College of Direct Support :: Curriculum

CDS Courses

The College of Direct Support curriculum is developed by the University of Minnesota’s Institute on Community Integration at the Research and Training Center on Community Living.

It requires one year to produce a course from start to finish. The process begins with the need for the course. Then a working focus group is assembled to gather input from people receiving supports, family members, Direct Support Professionals, industry trainers, administrators and others who understand the roles of DSPs.

Each course has an author and is reviewed by a group of four to six content experts from the National Board of Editors, who serve as editors and advisors for all courses. That list of editors is available on this website under the “About Us” section.

On average, four new courses or tools to be used with the curriculum are added to the CDS annually.

CIVIL RIGHTS AND ADVOCACY

Having human and civil rights is one thing, but exercising those rights is something very different. All people, regardless of ability, can be empowered and energized when they exercise their rights. They are strengthened when they can stand up for what they want. This course was developed to help you understand your role in supporting individuals with disabilities as they stand up for their rights. You will learn what it takes to be an effective advocate for and with the people you support. You will learn about the challenges faced when individuals with disabilities try to exercise their rights. Finally, you will learn what strategies can be used to overcome these challenges. This course also provides some essential background information to help you understand the importance of advocacy in exercising one’s rights. You will learn about the history of the disability rights movement. You will learn about the various laws, rules, and regulations that help to define the rights of people with disabilities. Thanks to the disability rights movement, people with disabilities are gaining the independence and freedom they have always deserved, but have not always had. This course will help you fully understand the role you play in supporting the expression of these rights. The following lessons are included in this course -

Lesson 1: Your Role in Effective Advocacy
Lesson 2: History of the Disability Rights Movement
Lesson 3: Disability Rights and Legislation
Lesson 4: Challenges and Strategies for Exercising Civil Rights

COMMUNITY INCLUSION

This course helps DSPs understand their roles in supporting the inclusion of people with developmental disabilities in the communities in which they live and work. It provides an overview of inclusion and why it is important, and the learner is given strategies for enhancing inclusion of individuals with developmental disabilities. The following lessons are included in this course -

Lesson 1: The DSP Role in Community Inclusion
Lesson 2: Matching Community Resources with Individual Interests
Lesson 3: Community Bridge-Building and Networking
Lesson 4: Natural Supports

CULTURAL COMPETENCE

This course is an overview of cultural competence and its importance in daily support to people with disabilities. The learner is helped to understand the key components of cultural competence including: valuing diversity; recognizing one’s own culture and the culture of others; and having the resources and ability to adjust one’s behavior to meet the needs of the situation. Learners are asked to reflect on their capacities in these areas at different points during the course. The learner is given many opportunities to learn more about their own culture and reflect on the similarities and differences with other cultures -

Lesson 1: What is Cultural Competence?
Lesson 2: Understanding Your Own Culture
Lesson 3: The Culture of Support Services
Lesson 4: The Continuum
Lesson 5: Communication
Lesson 6: Daily Support
Lesson 7: DSP Roles in Culturally Competent Organizations

DIRECT SUPPORT PROFESSIONALISM

This course introduces the learner to the importance and benefits of a professional orientation to the DSP role and to the history and status of the professionalism movement. The national movement to professionalize direct support is described. The reasons why professionalism is important, progress that has been made in creating a profession and how DSPs can become part of the professionalism movement are included. An ethical code for DSPs is reviewed along with ways of applying these ethical guidelines in daily practice. The following lessons are included in this course -

Lesson 1: Becoming a Direct Support Professional
Lesson 2: Contemporary Best Practices
Lesson 3: Applying Ethics in Everyday Work
Lesson 4: Practicing Confidentiality
Lesson 5: Working with Your Strengths and Interests
Lesson 6: Health Insurance Portability and Accountability (HIPPA)

DOCUMENTATION

This course provides the learner with a thorough understanding of why it is important to record specific activities or events, different types of documentation, ways of effectively completing documentation, and the importance of maintaining confidentiality in documentation. Learners are given general guidelines for documentation and are urged to review the policies and procedures of their employers and states. Agencies and states are encouraged to take advantage of the easy-to-use tailoring features of the CDS to present learners with specific information about their agency or state. The following lessons are included in this course -

Lesson 1: The Purposes of Documentation
Lesson 2: Types of Documentation
Lesson 3: Effective Documentation
Lesson 4: Confidentiality

