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College of Direct Support

In This Issue       

CDS Admin Forum
At ANCOR Event

DSP Profile
Nancy Beatty

Maine Takes
CDS Statewide

Miami & Spin
Among Top 125

CDS Therap
In Kansas City

CDS, Lands' End
In New Company Store

Coming Attractions

The Admin Corner:
Tools, Tips & More

DSP Chronicles

Nancy Beatty

Theresa Laws

Daniel Escojido

Faye Miller

Darlene Ricco

Dave Bergeron

John Lambert

Connections at CDS

5th Annual CDS Administrator's Forum Helps Open ANCOR's 2010 Management Practices Conference

Join us in New Orleans for the College of Direct Support’s 5th annual Administrator’s Forum on the opening day of the 2010 ANCOR Management Practices Conference and Trade Show – April 11-13 – at The Sheraton New Orleans Hotel.

The CDS Administrator’s Forum, which is free and includes a complimentary lunch, is open to anyone who wants to learn more about the CDS online curriculum and the Learning Management System.  The Forum will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, April 11, and registration at the hotel will begin at 9:30.  People should consider registering in advance for the Administrator’s Forum by contacting Michelle Kael at 1.877.353.2767 (toll free) or email her at mkael@collegeofdirectsupport.com.

“Our Administrator’s Forum is a time for hearing from our end users and sharing best practices and allowing our team to discuss changes and new courses upcoming,” said Bill Tapp, National Director of the CDS. “This will be interactive in nature and it gives our users and those interested in the CDS an opportunity to ask questions of our team and of the team from the University of Minnesota that authors our courses.”

The CDS is a collaboration of Elsevier/MC Strategies and the Institute on Community Integration (ICI) at the University of Minnesota.  The CDS curriculum is developed and authored by the ICI team at the University of Minnesota.

The CDS team that will be on hand at the Forum other than Tapp includes Tom King, Director of Communications; Michelle Kael, Customer Support Specialist, and Bill Waibel, Director of Business Development/Workforce Development who is new to the CDS team. Tapp and Kael will discuss our new tools and the new features of the CDS.

From the University of Minnesota will be Amy Hewitt, Lori Sedlezky, Nancy McCulloh, Kristin Dean, Susan O’Nell, and Derek Nord.  Hewitt and her team will discuss new course development and take questions about the content and describe how new courses are developed.  Nord oversees and coordinates the Evaluation Briefs of the CDS and he will talk about that process and how the evaluations are done and used. 

Among the topics to be discussed by the CDS team is:

·   Product development in 2010.

·   Introduction of a new Return on Investment (ROI) Calculator.

·   New tools on the Learning Management System.

·   How others are using the CDS and the tools.

·   Stories from the field told by end-users of the CDS.

You do not need to be an ANCOR member to attend the Administrator’s 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 hotel rates for the conference.  You can call McCandless at 703.535.7850, Ext. 107, or email her at jmccandless@ancor.org.

You can click HERE and download the conference brochure.

During the conference ANCOR will present and recognize the Direct Support Professional of the Year award and the ANCOR Foundation Community Builder Awards.  Also to be unveiled during the conference is the new ANCOR Foundation Leadership Circle program.

The Sheraton New Orleans Hotel is at 500 Canal Street and the discounted room rate is $185 and you must ask for the ANCOR Room Block. You need to call 504-595-5514 or 888-627-7033 and identify yourself as a member of the ANCOR Group to reserve your room.

Early bird registration is underway and will be available until March 19. The conference fee for ANCOR members is $595 and $895 for non-members. There will be a $50 charge for cancellations on or before March 19. No refunds will be issued for registrations cancelled on or after March 19. Substitutions will be permitted. For 3rd and subsequent ANCOR members who are attendees, the fee is $525. This discount is not available online.

After the early bird registration, conference fees will be $620 for ANCOR members, $550 for 3rd and subsequent ANCOR members (3rd and subsequent discount is not available online), and $920 for non-members.


