April 2008
There’s Still Time To Register for 2008 CDS Administrator’s Forum
The College of Direct Support (CDS) 3rd annual Administrator’s Forum will be presented on Sunday, April 13, and it’s not too late to register and let us know you’ll be there.
The Forum at the Sheraton Hotel is being held in conjunction with ANCOR’s 2008 Management Practices Conference in New Orleans, set for April 13-15. The Forum is free and open to CDS users and those interested in CDS. It will begin with registration 9:30 a.m. Our first session will start at 10 a.m. The afternoon session will begin with a complimentary lunch and run until 4 p.m.
CDS welcomes to the Forum ANCOR members and non-members alike.
Give us a call as soon as possible if you plan to attend so we can provide an adequate number of complimentary lunches. Please call Michelle Kael at the CDS at 1.877.353.2767 (toll free) or email her at mkael@collegeofdirectsupport.com.
Working with Families and Support Networks Is Available; Positive Behavior Course Enhanced
The College of Direct Support’s latest course, “Working With Families and Support Networks,” is now posted on the CDS Learners’ website and is available for learners. Also, we are pleased to announce that the course on “Positive Behavior Supports” has been enhanced for your use.
Here is a description of the latest course, which brings the number of CDS courses in the online curriculum to 22.
Working With Families and Support Networks: Everyone has family and support networks in their lives. These are the people who surround you. These are people with whom you develop relationships. They add quality, meaning and enjoyment that enrich your life. People with disabilities who receive support are not any different. They have families and support networks which are intensely important to their quality of life. This course will help you understand the importance of support networks. It will help you develop working partnerships with families and other support networks. You will learn the importance of family and other types of support networks as well as learning what skills needed to work effectively with both.
The following lessons are included in this course:
Lesson #1: Understanding Support Networks
Lesson #2: Families as a Unique Support Network
Lesson #3: Creating Partnerships with Family Support Networks
Lesson #4: Problem Solving within Support Networks
The author of “Working with Families and Support Networks” is Nancy McCulloh, Program Coordinator-Institute on Community Integration, University of Minnesota
Enhancement to the Positive Behavior Support Course
CDS is pleased to announce updates and enhancements to the course on Positive Behavior Support. This update is now online and includes:
- Shorter, fewer, more work-based lesson objectives.
- New, more extensive test banks with questions carefully tied to the objectives.
- Revised On-the-Job statements linked to each objective.
- Reduced reading level on text. Text is more cross-disability focused where applicable.
- New and revised portfolio examples.
“Positive Behavior Support” was authored by Susan O'Nell, Program Coordinator for the Institute on Community Integration, University of Minnesota; John Sauer, Program Coordinator at the Institute on Community Integration, University of Minnesota; and Jerry Smith, Media Developer for the Institute on Community Integration, University of Minnesota.
“We hope these enhancements help your learners understand and apply the materials better. We also hope that they make it easier for you to assess their ability to apply what they have learned,” said Bill Tapp, CDS National Director. “We appreciate your use of the CDS. More updates and new releases will be coming soon!”
‘MooreTV’ Is on the Air With CDS at Moore Center
When you're in the non-profit sector, it's all about being resourceful. Most non-profits aren't flush with money, so it takes a moderate amount of creativity to pull off endeavors that other companies would just hire a consultant to do.
Moore Center Services in Manchester, N.H., has developed several low-cost, engaging methods to communicate with its staff, clients and families, as well as spread the message of the College of Direct Support (CDS) to the surrounding community. That community is Manchester and, ideally, all of New Hampshire.
MCS is one of the largest non-profits in the Granite State, tasked with serving people with developmental disabilities and non-disabled older adults. MCS began using CDS in 2005 to train its workforce.
Using multimedia, MCS been able to put together a number of fun, short videos that highlight the services and staff of Moore Center Services. These videos are filmed with a consumer camcorder, edited together with affordable video software, and packaged as “MooreTV” – an eight-minute program of new video content that airs every Friday at the Moore Center on three LCD monitors positioned throughout the agency.
To see MooreTV, click here.
Sounds high-tech, sure, but the start-up costs were limited to purchasing the monitors, which were incorporated into Moore Center's first-ever Capital Campaign, currently underway (and, by the way, recently eclipsing the halfway point in funds raised).
The programs are brainstormed and executed solely by the staff and one of the by-products is instant multimedia content for Moore Center's news website – www.moorecenter.org/newsblog
“We've used this technology to promote the College of Direct Support in unique and entertaining ways,” says David Johnson, MCS’s Public Relations Director and the producer of MooreTV. “Whether we interview Direct Support Professionals or put together a fun ‘movie trailer’ depicting DSPs battling the fearsome ‘Social Stigma-saurus’ or craft a high-energy teaser announcing NHDSP.org, New Hampshire's online DSP community, our goal is the same: to craft appealing multimedia marketing techniques and get the word out about the excellence of the College of Direct Support.”