EMPLOYMENT SUPPORTS: EXPLORING INDIVIDUAL PREFERENCES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR JOB ATTAINMENT

This course provides an overview of employment services and supports for people with disabilities. Learners are taught how to assist people with disabilities in identifying employment skills and preferences, exploring job opportunities, completing job applications and interviews, and determining appropriate work place accommodations. The following lessons are included in this course –

Lesson 1: Introduction to Employment Supports
Lesson 2: Identifying Individual Employment Preferences, Interests, Strengths, and Support Needs
Lesson 3: Job Opportunities and Job Searching
Lesson 4: Applying, Interviewing, and Making Accommodations

EVERYONE CAN COMMUNICATE

Communication is important to everyone. It can help people get along with one another. Yet, it can also create barriers that lead to misunderstandings. It is an effective tool that can help people get what they want and need. Communication plays an important role in building relationships. You may already realize the important role it plays in the supports you provide to individuals with disabilities. This course will help you understand the important role you play as a communication partner. Communication is a process. It has specific components. It is both formal and informal. This course will help you see how people communicate with and without words. You will learn strategies that facilitate communication. You will also learn what you can do to overcome communication barriers. In addition, the course will help you identify individualized communication styles. Further, you will learn about the importance of naturally occurring gestures in everyday communication. Finally, this course will introduce you to augmentative and alternative communication approaches. The lessons in this course are designed to give you the skills you need to empower those you support. In turn you will be better able to encourage self-determination. The following lessons are included in this course --

Lesson 1: What is Communication and Why is it Important?
Lesson 2: How People Communicate
Lesson 3: The Role of the Direct Support Professional as a Communication Partner
Lesson 4: Strategies to Enhance Communication
Lesson 5: Augmentative and Alternative Communication

FUNCTIONAL ASSESSMENT

Some people use disruptive or harmful (challenging) behaviors to meet their needs. They do this when they don’t know how to use other better options. They do it when they lack motivation to use better options. People in direct support roles need to be able to identify the reason a person uses challenging behavior. When challenging behaviors are persistent, a formal structured process can be helpful to discovering the function of the behavior. This process is called functional assessment (FA). This course explains the purpose and process of FA. It reviews common behavioral terms and principles of positive behavioral supports. It prepares learners to complete tasks related to FA. These tasks include completing structured observation and documentation. They include participating in or conducting interviews. They include reviewing records for critical information and seeking or completing additional assessments. Finally information on the FA is used to create individualized behavior support plans. These plans help improve the person’s life and decrease the use of challenging behaviors.

Lesson 1: Understanding Behavior and Participating in the Functional Assessment Process
Lesson 2: Strategies for Gathering and Organizing Functional Assessment Information
Lesson 3: Comprehensive Assessment and the Role of the Direct Support Professional
Lesson 4: Using Functional Assessments and Behavior Support Plans

HOME AND COMMUNITY LIVING

Our homes are important to us. The home is the heart of many activities that keep us connected to our communities. Homes are also personal spaces. Helping people live at home more comfortably, more safely, and in ways that are meaningful is part of the Direct Support Professional’s (DSPs) job. This course will help DSPs and family providers learn to support a person in his or her home in ways that he or she wants to be supported. The lessons in this course cover many important aspects of supporting someone at home. Topics include learning about the boundaries and expectations in this role. They also include facts, techniques, and methods of support. Many other areas are covered as well. This includes cleaning, home maintenance and upkeep, and yard work. It also includes pet care, organization, and laundry. The following lessons are included in this course:

Lesson 1: Supporting Home Living: The DSP Role
Lesson 2: Comfortable Living
Lesson 3: Maintaining a Clean Home
Lesson 4: Home Maintenance & Upkeep
Lesson 5: Clothing Care and Laundry

INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS AND CHOICE

In this course, the learner gains knowledge of the rights of individuals with disabilities including a brief overview of relevant laws and their historical roots. It teaches how to balance the right to take risks with the right to be protected from harm, and provides valuable skills in facilitating choice-making by the individuals to whom DSPs provide support. It is recommended that the learner complete the course on Maltreatment of Vulnerable Adults and Children along with this course to better understand rights. While this course discusses many federal laws that concern the rights of individuals with disabilities, state and local communities also have laws that pertain to rights. Learners are encouraged to contact their state or local government representatives and their supervisor to find out about local laws. Agencies are encouraged to use the tailoring options of the CDS to identify state and local laws and information that DSPs should know. The following lessons are included in this course -

