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August's Partner Profile:
Ability Beyond Disability Invests Heavily
In DSP Staff, Uses CDS in Its P2E Vision
Kris Foss
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It is an agency in Bethel, CT., that supports some 1,300 individuals and has a direct support staff of 715. Ability Beyond Disability is the agency and in these difficult economic times it made the decision to invest in its workforce, to have a trained and skilled cadre of Direct Support Professionals (DSPs).
This statement from our August Partner Profile on Ability Beyond Disability reflects the spirit of the agency: "Since beginning the P2E program in May 2008 we have had NO turnover among participants. All 63 graduates are still working here, eagerly awaiting the development of the specialty training programs. For each employee we retain, we save money on recruiting and on-boarding costs such as background checks and training. Each employee retained means the individuals we support know and recognize the person working with them each day, and it means that his or her family member recognizes the staff member working with their loved one. Can you put a price on that? As the credit card commercial says – PRICELESS. The success of P2E has shown us that by investing in our employees, they are, in turn, investing in a career with us."
Ability Beyond Disability's Graduates and Staff
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The College of Direct Support is used as the core curriculum in the agency's P2E program – Pathways to Excellence. The agency has given every one of its 63 graduates of the program a 50-cent per hour salary increase and a $1,000 bonus. Not one of those 63 DSPs have left the agency.
How do they afford this program? Kristine Foss, their Workforce Planning & Development Administrator and author of the Partner Profile, answered that question for us:
"That sounds like an easy question, but the answer is a combination of factors. We are fortunate to have a strong base of philanthropy from our community and specifically our Board of Directors and Board of Trustees. They are extremely supportive with their time and their financial support. This is in combination with being extremely planful in the manner which we put together our annual budget and applying for and being awarded some small to midsize grants along the way. Our budget is developed with our organizational goals and long-term vision in mind. We have carefully streamlined other costs and achieved efficiencies in order to make this investment. Sounds vague, but it really has been an organizational effort to contain costs in order to invest in our workforce. I truly have never worked for a company that values and understands the importance of that kind of investment more than this one. When we developed our budget for this fiscal year, the Pathways Program was one of the few things that everyone said ‘We have to continue and cannot cut it'."
Ability Beyond Disability is a superb example of understanding that a trained and professional workforce is an agency's greatest asset.
Click on this LINK to read our August Partner Profile.
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CDS, Therap Rocky Mountain
Bound for Joint Conference III
The College of Direct Support (CDS) and Therap Services are headed to the Rocky Mountains for their third joint training conference at the Ramada Plaza Hotel and Conference Center on Aug. 19-21 in Northglenn, a suburb of Denver.
"Side-by-Side Technology: Therap, CDS Training Conference III" will begin with a pre-conference day on Aug. 18. The fee for the Wednesday through Friday event is $150 and that includes all meals – breakfast, lunch and dinner for Wednesday and Thursday and breakfast and lunch on Friday.
Therap and CDS, the two industry leaders in the field of using web-based technology to improve the lives of people with developmental disabilities, have had joint conferences in Kansas City and Murfreesboro, TN, and both were big hits with the participants. The first conference attracted some 90 participants and the second one approximately 100 people.
"We have gotten great feedback from attendees at the side-by-side technology conferences. Agencies seem to like being able to see companies working together to support their work using up-to-date technologies," said Richard Robbins, Therap's chief executive officer. "The three-day format really has allowed time for significant brainstorming and discussions in multiple formats and sessions. We also are finding that in this financial environment having conferences in different parts of the country near low-fare airports or major interstate highways help make the conferences affordable for almost everyone."
This conference again will feature an array of interactive sessions and workshops focusing on the services provided by both CDS and Therap and how to take advantage of both and bridge from one to other. Participants will learn about the CDS curriculum and the many features of its Learning Management System.
There will be specific sessions for advanced users, for system administrators and for potential users of CDS or Therap.