Moore Center serves over 1,900 clients and families.
Moore Center Teams With Manchester Community Technical College To Offer Course for Credit in Human Services
By DAVID JOHNSON
John Lambert is going back to school, and he’s thrilled.
“The idea of college was scary for me,” he says. “I thought I was too old and that it was too late to go for my degree, but this program has showed me that it’s never too late.”
He is talking about the new partnership initiative that brings together Moore Center Services, the Region 7 Area Agency that serves individuals with developmental disabilities, and Manchester Community Technical College, in a common effort to propel students of all ages and careers into a Human Services learning track.
Laura Biladeau, who oversees the Human Services program at the college, instructs a weekly class called Introduction to Human Services, on-site at Moore Center’s new location in the renovated mill building at the MillWest corporate complex in downtown Manchester. “We believe our Human Services program can only be enhanced by partnering with the Moore Center, a recognized leader in the health and human services arena. For years Moore Center has helped people become productive members of the community, and we believe this exciting joint venture fits right within that mission,” Biladeau said.
“It’s fantastic,” said Lambert, a Direct Support Professional for Moore Center Services. “It’s opened my eyes to the true breadth of the field. Thanks to this experience I am committed to pursing a career in Human Services.”
The class is worth three credits, which can be applied to a certificate in Direct Support, which in turn can be moved toward a two-year degree in Human Services and, ultimately, a four-year degree at the University of New Hampshire.
In addition, Moore Center offers The College of Direct Support, a cutting-edge online curriculum developed by the University of Minnesota, which the Technical College recently accepted as a three-credit course. So students who finish both CDS and the Introduction to Human Services course are suddenly armed with six college credits, and for Moore Center staff, this education is all free.
A scholarship from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, targeted specifically toward Area Agencies, has covered the price of the class and Moore Center picked up the cost for the textbooks.
“My experience with The College of Direct Support prompted me to enroll in this class,” said Jacqueline Schober, a DSP at the Moore Center Individual Developmental Services program.
“The shortage of direct care providers is being felt throughout the country and I think this is the single greatest challenge facing the whole human services world,” said Paul S. Boynton, president and CEO, Moore Center Services, Inc. He said while there is great demand for the services, wages are low and there has not been enough training available. That is the primary reason why Moore Center brought the College of Direct Support to the state. The results have been encouraging. “We’ve already seen a reduction in turnover, and an increase in the sense of pride in this profession,” said Boynton. “We believe the partnership with the Manchester Community Technical College will improve the skills of our workforce even more, which will in turn improve wages and care for clients.”
“When we were first talking to our staff about this, there were a number of barriers,” said David Jenkins, Moore Center Vice President of Business Services. “Some were reluctant to start college so late, others even had reservations about the level of coursework, but what the College of Direct Support and this new class have done was show them that they could all be successful college students.”
Fifteen students have enrolled in the Introduction to Human Services, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive.
“I love it,” said Brenda Estabrook. “It’s been a challenge getting into the college mode, but so far the experience has been incredibly rewarding.”
“It’s amazing how large a field Human Services is,” says Diane Boisvert, Director of Family Directed Services. “Even as someone who’s been a director for a number of years, I’m learning many new things. It’s a terrific program.”
Moore Center is delighted with the positive feedback. Boynton comments, “This program is another great example of how we’re working to create opportunities for a good life, which for us, is what it’s all about.”
(David Johnson is the Director of Public Relations/Marketing for Moore Center Services and can be reached at 603.206.2743 or via email at david.johnson@moorecenter.org.)
Latest CDS Numbers
In case you were wondering...
The College of Direct Support, as of February 28, 2008:
- Is being used in 29 states.
- Of those 29 states, 15 states have statewide contracts.
- Has approximately 68,000 enrolled learners at any given time of a day.
- 224,100 lessons have been assigned.
- 679,560 lessons have been completed.
South Dakota ‘Journey’ With CDS Outlined in Our Latest Partner Profile
If the College of Direct Support can work in rural South Dakota, Bill Tapp likes to say, then it can work anywhere.
Since May 1, 2004, CDS and South Dakota have been partners in developing and training Direct Support Professionals across the state. More than 3,000 learners in the state in approximately 40 locations are now enrolled in CDS and learning online.
