NADSP

DSPs Gain Leadership Skills & Empowerment

2008-06-03T13:11:00.002-05:00

Bridget Siljander and Lindsay Short, President and Vice President of NADSP's Minnesota chapter DSPAM (Direct Support Professional Association of MN), were part of the inaugural class of the Direct Care Alliance's Voices Institute at the DeKoven Center in Racine, Wisconsin May 19-24, 2008. Here are Siljander's reflections on the Voices Institute.

The Direct Care Alliance sponsored the Voices Institute to support DSPs in developing their leadership skills and learning about community organizing, coalition-building, fundraising, issue campaigns, and organizational development.

Our class of 25 direct care workers from 12 states came together like a family during this week and formed a strong union that will continue to be supportive as we all go forward as smarter and stronger leaders. We have formed an online community through the networking site, Bebo.com, and a committee of attendees will organize a follow-up web seminar for our class.

I urge any Direct Support Professional who has a desire to contribute to workforce empowerment and development to apply to be a part of next year's Voices Institute. It was a life-changing experience for many in our class, including us. We will take what we learned and apply it in our work for DSPAM and NADSP. There is financial support available, which makes this opportunity very accessible for DSPs. As a Home Health Aide, I was able to attend.

Several of our trainers are affiliated with PHI. Please visit this posting on PHI's blog that was written about the class.

I hope that all of you DSPs who want to do more will contact the Direct Care Alliance by going to their website and letting them know you are interested in being a part of the next Voices Institute. And of course, if you are not already, I encourage you to join your state NADSP chapter.

Best wishes,
Bridget Siljander
bridgetsiljander@yahoo.com

DSW Symposium in Baltimore May 8 & 9, 2008

2008-05-27T10:41:00.002-05:00

On May 8 and 9, 2008, I had an opportunity to be a part of the National Symposium on Strengthening the HCBS Direct Service Workforce in Baltimore. What a nice location to participate in an event such as this. The event provided a forum for showcasing best practices in home-and community-based direct service workforce development, highlighted Federal and state workforce initiatives, and disseminated research findings. A primary theme of the event was the importance of addressing workforce issues across age and disability consumer populations.The DSW Resource Center Team organized each detail from start to finish meticulously. Attendees came from all parts of the US. They included self advocates, Direct Support Professionals, Directors, CEOs, and others representing and supporting the direct support workforce.
What about the hotel and it's skywalk to the innerharbor? Despite the rain and overcast weather, it allowed participants to discuss and hear about major direct service workforce issues and highlights present within each of our working environments.
Participating in this Symposium as a member of the DSW symposium planning committee, a NADSP board member, and a longtime direct support professional, I obtained much insight from the sessions I attended. As a DSP, I had an opportunity to share my experiences and highlights and learn from others as well. This in turn will be internalized within my working enterprise in Albuquerque. In addition, I chatted with people visiting us at the National Alliance for Direct Support professionals (NADSP) information booth which offered literature and tools along with great company.

DSPs Growing in Leadership

2008-05-15T08:54:00.002-05:00

Guest author of this blog posting is Bridget Siljander, Board president of the NADSP Minnesota chapter DSPAM. Siljander recently had the opportunity to attend the DSW Symposium in Baltimore.

I am a DSP of over 10 years who has recently found a way into leadership and I couldn't be more excited! Not only do I now have an opportunity to address issues of concern in the DSP workforce based primarily on being a witness to them, but I have observed that I am a part of a rapidly-growing national movement to empower DSPs that includes many other strong DSP voices.

It all began when a friend of one of my consumers recruited me to join the Direct Support Professional Association of Minnesota (DSPAM). I now serve as President and Chair of the DSPAM, which has been an incredible experience. Through this role, I will do my best to help develop my state chapter of the NADSP in order to make changes that will benefit DSPs.

I care so much about DSP issues because I have lived them and I know that most other DSPs are in my same position. Since 1997, with a high school diploma, an A.A. degree, and after leaving a Registered Nursing program to gain work experience I felt I lacked, I have worked as a Home Health Aide, Personal Care Attendant, Access Assistant, HHA/PCA Staffer and Supervisor, and Certified Nursing Assistant (in 2 nursing homes). What began as a "job" has become a "career". I thought I would eventually move out of the workforce when I finished my Bachelor's degree. In December 2005, I received my B.A. in Psychology, with honors. The plan to exit the workforce had been discarded because I no longer viewed my work the way I had in the beginning.

My work is my livelihood and I believe deeply in the importance of what I do. Some of my consumers have become my best friends and they know I will always be available, should they need me. I still make my living as a DSP, and with my education completed, my focus has turned toward wanting to make a difference in a broader sense, beyond what I do for my consumers.

