ATLANTA, Georgia, May 11, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- The College of Direct Support (CDS), an internet-based college for Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) and managed in partnership by Elsevier I MC Strategies and the University of Minnesota's Research and Training Center, has introduced its newest Disability Intensive Course (DIC) into the CDS Curriculum - Depression.

The course on Depression is an introduction to a mental health condition and in it, users will learn about the different forms of depression and how it may affect the individuals supported and other people. Depression is a common illness that spans all ages. Direct Support Professionals studying this course will learn to identify the signs and symptoms of depression and the common treatment options, and will help DSPs identify some common prevention and recovery tools. These tools can help those supported and people living with depression.

This is the third DIC course to be added to the CDS curriculum, joining courses on Autism and Autism Spectrum Disorders and Cerebral Palsy. Kelly Nye, Project Coordinator at the Institute on Community Integration (ICI), authored this course, and the internal course editors were Nancy McCulloh and Susan O'Nell, Project Coordinators at the ICI at the University of Minnesota. The ICI team creates and authors all CDS courses.

CDS strives to be at the cutting edge of issues for Direct Support Professionals, and this disability intensive course on Depression provides a wealth of information for DSPs related to symptoms, causes, treatment and recovery, Nye said of the course she authored. It also provides DSPs with an improved set of skills to work in their given field to provide the most comprehensive care to individuals with depression. We are pleased to provide DSPs with new and useful information to assist them in their roles as front line leaders in the field of disability services.

A DIC is a specialized course within the CDS that focuses on one disability or condition. Unlike other CDS courses, they have only one lesson. Each course defines and describes the nature of a specific condition. It has information about the causes, characteristics and symptoms, and shares some stories of people who have this condition.

About the College of Direct Support

The College of Direct Support is a learning gateway for contemporary best practices for Direct Support Professionals. By incorporating web-based learning, backed by nationally recognized curricula, the CDS is designed to promote a profession of direct support. The CDS is being used in more than 30 states and also in Canada. It is a partnership between Elsevier I MC Strategies and the University of Minnesota's Research and Training Center's Institute on Community Integration, which authors the curriculum.

CDS offers a complete lineup of courses offered on the Elsevier I MC Strategies Learning Management System.

About Elsevier

Elsevier is a world-leading publisher of scientific, technical and medical information products and services. The company works in partnership with the global science and health communities to publish more than 2,000 journals, including The Lancet (http://www.thelancet.com) and Cell (http://www.cell.com), and close to 20,000 book titles, including major reference works from Mosby and Saunders. Elsevier's online solutions include ScienceDirect (http://www.sciencedirect.com), Scopus (http://www.scopus.com), Reaxys (http://www.reaxys.com), MD Consult (http://www.mdconsult.com) and Nursing Consult (http://www.nursingconsult.com), which enhance the productivity of science and health professionals, and the SciVal suite (http://www.scival.com) and MEDai's Pinpoint Review (http://www.medai.com), which help research and health care institutions deliver better outcomes more cost-effectively.

A global business headquartered in Amsterdam, Elsevier (http://www.elsevier.com) employs 7,000 people worldwide. The company is part of Reed Elsevier Group PLC (http://www.reedelsevier.com), a world-leading publisher and information provider, which is jointly owned by Reed Elsevier PLC and Reed Elsevier NV. The ticker symbols are REN (Euronext Amsterdam), REL (London Stock Exchange), RUK and ENL (New York Stock Exchange).

Tom King, +1-877-353-2767 tking@collegeofdirectsupport.com

SOURCE: Elsevier SOURCE: The College of Direct Support

CONTACT: Tom King, +1-877-353-2767 tking@collegeofdirectsupport.com