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CDS 4th Annual Administrators Forum
Set March 22 During ANCOR Conference
The College of Direct Support’s 4th annual Administrators Forum will be held on Sunday, March 22, at 10 a.m. at the Westin St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco as a prelude to the 2009 ANCOR Management Practices Conference.
“Each year as part of the ANCOR conference the CDS Team hosts this interactive time of sharing with CDS users and those interested in learning how others are incorporating CDS into their workforce development efforts,” said Bill Tapp, National Director of the CDS.
Members of the CDS team from Knoxville, TN., and from the University of Minnesota will be at the Administrators Forum.
Registration for the Administrators Forum will begin at 9:30 a.m. and the forum will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with a free lunch provided. To pre-register, please call Donna Kosak at 1.877.353.2767 (toll free) or email her at donna@collegeofdirectsupport.com
You do not need to be an ANCOR member to attend the Administrators Forum. However, if you do attend and plan to stay for the conference you will need to contact Jerri McCandless at ANCOR in order to get the discounted rates for the conference. You can call McCandless at 703.535.7850, Ext. 107, or email her at jmccandless@ancor.org
The ANCOR 2009 Management Practices Conference and Trade Show will be held March 22-24 at the Westin St. Francis. This is the premiere event for private providers seeking innovative business solutions, promising practices information and networking opportunities. View the conference brochure for more details.
Kicking off the ANCOR conference will be Kevin O'Connor with Fostering Innovation While Meeting the Bottom Line. During this interactive keynote, Kevin will share his 20-plus years as a consultant and coach in the healthcare and human services field to help providers understand how they can leverage current challenges into opportunities, rally their staff behind such changes and achieve results in challenging economic times. With real world examples from successful organizations, keen insight obtained through interviews with ANCOR providers and his own experience as a parent of a child with a disability, this keynote will feature both practical and inspirational elements for providers to consider.
Early bird registration will end March 6. The conference fee for ANCOR members is $545 and $855 for non-members. There will be a $50 charge for cancellations on or before March 2. No refunds will be issued for registrations cancelled on or after March 3. Substitutions will be permitted. For 3rd and subsequent ANCOR members who are attendees, the fee is $495. This discount is not available online.
After the early bird registration, conference fees will be:
- $575 for ANCOR members
- $495 for 3rd and subsequent ANCOR members (3rd and subsequent discount is not available online).
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Montana’s CDS Passes 3,000 Learner Milestone in Just 15 Months
Bill Heinecke skiing |
Distance learning takes on a whole new meaning in Montana, a land of great distances and a small population. Approximately 940,000 people are spread across 147,000 square miles, or about 6.4 people per square mile. In Montana, 54 community-based agencies and one state facility serve some 3,600 persons with developmental disabilities. That population is supported by approximately 1,900 Direct Support Professionals (DSPs).
When it comes to training and building a workforce of DSPs, traveling around this large rural state is unreasonable, costly, and time consuming, to say the least.
It was not working, nor was it very efficient. So, four years ago the state of Montana, through its Developmental Disabilities Program (DDP), was approached by a group of Community Service Providers to take a look and consider the idea of using the College of Direct Support (CDS) as a vehicle to enhance training. In 2007 the DDP requested funding from the Montana Legislature to implement CDS statewide and transform its training, its workforce and the quality of supports offered by agencies and their DSPs.
The Legislature approved the funding and Montana was off and running with the CDS.
And they are still running.
On Oct. 3, 2008, Montana and CDS celebrated its one-year anniversary partnership and the numbers reflect a success story. Bill Heinecke, the DDP Training and Development Specialist and the CDS statewide administrator (pictured here on his skis), worked with us on this PARTNER PROFILE
and explains the Montana story with the CDS and how they
continue to run.
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Therap, CDS Side-by-Side Conference II
Scheduled for April 28-30 in Tennessee
CDS staff members Annie Woodruff, left, and Donna Kosak |
After a successful first conference in Fall 2008, Therap and the College of Direct Support (CDS) will present their second joint training conference – “Side-by-Side Technology: Therap, CDS Training Conference II” – in Murfreesboro, TN on April 28-30 at the Doubletree Hotel.
Murfreesboro, the home of Middle Tennessee State University, is 30 minutes from the Nashville International Airport and approximately 40 minutes from Downtown Nashville.
The first conference in Overland Park, KS attracted 100 attendees that brought together two industry leaders in the field of utilizing web-based technology to support people with developmental disabilities and educating and training a workforce to deliver the support services.
Therap Services, LLC, based in Waterbury, CT, is a web-based service organization that provides an integrated solution for documentation and communication needs of agencies providing support to people with disabilities, especially developmental disabilities. It offers an easy and efficient alternative to the immense amount of paperwork that is done manually by the care providers. Within a few years Therap has extended its services to satisfied users in over 30 states in the United States, as well as Bangladesh and Nepal.
