2027 Provider Manual, Part II, Adequate and Competent Staff, item 13Infection Control: Universal Precautions and Basic Safety; Bloodborne Pathogens (BBP)
First aid and safetyDBHDD FY2027 Provider Manual, Part II, Adequate and Competent Staff, item 13Basic First Aid (knowledge course, not certification)
Medications and side effects for the individuals supported*DBHDD FY2027 Provider Manual, Part II, Adequate and Competent Staff, item 13Individual-specific training tracked per DSP. Supporting course: Medication Administration (Five Rights)
Ethics and corporate complianceDBHDD FY2027 Provider Manual, Part II, Adequate and Competent Staff, item 13NADSP Code of Ethics; Fraud, Waste, and Abuse for Direct Support Professionals
Dual diagnosis, as appropriateDBHDD FY2027 Provider Manual, Part II, Adequate and Competent Staff, item 13Dual Diagnosis: Mental Illness as a Co-Occurring Disorder
Body mechanics; condition-specific training before working with each individual*DBHDD FY2027 Provider Manual, Part II, Adequate and Competent Staff, item 13Safe Lifting and Transfer Techniques. Individual-specific training tracked per DSP
Suicide prevention skills (the manual gives examples such as AIM and QPR)DBHDD FY2027 Provider Manual, Part II, Adequate and Competent Staff, item 13Tracked as external evidence

Certifications and external systems

RequirementOfficial sourceHow TES handles it
A nationally benchmarked behavioral support and crisis intervention curriculum* (no prone restraint), plus how to access the Georgia Crisis Response SystemDBHDD FY2027 Provider Manual, Part II, Adequate and Competent Staff, item 13Tracked as external evidence. Supporting course: Verbal De-escalation and Crisis Prevention for Direct Support Professionals
BCLS or BLS, including CPR and AED, with written and hands-on testingDBHDD FY2027 Provider Manual, Part II, Adequate and Competent Staff, item 13Certification card and expiration tracked as external evidence
24-hour residential settings: at least one staff member with BCLS/BLS and first aid on duty every shiftDBHDD FY2027 Provider Manual, Part II, Adequate and Competent Staff, item 8Shift coverage depends on knowing who is current, and TES shows each person's certification status
Proxy caregivers who administer medications: training under the Department of Community Health curriculum and rules, at least annuallyDBHDD FY2027 Provider Manual, Part II, proxy caregiver provisionsTracked as external evidence with an annual renewal

Every year

RequirementOfficial sourceHow TES handles it
At least 16 hours of training a year, measured from the date of hire, including every * topic aboveDBHDD FY2027 Provider Manual, Part II, Adequate and Competent Staff, item 13Hours and * topics tracked per DSP from their hire date. TES courses cover most * topics

Where TES courses fit in Georgia

The manual sets the topics, timelines and hours. It doesn't name one required course vendor for most of them. That's where TES's online courses help. Crisis intervention, BCLS/BLS and proxy caregiver training stay with their certifying programs, and TES keeps those records next to everything else.

The records are what get reviewed

DBHDD reviewers look for proof that each staff member finished the 60-day topics on time and the 16 hours each year. TES tracks both from each person's hire date, so an anniversary never sneaks up on you.

Courses mapped to Georgia topics

Public TES catalog courses for DBHDD topics. The Georgia pathway lists its mapped courses on the pathway page.

Built for managers who are stretched thin

  • One checklist per staff member. Every state requirement, its due date and its status in one record, so you can see who is on track and who is about to slip.
  • Due dates and renewals tracked for you. Each requirement shows when it is first due and how often it renews, from "before first shift" to annual and multi-year cycles.
  • Outside training lives in the same record. CPR/First Aid cards, medication-administration certifications and state-platform completions are tracked as external evidence next to your online courses, so one record shows what a reviewer asks for.
  • Mapped online courses ready to assign. Self-paced courses from the TES catalog cover the topics your agency is allowed to deliver itself.
  • NADSP Accredited Education provider. Completed TES hours can also count toward NADSP DSP-I and DSP-II accredited education through the NADSP E-Badge Certification Program.

Pricing

The Georgia DSP pathway includes the requirement checklist, due-date and renewal tracking, and the trainings mapped to the pathway [pathway].

Buying for a team? Contact us or use "Request a team purchase" on the pathway page.

Frequently asked questions

How many annual training hours do Georgia DSPs need?

At least 16 hours a year from the date of hire, including the topics the manual marks for annual repeat. DBHDD FY2027 Provider Manual, Part II, Adequate and Competent Staff, item 13

What must happen before a new DSP's first contact with an individual?

Orientation on agency policies, HIPAA and confidentiality, individual rights, ANE reporting and the HCBS Settings Rule. DBHDD FY2027 Provider Manual, Part II, Adequate and Competent Staff, item 13

Does TES provide BCLS or crisis intervention certification?

No. Those come from their certifying programs. TES tracks the certificates and renewal dates in the same record as your online training.

Make the 60-day list and the 16 hours easy to track

See every DSP's DBHDD checklist and annual hours on one screen. We'll walk you through the Georgia pathway with your staff in mind.