About Our Company
Contact UsThe Academy for Professional Development has been a company trusted with providing quality training for people in the disability field since 2004. Our primary focus is to help people with disabilities by elevating the skills and competence of those who work with them. The work we do is an essential part of preparing people in roles supporting persons with disabilities to thrive.
The Academy offers a wide range of professional development opportunities designed to meet the unique needs of your organization. Our services include:
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Supervisor Training, Coaching, and Mentoring: We understand that strong leaders are essential for a thriving workforce. Our programs are designed to equip supervisors with the skills to coach employees effectively, lead with confidence, fostering a culture of positive relationships and proactive problem-solving.
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Onsite and eLearning Training: We provide flexible training solutions, delivering high-quality content directly to your team, whether in person or through live web-based courses.
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In-House Professional Development Resources: Beyond formal training sessions, we equip agencies with the tools and resources needed to enhance their own internal professional development programs.
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Specialized Expertise: We offer specialized training in key areas, including Trauma-Informed Care and Crisis Intervention, which focuses on understanding and responding to the effects of trauma to create a safe and supportive environment.
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Organizational Support: Our support services are designed to build a strong foundation for your agency. We provide guidance on compliance, quality assurance, and policy and procedure development, ensuring your operations are both efficient and effective. The Academy helps strong agencies stay strong and struggling agencies resolve their issues and forge a positive path forward
Contact us today to see how The Academy can help your agency achieve its goals and empower your staff to provide the best possible support.
Meet our staff
Debra Easley,
Owner and CEO
I’ve spent my career helping agencies and professionals grow through training, coaching, and program development. As the founder of the Academy for Professional Development, I enjoy turning complex ideas into practical, engaging tools that strengthen human services agencies and their staff while improving services for individuals and families. My specialty is curriculum design—having authored more than 40 training programs—as well as supervisory training and leadership development.
Outside of work, I’m an extreme gardener who loves experimenting in the dirt, a lifelong reader, and a traveler at heart. Growing up in the United States, Japan, and Switzerland gave me an enduring love of new experiences, exploration, and adventure.
Jen Dalessandro, VP of Operations
Bio Coming Soon
Brian Sergent,
VP of Consultations and Compliance
I have over 25 years of experience working in agency leadership and program compliance, with the majority assisting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. I’m passionate about helping agencies working in specialized services to develop programming that helps individuals increase self-determination, advocate for equal rights, and obtain skills that build towards greater independence. Specializing in group instruction and compliance consultation, I provide both DSP and staff leadership training, as well as conducting agency consultations for initial certification and DODD reviews.
Outside of work I’m an avid sports fan, love to travel, and am a hiking enthusiast. With degrees in history and philosophy I also like to sit with my dog and ponder existential existence, along with the ancient Roman empire.
Mary Sherman, RN
Educator
Bio Coming Soon
I’ve worked in the intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) field for more than 15 years, serving first as a Director of Nursing and more recently as a consultant and educator. In my current role, I teach medication administration classes and serve as a delegating nurse for a variety of providers, helping ensure safe, high-quality care.
Beyond my professional work, I enjoy giving back through volunteer service with several nonprofit organizations in my community. I also have a lifelong love of horses, and am a very proud grandmother.
I’ve been a registered nurse for 24 years, with most of my career spent in critical care, supporting adults with complex medical needs. For nearly three decades, I’ve also been connected to the Department of Developmental Disabilities—both professionally and personally as the mother of a medically complex son. That experience has shaped my passion for equipping Direct Support Professionals with the knowledge, confidence, and respect needed to provide safe, compassionate care. As a certified train-the-trainer in medication administration and a delegating nurse
Outside of work, I’ve been happily married for 32 years and enjoy life with my three sons, daughter-in-law, and amazing grandson. I also love spending time with my dog, relaxing with true crime films, and cherishing every chance to bond with my family.
Rich Theus, RN Instructor
Bio Coming Soon
Brandy Rose
Educator and Consultant
I have over 20 years of experience in the ID/DD and ASD field, shaped by both my career and my role as the mother of a young adult with complex medical and developmental needs. Over the years, I’ve worked as a family support specialist, direct support professional, habilitation technician, and program manager, and now serve as a consultant and instructor with the Academy for Professional Development. I teach First Aid/CPR, behavior support, DSP training, and co-developed the curriculum Easing the Stress of Healthcare Encounters for Individuals with ID/DD and ASD with Dean Swartz. My greatest joy is supporting individuals and families to feel empowered, respected, and heard.