CDS is an online learning management system and curriculum used to develop, educate and build careers for Direct Support Professionals (DSPs). CDS is currently being used in 36 states, Canada and Australia and has approximately 90,000 learners online at any one time of the day. Also embedded in CDS is the College of Frontline Supervision and Management used to train managers and those considering becoming supervisors. CDS is a collaborative work of the University of Minnesota and Elsevier/Mc Strategies. CDS is headquartered in Knoxville, TN, and its curriculum is developed by the University of Minnesota’s Institute on Community Integration.
“Our first conference was well received and proved to be very useful for both Therap and CDS clients,” said Richard Robbins, Chief Executive Officer and a co-founder of Therap. “Clients of both found it interesting to see how our two products can be used side-by-side in making their operations more efficient and effective.”
The conference is open to current users of Therap and CDS and also to non-users who want to learn more about both organizations. There will be break-out sessions for users of each company and sessions for those interested in using them side-by-side.
“This will offer an up-close and hands-on experience with our distinct and respective technologies as both companies work to offer state-of-the-art supports to our clients and prospective clients,” said Bill Tapp, National Director of CDS. “Our focus is on education and Therap’s focus is on documentation. What we both do is instrumental in improving the lives of those people served and supported by our clients.”
Early bird registration for the three-day event is available for $150, and that includes the conference, materials and all meals.
The Doubletree Hotel is a Hilton Brand Hotel and the room group rate is $92 per night. When calling for a reservation be sure to specify you will be with the Therap Group to get the conference room rate. You can reach the Doubletree at 615-895-5555.
The conference will feature multiple interactive sessions and workshops focusing on the services provided by Therap and on the curriculum and the Learning Management System offered by CDS. There will be specific sessions for advanced users of both systems, for system administrators and for those who have not used CDS or Therap.
To learn more about the conference and register for the event, please visit www.therapservices.net and click on the “Conferences” link. For additional information, call 203.596.7553.
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CDS Introduces "The DSP Chronicles":
New Publication To Feature DSPs & Their Work
John Lambert of Moore Center Services in Manchester, N.H.
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The College of Direct Support’s newest feature, “The DSP Chronicles,” is a bi-monthly feature that will profile six Direct Support Professionals (DSPs).
The DSP Chronicles will introduce you to DSPs from around the country and chronicle their important work of direct support. The DSPs talk about their challenges, successes, the tough times, the people they support and how they go about their jobs day to day.
DSPs are America’s quiet and unknown heroes. Their dedicated and hard work improves the lives of those they support. Many DSPs work more than one job. They are devoted to the profession – and to those they serve.
Our first Direct Support Professional to be profiled is John Lambert of Moore Center Services in Manchester, N.H. John is relatively new to the developmental disabilities but says he has found a home.
Click here to read about John Lambert and his work.
We will archive The DSP Chronicles on our website and they also are available on the website for the National Association for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP).
If you would like to nominate or suggest a DSP to be profiled, please call or email Tom King at 1.877.353.2767 (toll free) or tking@collegeofdirectsupport.com
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The Administrators Corner
The hard-working CDS Administrators around the country are vitally important to the success of the training and the administration of the College of Direct Support curriculum. In each issue of “Connections@CDS” we will be including news for our administrators to help make their jobs easier.
On the third Thursday of each month staff from MCStrategies will be conducting round-table discussions and webinars about our Learning Management System, the platform on which the CDS resides and how it is delivered to our clients.
Mark your calendars for our next three roundtables: February 19, March 19 and April 16.
There will be a special CDS Webinar for Administrators only on Feb. 26 at 2 p.m. EDT and 1 p.m. CDT. The webinar will cover “Manager Zone,” “Archiving and “What is It? Who Do It? How Is It Done?” and an open discussion will follow. If you need additional information, call 1.877.353.2767 (toll free).
Donna Kosak, CDS Program Administrator, will be sending out emails reminding everyone about the roundtables, the topics to be covered and how to join the webinar discussions.
Georgia’s CDS
On a quarterly basis the Georgia Department of Human Resources publishes “Georgia College of Direct Support: TIPS & TOOLS FOR ADVISORS” to share useful information and communicating among CDS Advisors and users
It answers questions from people around the state, contains updated usage figures, discusses implementation issues and offers tips about CDS and announces statewide teleconferences.
To view the fall 2008 Georgia CDS newsletter, click on this LINK.
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CDS By the Numbers
On January 23, 2009 we took a snapshot look at the College of Direct Support’s numbers. Here is what we found:
- Active learners: 107,738.