Lesson 1: Overview of Individual Rights
Lesson 2: Restrictions of Individual Rights
Lesson 3: Overcoming Past of Barriers & Restrictions
Lesson 4: Your Role in Supporting Expression of Rights and Facilitating Choice Making

INDIVIDUALIZING PERSONAL CARE

Grooming and hygiene is an important part of daily life. Grooming and hygiene can reflect a person's well-being and self-esteem. Poor hygiene can lead to poor health. Many Direct Support Professionals help people with grooming and hygiene activities. These include tasks such as helping with dressing, bathing, shaving, or using the toilet. It may also include teaching these skills to children or adults with special needs. DSPs may feel uncomfortable assisting people with grooming and hygiene. Learning to support people with personal care in a sensitive and respectful manner is discussed. It is also important to respect a person's own grooming habits. These are personal and unique, and can be culturally based. DSPs will learn how to find out about people's personal style and preferences. Learners will review methods for completing many grooming and hygiene tasks. This course will also help learners understand health concerns and risks related to personal care -

Lesson 1: Understanding Personal and Self Care
Lesson 2: Individualized Personal Care Support
Lesson 3: The Basics of Hygiene
Lesson 4: Basics of Grooming and Dressing
Lesson 5: Oral Care

INTRODUCTION TO DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES

This course provides the learner with a background in the history, language, and basic concepts of services for persons with developmental disabilities. In this course the learner reviews the ideas and learns the vocabulary that is important to working within the field of developmental disabilities. This information makes the learner more effective in communicating with others and in understanding the system in which developmental disabilities services are provided. The following lessons are included in this course -

Lesson 1: A Brief History of Developmental Disabilities
Lesson 2: The Language and Ideas of Best Practices
Lesson 3: Terminology and Classification
Lesson 4: Causes of Developmental Disabilities
Lesson 5: Services for People with Developmental Disabilities

MALTREATMENT OF VULNERABLE ADULTS AND CHILDREN

This course helps the learner understand what abuse, neglect, and exploitation are; how to identify suspected cases of abuse, neglect or exploitation; how to protect the person who may have been harmed from further exploitation; and how to effectively document these situations. This course teaches learners about specific reasons people with disabilities may be more vulnerable to abuse, neglect, or exploitation and what strategies they can use to reduce peoples' vulnerabilities. Protection and advocacy, state ombudsman, and other agencies that deal with abuse and neglect situations are described and explained to the learner. The following lessons are included in this course -

Lesson 1: Defining Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation
Lesson 2: Preventing Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation
Lesson 3: Reporting Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation
Lesson 4: Documenting Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation
Lesson 5: Following Up on Reports

MEDICATION SUPPORT

This course is an introduction to supporting people in effectively and safely managing their medications. The course includes information on: working with prescribing health care professionals; proper storage and administration of medications; monitoring for problems and reactions to medications; and communication and documentation. The course must meet the needs of multiple and at times conflicting needs of different learners caused by differences in regional laws and the needs of the persons being supported. It has been developed with some unique tools and structures to help the learner with this. This course has been developed with 2 mini-lessons which are highly focused on one set of skills and can be completed more quickly than the full lessons. Learners should take these only as they apply to their needs. The following lessons and mini-lessons are included in this course -

Lesson 1: An Overview of Direct Support Roles in Medication Support
Lesson 2: Medication Basics
Lesson 3: Working with Medications
Lesson 4: Administration of Medications and Treatments
Lesson 5: Follow-up, Communication, and Documentation of Medications
Lesson 6: Using Medication References and Resources

PERSON-CENTERED PLANNING AND SUPPORTS

This course will help learners understand the foundational concepts and values of Person-Centered Planning and the benefits of this type of planning. The history of Person-Centered Planning is reviewed. The course includes an overview of five different types of planning as they are done today. It includes information and tips on participating meaningfully in a Person-Centered Plan. The course outlines steps that help the Direct Support Professional bring these plans to life. Common challenges to person-centered services are reviewed and the learner is given a chance to learn about and create solutions to these types of challenges -

Lesson 1: Introduction
Lesson 2: An Overview of Person-Centered Approaches
Lesson 3: Bringing Person-Centered Plans to Life
Lesson 4: Foundations of Person-Centered Planning
Lesson 5: The Person-Centered Planning Process