The DSP Chronicles

Nancy Beatty at ACT Is A DSP
Who is About Making A Difference

Supported Community Lifestyles, Inc. Nancy enjoys a visit to the mall
with her friends

Nancy Beatty is a Direct Support Professional (DSP) at Alternative Community Training Inc. (ACT) in Columbia, MO.  She works in ACT’s Community Integration day program and her guiding principle day in and day out is:  “Who I am makes a difference.”

Nancy, 53, is our featured Direct Support Professional in our March DSP Chronicles.

Michelle Saunders is the Program Director for Community Integration and works with Nancy daily and says this about her:  I would describe Nancy as the anchor of our Community Integration day program.  She gets things going each morning and greets consumers and family members as they arrive.  She communicates necessary information regarding consumers and any needs for that day.  She follows the rules to a tee and is very pleasant to be around.  Many consumers ask to be in her group just because they like her and appreciate her caregiver qualities.  She is a great DSP.”

You'll enjoy getting to know Nancy Beatty and you can CLICK HERE to read her story.



Maine Is Newest State To Utilize CDS
As Part Of Its Workforce Development

Amy Hewitt

Maine’s Developmental Services system is adopting the College of Direct Support (CDS) statewide to develop and train its Direct Support workforce of approximately 7,000.

Some 125 agencies across the state serve and support a population of approximately 5,000 persons, said Paul Tabor, Maine’s Developmental Services Training Coordinator.  He said that nine pilot agencies are in the early stages of implementing the web-based curriculum into their training programs. Tabor also serves as the CDS statewide administrator.

Supported Community Lifestyles, Inc. Paul Tabor

Maine has had a statewide curriculum of 45 hours of classroom training since 2002. That curriculum has been required for Medicaid waiver services since 2008. Maine has used the “train the trainer” model for its classroom training. “We had been using the same curriculum statewide since 2002 and it was good and consistent, but it needed a major updating and we knew it would be expensive and in another five years it would have to be updated again,” Tabor said.

So in late 2008 Maine Developmental Services began looking at CDS.  “We were aware of CDS (Tabor is on the CDS National Board of Editors) and Office Director Jane Gallivan asked me to call around the country asking state directors about the CDS. All I heard was that it’s great, so I told our folks here that maybe it’s time we seriously examine it.”

Gallivan asked Program Manager Bill Hughes to convene a study group in 2008 with four representatives of the statewide provider association plus Hughes and Tabor. “In February 2009 Bill Tapp came to Maine to do an overview of CDS with about 35 representatives of provider agencies, consumers, and DSPs followed by breakout groups discussing pros and cons,” Tabor said. “The results of those discussions were followed up by the original group of 6, which led to the May decision to go with CDS.”

Once the decision was made to go with CDS, a curriculum committee composed of agency trainers began meeting to identify the CDS lessons that would be required in Maine. “We decided to integrate some of our classroom training along with the CDS because we had some specific areas we wanted to cover thoroughly and we wanted to make sure that we still had conversations mixed in with our training,” Tabor said.  “We made a commitment that we would not require more than 45 hours for the combination of online and classroom learning.” He said the breakdown is 33 hours of online training with CDS and 11 hours of classroom time.

Starting in July, the usage of the CDS will become mandatory statewide beyond just the nine pilot sites.

“This is the dawn of a new era in Maine,” Tabor said. “The folks in the pilot sites are really excited about starting with the CDS.”

 He then explained why the state selected CDS.

“CDS contains such a wealth of information, and its 24/7 availability is a big advantage for us,” he explained.  “When budgets are tight and you have staff shortages, it’s hard to pull everyone together to meet for training. Plus, CDS is a nationally and internationally recognized curriculum and it’s portable statewide, so we decided that by investing in CDS we’ll be getting a lot more bang for our dollars.”