"When we made the decision to work together on our first conference we were not sure how successful it would be, but it was a great success and the people there enjoyed both the interaction and in the interactive nature of the conference," said Bill Tapp, CDS President and founder. "This format seems to work well for everyone and it truly is a great laboratory for seeing how two successful technologies can work together to improve the lives of people we help support."
We have two sponsoring organizations for this conference. One, Rest Assured, also sponsored the second joint training conference in Tennessee. Our newest sponsor is Alliance of Colorado, based in Denver. One other organization will be this conference – Web Footed Friends, Inc.
Alliance is a nonprofit, statewide association of Community Centered Boards (CCBs) and Service Provider Organizations (SPOs). Alliance's efforts in the areas of public policy, state legislation, developmental disability initiatives, and demonstration of best practices have positioned it as the premier resource for organizations and individuals associated with Colorado's Community Centered System of developmental disability services and supports.
Alliance was founded in 1973 as the Colorado Association of Community Centered Boards (CACCB). In 2005 it changed its name to Alliance. With the new name came a renewed commitment to quality community supports for people with developmental disabilities and their families in Colorado. Over 12,000 people are served in Colorado's Community Centered System.
Rest Assured is a real-time monitoring system with two-way communications that started in 2001. Broadband wireless technology is used to link individual homes to a central monitoring station. Benefits include home safety and security, quick access to support when needed, weather alerts, and independence with just the right amount of oversight.This new telecare service seeks to ensure the same level of safety and security for consumers,
Web Footed Friends, Inc. is an applied research firm developing and supporting talent management systems in human services to get the right people in specific positions to increase productivity, customer satisfaction and industry capacity that fosters growth and enhances quality of consumer support.
The principals of the firm have had 30-plus years experience in psychometrics. WFF has focused on organizational development for 15 years.
"Your Web Footed Friends promise to listen, to look at several alternative solutions to achieve your organizational goals and to recommend that action which we would take ourselves if we were in your situation," says Linda Petrini, President of Web Footed Friends
You can click on THIS LINK to learn more about the conference and to register for it.
If you have questions, call Therap at 203.596.7553.
You should contact the hotel directly for accommodations and to make reservations. Call the Northglenn Ramada at 303.452.4100.
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The DSP Chronicles Introduces You
To Faye Miller, South Dakota's Best
Faye Miller
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Faye Miller is called "the total package as a DSP. Talented, very professional and a great listener." She is a Direct Support Professional (DSP) in Yankton, S.D. and provides supports for 16 people, supports that come from her heart – and to her the job is all about heart and getting to know those she supports as well as possible.
Faye is this month's subject of "The DSP Chronicles" and she works with a group of people between the ages 18 and 70 at Ability Building Services (ABS) in Yankton. She works in the agency's Supported Employment/Community Inclusions Department, finding those she supports jobs that match their abilities. She also helps them make social connections and looks for every opportunity to integrate them into the Yankton community. Her work – her calling – has drawn attention, for she was recently honored as South Dakota's Direct Support Professional of the Year by ANCOR (American Network of Community Options and Resources).
Here's how she describes her role as a DSP. "My work is about the relationships, getting to know everyone I support as an individual. Sometimes they are shy. I take them to lunch, I listen to them and their stories and their lives. It's an investment of time, finding out where they want to shine. I network them around town and integrate them into the community. It's about having a one-on-one relationship with every person I support. Learning to know someone in depth is a gift."
You may click on this LINK to read all about Faye Miller and how she approaches her calling as a DSP.
"It makes such a difference in your life to know that you have made a difference in someone else's life at the end of the day," she says.
If you would like to nominate a DSP to be featured in The DSP Chronicles, contact Tom King, the editor of Connections@CDS, at 1-877-353-2767 (toll free) or via email at tking@collegeofdirectsupport.com
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2009 Sept. 13-15 GAS Conference
Focuses on Political, Economic Issues
In these tough economic times in which we find ourselves, ANCOR's 2009 Governmental Activities Seminar (GAS) set for Sept. 13-15 in Washington, D.C. has a very relevant focus: "The New Political and Economic Environment...and You!"