POSITIVE BEHAVIOR SUPPORT

This course is an introduction to methods of supporting people who engage in challenging behaviors. Strategies that are safe, fair, compassionate, and effective in preventing and reducing problem behaviors are included. The learner is provided with definitions of challenging behavior and basic behavioral terms and principles. The learner will understand more about the history of treatment of people with developmental disabilities and why the person-centered practices at the heart of positive behavior supports are being embraced. The course teaches learners about regulations in the use of behavioral interventions and provides practical information on how to effectively support people who present behavioral challenges. The following lessons are included in this course -

Lesson 1: Understanding Behavior
Lesson 2: Functions and Causes of Behavior
Lesson 3: Understanding Positive Approaches
Lesson 4: Preventing Challenging Behavior
Lesson 5: Responding to Challenging Behavior
Lesson 6: Behavior Support Plans
Lesson 7: Rules, Regulations, Policies, and Rights

SAFETY AT HOME AND IN THE COMMUNITY

This course provides an overview of methods for preventing and responding to safety issues at home and in the community away from home. Lessons include information on safety while driving, creating safe home environments, and safe handling of blood borne pathogens (universal precautions and OSHA requirements). Information for preventing and responding to specific situations such as fires, natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other emergencies is covered. Throughout the lessons, the learner is asked to think about balancing safety concerns with personal choice and opportunity for people with disabilities by reflecting on examples that represent the types of challenges DSPs face today. Because safety risks have a lot to do with individual circumstances, the learner is asked to apply learning to the policies and procedures of the specific support setting in which they work, as well as to the unique needs of each person supported. The following lessons are included in this course -

Lesson 1: Risks, Choice, and Common Sense
Lesson 2: Safety at Home
Lesson 3: Fire Safety
Lesson 4: Responding to Emergencies
Lesson 5: Safety for All Occasions
Lesson 6: Motor Vehicle Safety
Lesson 7: Universal Precautions and Infection Control
Lesson 8: Accident and Incident Reporting

SUPPORTING HEALTHY LIVES

This course provides an overview of information needed to understand what it takes to lead a healthy life and how to support people with disabilities in making good choices related to their health. It covers the importance of making healthy choices such as eating right and getting the right amount of exercise. It reviews health-related issues across the life span and gives advice on working with health care providers. A lesson on recognizing the signs and symptoms of illness is included along with information on how to take care of someone who is ill. The following lessons are included in this course -

Lesson 1: Living Healthy Lives
Lesson 2: Health Across the Lifespan
Lesson 3: Individual Health Needs
Lesson 4: Care of Common Health Care Conditions
Lesson 5: Signs and Symptoms of Illness
Lesson 6: Working with Health Care Professionals

TEACHING PEOPLE WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES

This course is an overview of the important role that DSPs have in teaching people with developmental disabilities. It provides the learner with a basic understanding of teaching and learning, an important part of the direct support role. It helps the learner move beyond a "care-giving" role to one of being a true supporter and professional. This course helps the learner understand why it is important for all people to learn new things, what motivates people to learn, what teaching strategies help people with developmental disabilities learn, and how teaching and learning can be effectively organized. The following lessons are included in this course -

Lesson 1: Understanding Teaching
Lesson 2: Preparing to Teach
Lesson 3: Teaching Strategies
Lesson 4: Organizing and Applying Teaching Strategies

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

YOU'VE GOT A FRIEND: SUPPORTING FAMILY CONNECTIONS, FRIENDS, LOVE, AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS

This course explores the importance and meaning of human relationships in the lives of all people, including people of all ages with disabilities. In it the learner reflects on the benefits that healthy relationships bring to people's lives and why they are valuable. The learner identifies the common perceptions and prejudices about people with disabilities that create barriers to social relationships. The learner is taught the common challenges that DSPs face when supporting people in developing and maintaining relationships and specific strategies for overcoming these challenges. In addition, the learner explores family relationships and how to effectively support these special long-term relationships that are so important to people with developmental disabilities. The following lessons are included in this course -

Lesson 1: The Importance of Relationships
Lesson 2: Barriers, Challenges, and Opportunities to Making Friendships
Lesson 3: Strategies for Building and Maintaining Relationships
Lesson 4: Supporting Family Networks

Curriculum

Connections@CDS