For Massachusetts DSP providers
Massachusetts, meet the training pathway built around your DSP requirements
Massachusetts's DSP requirements are set by the Massachusetts Department of Developmental Services (DDS). Some training is due before a new hire works alone, some renews every year or every few years, and some has to come from an outside certifying program. Keeping it straight for every staff member is a job in itself.
TES turns Massachusetts's requirements into one checklist for each staff member. Mapped online courses are ready to assign, and outside certifications are tracked as evidence in the same record, so the file is ready when a reviewer asks.
Summarized from 115 CMR 3.09; 115 CMR 5.11; M.G.L. c. 19C. Last reviewed August 25, 2026.
- 400+ courses and programs
- 200,000+ professionals trained
What Massachusetts requires
- Ongoing training
- Ongoing competency-based retraining verified through DDS licensure and certification surveys; MAP medication recertification every 2 years
- Background check
- Required — CORI (Criminal Offender Record Information) and national background checks for staff of DDS-funded programs
- 115 CMR 3.09 — Protection of human rights. Requires each provider to designate a human rights officer who informs staff, individuals and families of individuals' rights, overseen by a human rights committee.
- 115 CMR 5.11 — Crisis prevention, response, and restraint. Restricts physical restraint training to DDS-approved Curricula for Positive Response and Restraint (Safety-Care, CPI, SOLVE, PABC).
- M.G.L. c. 19C — Disabled Persons Protection Commission. Establishes the DPPC and the mandated-reporter duties covering all staff of DDS-funded programs; mandated-reporter orientation is required and survey-verified.
What the Massachusetts pathway tracks, and how
The Massachusetts DSP pathway in the TES catalog has 7 requirements. Each one shows how often it renews and how TES handles it.
| Requirement | Renews | How TES handles it |
|---|---|---|
| Human Rights Training (115 CMR 3.09) | One-time | Training assigned during setup and tracked per staff member |
| Dignity & Abuse/Neglect Awareness (115 CMR 5.00 / M.G.L. c.19C) | One-time | Training assigned during setup and tracked per staff member |
| Documentation & Incident Reporting | One-time | Training assigned during setup and tracked per staff member |
| Health & Safety | One-time | Mapped course: Fire Safety for Direct Support Professionals |
| DDS Learning Mandated-Reporter Orientation — external | One-time | Tracked in TES as external evidence |
| MAP Medication Certification (16+ hr training, knowledge test and skills demonstration) — external | Every 2 years | Tracked in TES as external evidence, with its renewal date |
| DDS-Approved Restraint Curriculum (115 CMR 5.11, CPRR list) — external | One-time | Tracked in TES as external evidence |
Where TES courses fit in Massachusetts
TES courses cover the topics your agency is allowed to deliver itself. Hands-on certifications such as CPR and First Aid, medication credentials and any state-delivered modules stay with their required sources, and TES tracks them as evidence next to your online courses.
The records are what get reviewed
When DDS or a licensing reviewer asks, you need more than certificates scattered across platforms. TES keeps each staff member's completions, certification cards and renewal dates in one checklist, so you can show who was trained on what, and when, in seconds.
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 Massachusetts DSP pathway includes the requirement checklist, due-date and renewal tracking, and the trainings mapped to the pathway. See the Massachusetts pathway in the TES catalog.
Buying for a team? Contact us or use "Request a team purchase" on the pathway page.
Frequently asked questions
What ongoing training do Massachusetts DSPs need?
Ongoing competency-based retraining verified through DDS licensure and certification surveys; MAP medication recertification every 2 years
Does TES provide CPR, First Aid or medication certification?
No. Those come from their certifying programs. TES tracks each certificate and its renewal date in the same record as your online training.
What does the Massachusetts pathway cost?
Pricing depends on your team size and states. Individual pathways are listed in the TES catalog; for an agency quote, contact our team.
Make Massachusetts's requirements the easy part
See every staff member's Massachusetts checklist on one screen, with renewals and outside certificates tracked. We'll walk you through the Massachusetts pathway with your team in mind.