The GAS will be held at the Washington Court Hotel.
The seminar will address issues surrounding the implications of the health care reform on people with disabilities, for providers as employers, and for community living and employment supports. This conference will bring attendees face to face with new officials of the Obama administration, Congressional staff and national experts speaking on a range of topics.
Here is a snapshot on some of the topics to be discussed:
- What providers need to know about their state Medicaid match and shaping state options
- Federal rules that govern how states receive federal matching funds
- How states have generated their state Medicaid match in the past
- How providers can help; what you need to know
In a related matter, the U.S. Senate unanimously approved Senate Resolution 228 designating the week beginning September 14 as "National Direct Support Professionals Recognition Week." Sponsored by Senator Ben Nelson (D-NE), the resolution recognizes the invaluable supports Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) provide and the difference this workforce makes in the lives of Americans with disabilities.
"This resolution will draw positive attention to the millions of professionals across the country who help support individuals living with disabilities," said Nelson. "They often work long hours with little pay, but their contributions are critical. Today we recognize their dedication and vital role in enhancing the lives of individuals with disabilities of all ages."
"We are proud that the U.S. Senate has bestowed this recognition in honor of the direct support workforce and the tremendous impact they have in communities across the country," said Renee Pietrangelo, ANCOR's CEO.
As part of the National Advocacy Campaign, ANCOR worked with Senator Nelson and key ANCOR members on this resolution to coincide with the annual Governmental Activities Seminar (click on this link for the conference brochure and registration information).
The resolution received considerable attention in the Senate and gained nine co-sponsors including, Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS), Senator Jim Bunning (R-KY), Senator Thomas Carper (D-DE), Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), Senator Christopher Dodd (D-CT) Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA), Senator John Kerry (D-MA), Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY), and Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME).
Along with the passage of this Resolution by the U.S. Senate, ANCOR has worked with key members in the states to successfully have gubernatorial DSP Recognition Week proclamations issued in Colorado, Maine, Nebraska, New York and Virginia. We hope to add more states in the coming weeks!
Click here for more information about DSP Recognition Week and ways you can celebrate and advocate for DSPs.
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Risk Management/Finance Summit
For Non-profits Scheduled Sept. 20-22
The Nonprofit Risk Management Center's 2009 Risk Management and Finance Summit for Nonprofits will be held on September 20-22 at the AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center at the University of Texas in Austin, TX. The Early Bird deadline has been extended to August 10th.
The Center was established in 1990 to provide assistance and resources for community-serving nonprofit organizations. As a nonprofit, the Center is uniquely positioned to both understand and respond to questions with practical, affordable suggestions for controlling risks that threaten a nonprofit's ability to accomplish its mission.
The Summit is an educational event that draws nonprofit leaders from across the country, as well as professional advisors (lawyers, CPAs, and insurance professionals) who assist and support nonprofits. The Summit offers a time and place for nonprofit executives, managers and other leaders to network and to discuss hot topics and trends that affect the governance and operations of their organizations.
Its mission is to help nonprofits cope with uncertainty. It does not sell insurance or endorse organizations that do. The Nonprofit Risk Management Center is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization.
Here's a quick look at what the Center offers:
- Free technical assistance by telephone or e-mail to nonprofit staff and volunteers
- Affordable, easy-to-read publications
- Interactive online tools including a risk assessment software program called Nonprofit CARES (Computer Assisted Risk Evaluation System), and "My Risk Management Plan."
- A Risk Management Essentials newsletter, which is distributed to thousands of nonprofits three times a years
- Workshops at events and conferences sponsored by nonprofit organizations, umbrella groups and associations, and insurance providers
- Regional conferences on risk management each Spring and an annual conference each Fall
- Competitively priced consulting services, including risk assessments, coverage reviews and policy reviews.