The committee assessing the CDS listed the following benefits in moving to the CDS:

· The CDS provides ongoing upgrades and a consistent training package that is recognized nationally. The Research and Training Center on Community Living (RTC) at the University of Minnesota is the designated National Regional Training Center on Community Living for people with developmental disabilities. The RTC coordinates the writing of the courses.  In addition, the curriculum can be modified, wherever possible, to Maine standards, so it becomes Maine’s College of Direct Support Curriculum.

· Because the cost is based on the number of consumers served in the system, the curriculum can be made available to anyone in that consumer’s life. This means that not only DSP’s but individuals served, family members, mentors, board members, respite providers can all access the program.

· CDS offers a wide range of training opportunities beyond the core curriculum, including a training program for supervisors.

· The certification provided to the DSP from the CDS is portable.

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Best Training Companies:
Miami UCP 54th, SPIN 82nd
in Annual Worldwide Rankings

Amy Hewitt

Training Magazine’s annual rankings of the Top 125 Best Training Companies in the world again includes two organizations that use the College of Direct Support (CDS) to develop their workforces -- Miami Cerebral Palsy Residential Services (MCPRS) and SPIN (Special People in the Northeast) of Philadelphia.

Miami CP was ranked 54th and SPIN was rated 82nd in the world. 

This is the 8th straight year that SPIN has been recognized and the third consecutive year for Miami CP.  They are the only non-profits to ever be honored in these prestigious rankings.

The awards were presented during Training Magazine’s annual conference in San Diego in early February.

“Our ranking is remarkable when stacked up against the many Fortune 500 companies like Pricewaterhouse, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, EMC Corporation, Vanguard, Microsoft and so many major companies with resources in the billions of dollars,” said Marta Morin, Executive Director of Miami CP Residential. “MCP has been selected this year for our investment of time, dedication, commitment, resources in learning, and development excellence.”

Training is a 46-year-old professional development magazine written for training, human resources, and business management professionals in all industries that advocates training and workforce development as a business tool. Training, published by Nielsen Business Media, a part of The Nielsen Company, is a global information and media company.

The Top 125 includes ranking based on myriad benchmarking statistics such as total training budget; percentage of payroll; number of training hours per employee program; goals, evaluation, measurement, and workplace surveys; hours of training per employee annually; and detailed formal programs. The Top 125 ranking is determined by assessing a range of qualitative and quantitative factors, including financial investment in employee development, the scope of development programs, and how closely such development efforts are linked to business goals and objectives.

To see the full story about the Top 125 and the complete listing of the companies selected, go to Training magazine’s website at www.trainingmag.com and click on the Top 125. 

Our congratulations to both SPIN and UCP Miami!

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CDS Therap Conference: May 2010

It all began in Kansas City and now the fifth version of the “Side-by-Side Technology: College of Direct Support (CDS) & Therap Joint Training Conference V” will be presented May 4-6 at the Kansas City Clarion Hotel Sports Complex.

Therap Services and CDS got together for their first-ever joint conference in the fall of 2009 in Kansas City and the response was overwhelming.  So, let’s go back!

Therap and CDS are working jointly to enhance the services given to the people with developmental disabilities. This conference by the two industry leaders in web-based technology is held to further educate, develop and train a workforce to provide the highest quality of supports to those they serve.

One feature of the conference is an explanation of the “bridge” that allows agencies to use CDS and Therap’s technologies side by side.

“These conferences have become very exciting events full of energy and the willingness of the participants to expand their knowledge base and skills is obvious,” said Bill Tapp, Founder and President of the CDS.  “It allows us to have in-depth sessions as well as many one-on-one and small group sessions during the three days.  We get to know our users and they get to know us as well.”