- They are working online at 654 facilities around the country.
- Including active learners and all users (those who have completed CDS), the number swells to 141,153 users.
- CDS is now being used in 36 states.
- The number of lessons completed exceeded 1 million – 1,689,746.
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How Is the Down Economy
Impacting the DSP World?
The economy is bad. Companies are closing. Bankruptcy filings are increasing. People are being laid off and losing jobs daily across the country. When will it begin to turn around? Or will it get worse before it gets better?
We are wondering what impact these difficult economic times are having on the Direct Support workforce around the country.
- Is turnover among Direct Support Professionals (DSP) increasing?
- Have the layoffs increased the number of available job candidates for DSP positions, with those who have lost jobs now considering entering the DSP field?
- Has the bad economy had no impact at all?
- Are more and more DSPs having to look for second jobs?
The College of Direct Support would like to hear from you. Share your stories with us. You can use The CDS Blog as a venue for your stories and information. Just CLICK HERE and this link will take you to The CDS Blog. Once there just follow the directions for posting your contributions, answers and stories.
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New Hampshire Agency Awarded Scholarship
From Carter Institute To Train 7 DSPs in CDS
The Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving has awarded a one-time special scholarship to Monadnock Worksource so seven of its Direct Support Professionals can enroll and take the College of Direct Support’s (CDS) online curriculum.
Monadnock is a non-profit agency serving adults with developmental disabilities and other acquired brain disorders in the rural New Hampshire town of Peterborough. The Vision Statement of Monadnock Worksource is “to build a community partnership between disabled and non-disabled individuals…to promote opportunities for productive and meaningful life experiences…and to foster personal growth and to encourage individual expression and respect for other’s differences.”
With staff training funds severely limited, Associate Director David Mattocks applied for the scholarship so that seven of his agency’s most dedicated DSPs could enroll in the CDS. The course content includes a standardized knowledge base and practical applications, and was developed with the input of those working directly with individuals with developmental disabilities.
The Mattie Stepanek Caregiving Scholarship is sponsored by Johnson & Johnson, RCI’s partner since 2001. This partnership builds on the significant work accomplished by the RCI over the past 21 years as well as on the credo of Johnson & Johnson to be “responsible to the communities in which we live and work,” and to “encourage…better health and education.”
The Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving (RCI) was established in 1987 on the campus of Georgia Southwestern State University (GSW) in Americus, GA. The RCI was formed in honor of former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, an alumna of GSW, to enhance her long-standing commitments to human development and mental health. The RCI works to establish local, state and national partnerships committed to building quality long-term, home and community-based services.
For more information on the Rosalynn Carter Institute (RCI) or its programs, call 229- 928-1234 or go online: www.RosalynnCarter.org.
For more information about Monadnock Worksource (MWS) or its programs, call 603-924-3326 Ext. 205 or go online: www.MonadnockWorksource.org.
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New Resource on Women, Work, and Disability
Why is work important to women with disabilities? And why do fewer women with disabilities participate in the workforce than men with disabilities or women without disabilities?
These are two of the questions explored in the new “Impact: Feature Issue on Employment and Women with Disabilities” published by the Institute on Community Integration and its Research and Training Center on Community Living and Employment, at the University of Minnesota. This new issue of Impact is now available online at http://ici.umn.edu/products/impact/211.
Because having meaningful, valued work is such an important part of life, this Impact encourages readers to hold an expansive vision of what’s possible for women with disabilities in the employment arena, and offers strategies, resources, and inspiration to realize that vision.
In addition to the online publication, print copies of this Impact are available by contacting the Publications Office at 612-624-4512 or icipub@umn.edu. The first print copy is free, and additional copies are available at $4 each by mailing in the order form at http://ici.umn.edu/products/order.html.
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DSW Resource Center Addresses
Direct Support Workforce Issues
The National Direct Support Workforce (DSW) Resource Center recently published a synthesis white paper about direct support workforce issues across disability sectors, and it provides an overview of direct service workforce challenges and practices across four sectors: intellectual and developmental disabilities, aging, physical disabilities and behavioral health.
This paper is funded by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The Research and Training Center on Community Living and Employment at the University of Minnesota is a partner in the national DSW center.
This paper provides a call or action regarding these issues that is agreed upon and applicable across disability sectors.
You can access this DSW document by clicking on this LINK.
“This is timely for states as they are all undoubtedly facing significant challenges related to the direct support workforce,” said Bill Tapp, National Director of the College of Direct Support.
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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.
111 Center Park Drive, Suite 175 | Knoxville, TN 37922
tel :: 877-353-2767 (toll-free) | fax :: 865-531-4708
www.collegeofdirectsupport.com
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