Who Should Attend?
- Nonprofit staff, board members and other volunteers
- CEOs, Presidents, executive directors and founders
- CFOs, CFOs, Directors of Human Resources, Volunteer Coordinators, Senior Program Staff
- Professional Risk Managers from the nonprofit and public sectors
- Senior staff from foundations and grantmaking nonprofits
- Local and State Government officials who work with nonprofits
- Aspiring nonprofit CEOs
- Professional advisors and consultants serving nonprofits
Long-time nonprofit professionals, as well as those new to their positions or the sector, will feel at home at this challenging, information-packed event. The Summit offers two days of plenary sessions and workshops to help you focus more deeply on topics that are core to high-performing nonprofits.
The following workshops will be featured at the SUMMIT:
- Risk Management 101: Practical Ways to Manage Risk in a Changing World
- Ethics and Volunteers: What's the Big Deal?
- Managing Fraud Risk in Your Nonprofit: Practical Tools to Safeguard Your Assets
- Culture Change and Risk Communication
- Managing Special Event Risks
- Got Risk? A Closer Look at Effective Risk Sharing and Transfer
- Taking the High Road: Compassionate and Risk-Savvy HR Practices
- Financial Risk Management for Churches and Faith-Based Nonprofits
- Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Insurance, But Didn't Know Who to Ask
- Mission-Driven Risk Management
- The 10 Biggest Legal Traps Nonprofit CEOs should Avoid
- Best Practices in Nonprofit Governance and the Legal Duties of Nonprofit Boards
- Crisis Management
- Volunteer Liability: What You Don't Know About "Free" Workers Could Cost You
- Advanced Financial Management
- Identity Theft: What Your Nonprofit Needs to Know Now
- Partnerships and Collaboration: Risk Management Lessons from Success and Failure
- Project Risk Assessment
Click here for more information, including the online registration process for the conference.
You also can call Melanie Herman at 202-785-3891 or email her at Melanie@nonprofitrisk.org if you have questions.
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College of Direct Support-Child Welfare Pilot
Draws Positive Responses from Participants
Dr. Traci LaLiberte,
Executive Director of the Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare at the University of Minnesota
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The College of Direct Support has received positive responses from child welfare professionals during the recent pilot study conducted by the Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare at the University of Minnesota's School of Social Work. This study explores the use of CDS with child welfare professionals working with children and adults with disabilities.
While the preliminary results of a three-stage study are pending, researchers have received favorable comments such as, "I really liked the courses and learned more than I had expected. It has reassured me regarding my disabled foster son who will be leaving home soon to move to an adult group home. I am so much more aware of what is available to him!" Another learner wrote, "I have never done online training before so this was a great experience. With all the budget cuts there is little money for training and since this was free [pilot study] it was a great option. I loved having the flexibility to do it when I had time and no travel … The training is really good for people starting in the field. It is very comprehensive … Great content."
Approximately 100 learners, across four states, have signed up for the child welfare pilot. Pilot participants come from a variety of child welfare and child welfare related positions, including foster/adoptive/kinship parents, social workers (caseworkers and supervisors), and juvenile justice professionals. In the first six months of the pilot, 25% of the learners have completed 601 lessons. Based upon enrollment in the pilot, it is anticipated that another 3000 lessons across 75 additional learners will be completed by December 31, 2009.
In addition to piloting the CDS curriculum with child welfare professionals, CASCW staff has also completed a cross-walk utilizing the Institute for Human Services Child Welfare Competencies and CDS learner objectives. The cross-walk shows the match between what child welfare professionals should know within the context of their work and the curriculum provided through the CDS. Because of the comprehensive nature of the CDS, all identified child welfare competencies are addressed to some extent.
For more information, you can contact Dr. Traci LaLiberte, Executive Director of the Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare at the University of Minnesota by phone at 612.624.2270 or via
email at lali0017@umn.edu.
