04/01/2026
This past Friday, PCCS celebrated Professional Development Day at the College of Staten Island.
We kicked off the day with breakfast, connection, and check-in, giving everyone a chance to settle in, reconnect, and start the day energized. The morning continued with a warm welcome and opening talk, which set the tone by outlining the dayâs goals, highlighting key focus areas, and grounding us in our shared purpose.
The first round of breakout sessions gave staff the opportunity to dive into meaningful, choice-based learning. Topics ranged from strengthening partnerships with families and circles of support, to proactively preventing âquiet dropoutâ by re-engaging team members, to exploring the DSP Career Ladder and pathways for growth and impact within the field.
Dedicated time allowed teams across Self-Direction, Support Departments, and Traditional Programs to reflect on their work, review data, and align on priorities moving forwardâturning ideas into actionable next steps.
We then moved into the second round of workshops, focusing on leading through change, building and maintaining team morale, and creating meaningful recognition practices that truly motivate and support staff. The continuation of the DSP Career Ladder session further emphasized growth, opportunity, and long-term impact.
The day wrapped with a close-out session led by cRis marchioNNe, where we reflected on key takeaways, shared insights, and looked ahead to the 2026 learning pathway.
From start to finish, the day was filled with collaboration, thoughtful conversation, and a shared commitment to strengthening teams and the people we support.
Alt Text: The first photo is a picture of the Self-Direction team, gathered around in a hall, looking at the camera and smiling. There are pictures of people in various rooms around College of Staten Island, sitting down, being spoken to about program updates.