Eileen Van Soest, South Dakota’s CDS Manager, wrote the Partner Profile and tells us about a 55-year-old DSP who was afraid of taking the web-based training on a computer. Her supervisor thought that they could lose her. “Rather than losing her due to failure with the lessons, we gained a staff member armed with knowledge,” says Vicki Kommes of ECCO Inc. in the Partner Profile.
Eileen writes about other success stories as well and explains how and why South Dakota has become one of the best and brightest CDS Partners in developing a 21st Century Workforce. It is a story worth reading.
Use of CDS for Training in Child Welfare Field Being Explored by University of Minnesota Center
Preliminary work has begun in exploring the use of the College of Direct Support (CDS) in the field of Child Welfare. Traci LaLiberte, Ph.D., director of the Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare at the University of Minnesota, is leading a project to assess the child welfare market.
The project includes three main components: provision of technical assistance for three child welfare pilot projects; the development of a child welfare stakeholder group; and the examination of the marketing materials used by CDS for applicability in a child welfare market.
Currently, Minnesota is developing a comprehensive pilot to integrate CDS training into the work of foster parents, kinship providers, family members, case management/social workers and supervisors, Laliberte said. The pilot will include professionals from both the public and private sectors of child welfare.
Laliberte and her staff are also working to develop a pilot project with the Connecticut Department of Children and Families to utilize the CDS curriculum in a residential program for children and adolescents. Recently, the state of Ohio instituted new legislation related to foster parent training and caring for children with disabilities. “We will be exploring the use of CDS in relation to child welfare legislative mandates there as well,” Laliberte said.
If you are interested in joining CDS and Ms. LaLiberte in further exploring the use of CDS in your local or state child welfare systems, please contact her at lali0017@umn.edu.
Starkey Inc. Rolls Out New Mission Statement & New LIGHThouse Project
Starkey Inc. of Wichita, Kansas is a College of Direct Support partner that is always on the move.
Last month Starkey unveiled its new Mission Statement: “Starkey nurtures development and promotes independence in people with intellectual disabilities.”
And along those lines, Starkey has kicked off its latest initiative, known as The LIGHThouse Project. The “LIGHT” is an acronym for “Living Innovations for Guiding Healthy Transitions. Carolyn Risley Hill, Starkey’s chief executive officer, says that individuals who have developmental disabilities are frequently at greater risk of developing Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia - in fact, 85 percent of people with Down syndrome are likely to develop it. Also, individuals with disabilities who develop dementia show signs of it 25 years earlier, on average, than the general population (sometimes in their 30s and 40s).
“Here at Starkey, there are 72 individuals considered to be at risk for dementia because they are showing early signs or because they have Down syndrome. There is a compelling need for additional care and support in a home setting,” Hill said.
The LIGHThouse Project is a $1 million plan for the development of a site with three homes, each accommodating five individuals and support staff, joined by shared green space for exercise and fresh air. The staff working at the homes will have specialized training and will provide the stability and care these individuals need, helping them to continue living in their community until skilled nursing care is required.
It is hoped that three quarters of the total project cost will come from a state tax credit program and the remaining $250,000 will be being raised through pledges from Starkey board members, parents, guardians, employees and other supporters. “This is the first project of its kind in Sedgwick County, and quite possibly, the state of Kansas,” Hill added.
Construction on the project is expected to begin in late 2008 or early 2009.
Starkey currently supports 407 individuals with disabilities. To learn more about Starkey, visit its new website at www.starkey.org.
Your Best Practices, Ideas Are Welcomed!
Is your agency doing great work for the people and families it supports? Is there an outstanding Direct Support Professional who should be recognized? Has your agency or organization rolled out a new and meaningful program to improve the lives of people supported and for those who support them?
Have you found a unique way to use The College of Direct Support curriculum and its tools that you can share with us?
We want and welcome your ideas and stories for Connections@CDS. It’s all about the DSPs and the workforce and the differences they and your agency make in the lives of those supported.
Email Tom King, the newsletter editor, with your ideas and suggestions at tking@collegeofdirectsupport.com or call him (toll free) at 1.877.353.2767.
Shopping at the CDS Store
If you need ideas for gifts for jobs well done or for your College of Direct Support graduation ceremonies, you can find them at the CDS Store on our website, www.collegeofdirectsupport.com, or you can visit the store from here.
All things CDS are just a click away – various styles of shirts, both long sleeves and short sleeves – and an array of caps and hats, plus cups, bags and other items. They have the CDS logo emblazoned on them. You can purchase single items or bulk orders.
The CDS makes no money from the store. It is available for your use as you honor your Direct Support staff and their supervisors. Happy shopping!
Mission Statement: 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.
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