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The Admin Corner
Here are a few reminders for our CDS Administrators around the country from your CDS Support Team. We get you up to date on new courses, webinars and tips for using our Learning Management System and tools that will help you and your learners use the CDS more efficiently.
Here are our August tidbits:
- New Course Release: "Everyone Can Communicate." All administrator with creating and assigning privileges can view this course in the course listing
**Reminder** If you don't see the course in your assigning modules listing, you should create a new module using the Everyone Can Communicate Course.
- Monthly Webinars: Keep watch for your monthly Webinar email sent by Donna Kosak, College of Direct Support Program Administrator, for our upcoming August event.
- Last month's webinar was hosted by Judi Rutherford, Product Support Specialist at Elsevier, focused on Knowledge Manager. The Knowledge Manager is a tool used to assess various skill levels and to assign remediation training using baseline knowledge of skills assessments. If you missed the Knowledge Manager Webinar or if you would like more information regarding the event, please visit our Administrator Help Documents for supporting Assessment Power Points, suggestions from other administrators, question and answer posts, and tips from Judi.
- Admin Reminder: Use your Help Documents. If you are a new administrator and your learners are having trouble accessing Lessons, have them view the Learner Demonstration titled "Managing Your Learning," a video that provides information about accessing learner lessons and taking test.
- View any site with ease: Now you can quickly display websites that were designed for older browsers. If you're looking at a page and the text or images aren't lined up right, or if your drop down menus aren't dropping down, click the Compatibility View button next to the Refresh button on the Address bar. Internet Explorer 8 is a new release and some websites may not be ready for Internet Explorer 8. Click the Compatibility View toolbar button to display the website as viewed in Internet Explorer 7. This option is on a per site basis and all other sites will continue to display with Internet Explorer 8 functionality. To go back to browsing with Internet Explorer 8 functionality on that site, simply click the Compatibility view button again.
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CDS Joins the ‘Blogosphere';
Enjoy & Share on Our Blog
In case you missed it, the College of Direct Support has a blog that is easily accessed on our website and it's a perfect place to post things that will be of interest to Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) and anyone in our field of providing supports for those with developmental disabilities – be they DSPs or organizations.
Share with us your news. It could be a story about a special person, a new or special program that has been implemented or a new way of using the CDS or recognizing individuals.
If you haven't visited our blog, created by Kristen Dean at the University of Minnesota's Institute on Community Integration, you are missing a great resource to share personal stories and discuss current events. See Kristen's latest post -- "Young Voices: Bringing the U.N. Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities to Life".
To learn more about our latest blog, click the Blogs and Podcasts link on your Personal Page to see how young voices are working in 18 countries to bring the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to life.
Have fun and enjoy The CDS Blog!
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It's 24/7 Shopping at the CDS Store
Grab a shopping cart and browse through the new College of Direct Support store that can be found on our website at www.collegeofdirectsupport.com.
At the top of the Home page you will find a "Store" button on the main navigation across the top of the page.
You will find a variety of items available with the College of Direct Support logo emblazoned on each and every one. Whether it's a CDS graduation ceremony, prizes for staff and Direct Support Professionals, or incentives for outstanding work, you'll find something for everyone in the CDS store.
And the store never closes!
We have caps (visors, winter caps and baseball-type caps), various styles of shirts, coffee and travel mugs, as well as backpacks, lanyards, carabiner keys, clocks, pens and other items.
When ordering, allow about 14 days for shipping after you place the order.
Let us help make your celebrations great and memorable events!
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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.
Tom King is the editor of Connections@CDS and he welcomes your comments on the newsletter as well as suggestions you have for articles and content.
You can email him at tking@collegeofdirectsupport.com or call him (toll free) at 1.877.353.2767.
111 Center Park Drive, Suite 175 | Knoxville, TN 37922
tel :: 877-353-2767 (toll-free) | fax :: 865-531-4708
www.collegeofdirectsupport.com
Submit eNewsletter material here
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