Once again, Rest Assured will be part of the conference.  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. You can learn more about Rest Assured at its website – www.restassuredsystem.com

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

The conference will feature multiple interactive sessions and workshops focusing on the services provided by Therap and on the curriculum of the Learning Management System offered by CDS. Among other sessions, some major sessions to look forward to will include: Training on Therap Applications, Networking with other Therap Users and Industry Experts and Sharing Ideas to Create New and Improved Therap Training and Support Materials. There will also be some specific sessions for advanced users, system administrators and potential users of Therap or CDS.

And yes, there will be exciting Therap Games, brainstorming sessions and many other bits and pieces of fun waiting for you!

For information on conference attractions, fees and hotel accommodations, click on the link below:

· Flyer - Side-by-Side Technology: Therap, CDS Training Conference V

To view the preliminary schedule for this conference, click on the link below:

· Preliminary Schedule

We welcome all experienced, new and potential users to participate in the conference.

·  Register Online

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.

Early bird registration for the three-day event is available for $150, and that includes the conference, materials and all meals. 

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 Opens New "Company Store"
With Lands' End Outfitters

The College of Direct Support (CDS) and corporate retailer Lands’ End have joined together to create a new “CDS Company Store” from which you have access to the complete line of products offered by Lands’ End with the CDS logo emblazoned on all of the items you choose to order.

Lands’ End is one of the largest retailers of clothing for the family or for businesses.

You can access the CDS Company Store from our website at www.collegeofdirectsupport.com and click on the “Company Store” button on our Home page.

“We have requests from agencies around the country that want to have CDS cups and pens and shirts and other items with the CDS logo on them to give out at graduation ceremonies or to give to employees and Direct Support Professionals to celebrate a job well done,” said Bill Tapp, CDS President.  “This relationship with Lands’ End offers states, agencies and individuals a full array of their products.”

Each item ordered has a logo application fee of $5.95, which is not included in the price of the item.  You will see the logo application fee after adding the item to your shopping bag. 

You may shop and order by phone. 

Lands’ End does advertise weekly specials on its website www.landsend.com/business which offers great savings.  You also may click on the “E-mail Signup” to receive notification of special Lands’ End promotions.   

Visit our company store and scroll through the various products lines for men and women that include clothing, gifts, cases, bags and totes and a full line of gifts and accessories like caps, aprons, portfolios, gift cards, cups, pens, water bottles and umbrellas, to name but a few of the products available.

When you do place an order, please allow 7 to 10 days for the order to be filled and shipped.


Coming Attractions

April  11-13: ANCOR Management Practices Conference & Trade Show, New Orleans, LA, The New Orleans Sheraton Hotel.  Go to www.ancor.org for details.

May 4-6:  Side-by-Side Technology: CDS & Therap Training Conference V, Kansas City, MO. Go to www.therapservices.net for details.



Back to Top

The Admin Corner: Tools, Tips & More

We would like to welcome Maine, our newest statewide user of the College of Direct Support (CDS).  Appreciation and thanks to Paul Tabor as he leads the Maine workforce development team in building a Direct Support Professional workforce!

Please save the following dates:

· March 11, 2 p.m. (EST): CDS Webinar about “Discussions”. An email will follow with call-in numbers and information to register for this webinar.

· March 18, 2 p.m. (EST): LMS Webinar (online and by phone)

· April 11, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.: CDS Administrators Forum as part of the opening day of the ANCOR Management Practices Conference.

·  May 4-6: College of Direct Support/Therap “Side-by-Side Technology V” in Kansas City, MO. Click the following link www.therapservices.net for a preliminary agenda

We will send an email reminder correspondence for all events to all CDS administrators prior to each event. 

If you aren’t on our CDS admin email list and are interested in information about our upcoming events, please contact Michelle Kael via email at mkael@collegeofdirectsupport.com. or by phone at 1.877.353.2767 (toll free).

The March 18th Webinar will offer all users a global view of the LMS, informational updates and sharing and give you broader knowledge across multiple workforce disciplines. We encourage joining both webinars for:

·       idea sharing
·       skill development
·       best practices
·       current and new updates


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
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