Advocacy is at the heart of my work. I’ve presented at local and regional conferences and serve with groups such as the Regional Autism Advisory Council, Families Connected, and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital’s Family Advisory Committee. Outside of work, I enjoy family trips, spending time in the kitchen, and cooking and baking with my loved ones—my homemade lasagna is everyone’s favorite.
Dean Swartz
Educator and Consultant
I’ve dedicated my career to supporting individuals with developmental disabilities and the staff who serve them. For more than 25 years, I’ve worked with the Clermont County Board of DD as a Behavior Support Specialist, where I provide behavior support planning, crisis intervention, and training on a wide range of topics. I’m also a longtime trainer with the Academy for Professional Development, where I teach provider certification courses and lead crisis and de-escalation trainings.
My background includes a B.A. in Psychology and a Master’s in Special Education with a focus on Autism Spectrum Disorder. Over the years, I’ve presented at state and national conferences, served on autism advisory councils, and helped agencies adopt trauma-responsive and person-centered practices.
At heart, I enjoy helping people feel more confident and capable in their work—whether that’s teaching a new skill, creating curriculum, or guiding teams through challenges.
I’ve spent over 36 years working across the field of developmental disabilities, from front-line staff to leadership roles in recreation, residential, and vocational/day programs. Along the way, I’ve developed crisis intervention programs, led certifications, and trained staff on everything from trauma-informed care to adaptive technology.
I also bring experience from manufacturing, environmental testing, and IT, which helps me take a practical, problem-solving approach. Today, I work with a county board in Ohio and the Academy for Professional Development—sharing what I’ve learned to help others grow.
Roberta Thorpe, Administrative Assistant
Bio Coming Soon
Our services (Click to expand)
The Academy offers an expansive list of services. From our company’s beginning, we have offered mandatory trainings for people and organizations in the disability field. We are proud to now offer numerous types of training and consulting to enhance the skills people have who support individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Our team of professionals are qualified to develop and lead trainings to achieve these goals and help your agency thrive at the same time.
We offer in-person trainings that range from a few hours to multiple days. They can cover various topics such as medication administration certification, initial and annual mandatory provider certification, CPR/First Aid, supervisory training, and much more. On-demand training classes are a great option for those who are looking for educational content without any wait time. We also offer Take and Teach curriculum on several topics where an agency will receive the educational materials to go through the training on their own. Crisis Intervention Training is a course offering that strategizes safety in crisis situations while addressing trauma, stress, and resilience. This is a popular training for health care sites, schools, first responders, retail companies, places of worship, and other organizations that could benefit.
In addition to training, The Academy also assists in many different consulting services like preparation for compliance and survey audits. We can also help with a plan of correction if you receive citations from a compliance review. Our team can provide start-up services and policies/procedures to help ensure all DODD rules and regulations are met. Agency branding and human resource assistance are additional services we offer.
Working with us (Click to expand)
In addition to all these services we provide, we are qualified to develop and customize trainings to meet the individualized needs of your team. The Academy can help with a wide variety of training topics, so please do not hesitate to reach out to see how we can help. We are located in Cincinnati, Ohio. Some of our trainings and resources are specific to the state of Ohio while others are not state specific and can be utilized anywhere throughout the United States.
Working with The Academy for Professional Development is a streamlined process tailored to best fit your agency or company’s needs. We first determine the scope of training or consulting you require including the type of training, the timeline you are working under, the number of staff who will attend, and more. We will discuss the costs involved, which are generally a flat fee per class. Our team can help find a location for training to take place if necessary.
We understand that sometimes you are working with a tight schedule or deadline. We are able to schedule trainings fairly quickly and can provide emergency scheduling if the situation requires it and a teacher is available. Ask us about rush training if you are in need of help quickly.
Purchase training materials online
We offer a variety of training materials which may be purchased online. Please feel free to explore these offerings.
Contact us today
We hope that you will consider The Academy for Professional Development for your organization’s training and consulting needs. We look forward to providing quality training that helps others and is an enjoyable and educational experience. Contact us by telephone at 513.237.2449, email us, or reach out by clicking the button below to be taken to our contact form. We are located in Cincinnati, Ohio and service all areas of the state in person as well as any location for online and take and teach trainings.