By getting involved, I have had many fantastic opportunities. The DSPAM hosted a booth for 2 days and gave a presentation at a major local professional conference. I worked with Lindsay Short (DSP and DSPAM Vice-President) and Kelly Voigt (DSP and MSW intern) to present on the DSPAM as an organization and our recently-concluded statewide survey of DSPs. The morning after, I traveled to Baltimore to attend the Direct Service Workforce Symposium, where I presented on a panel on Worker Empowerment. I am thrilled to be able to improve the skills that are necessary to be an effective DSP leader.

At the DSW Symposium, I discovered that there are a number of DSPs in leadership, and that we are being invited to the table as a valued stakeholder, along with a great variety of other stakeholders, to address the workforce issues that affect our whole communities. I was impressed by the increase in respect for DSPs as a whole group this signified. Now is a perfect time for more DSPs to step up and use their voices and become a part of the growing DSP leadership. Our movement needs momentum, and we must make a call to action to all DSPs to be a part of it. At the DSW Symposium, I also learned that there is a tremendous amount of energy gathering around the workforce issues- from DSPs to researchers to policy-makers to providers to bureaucrats. We need to take full advantage of the opportunities available to us today by getting better organized, by forming partnerships, and by working together to find solutions for the workforce issues. The time for DSPs is now!

New York Initiates a DSP Credentialing Program

2008-05-13T11:02:00.003-05:00

The New York Nonprofit Press featured in their latest edition the efforts of New York to provide educational opportunities for their DSPs. NADSP friends NYSACRA and the Mid-Hudson Coalition are mentioned, and NADSP Board members Mark Olson and Regis Obijiski are quoted.

New York State Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (OMRDD) provided $2.4 million in grants to 17 not-for-profit agencies to offer professional development for DSPs. Certainly a great effort on the part of New York State to support and enhance the image and opportunities of their DSPs.

Click here to read the article Direct Support Professionals Get Training and Education.

I am a Direct Support Professional.

2008-04-25T08:37:00.003-05:00

I have devoted more than 15 years of my life to supporting, encouraging, and advocating for others. Fortunately during that time, I also learned how to advocate for myself and my colleagues. I have high expectations for people who do direct support, because DSPs literally hold the lives of others in their hands. As a DSP, I am responsible for assisting the people I support in every aspect of their lives from hygiene and ADLs to sexuality and relationships, and everything in between! I need to fill the roles of a bookkeeper, a writer, a CNA, a friend, a family member, a cook, a maid, a therapist, and so many others, yet I am paid less than associates at WalMart! Our society needs to stand up and accept that the people we support are not second-hand citizens. They deserve quality, professional staff to support them to lead productive lives and be active members of their community. Human lives are FAR more important than anything you can buy in a department store. Shouldn't the highly trained DSPs who support these individuals be paid better than sales associates?
Well, I think we should. I also think we need to standardize the role of Direct Support Professionals across the country. We need to insure that the people we support are getting quality and consistent care. It behooves every agency that provides direct support to invest in trained, quality care rather than pay for poorly educated, unmotivated employees. With a country full of qualified, dedicated staff, people with intellectual or other disabilities would no longer be at risk of abuse, neglect, or other mistreatment.
That said, let me qualify my rant by adding, if you hire employees with the right attitude, they can be trained to evolve into successful, quality DSPs. I have seen it happen over and over. I believe I am such a success.
The job requirements for my position are a high school diploma and a valid driving license. These are not exactly "professional" credentials. Probably 90% of the population of Maine (my state) meet these requirements. Yet somehow we face a huge staffing crisis. Why? Well, there is the low pay, but also, not everyone is cut out to do direct support. I like to borrow the old US military motto, "Live the Adventure." You never know what role you will be filling next! That is the joy of supporting people. If you find an employee willing to 'live the adventure' then you need to train them, and train them, and train them. You need to have supervisors who mentor, support, and nurture. You need to have a corporate philosophy that promotes independence and self reliance for the people you support.
I have been very fortunate to work for a not for profit agency that has an estimates 350 employees. Our organization promotes the professional development of DSPs, and has a CEO that actually knows the names of her DSPs. I know that is NOT the reality of most DSPs. I wish it were. I would like to learn more about other DSPS and the philosophies of other agencies.

Policy Pause: DSPs Need Higher Wages

2008-04-09T11:31:00.004-05:00

Do you often think that you need to get paid more for the work you do? Most likely you do, and so do Reps. Lois Capps (D-CA) and Lee Terry (R-NE), co-sponsors of H.R. 1279 Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) Fairness and Security Act of 2007.

This bill looks to allow states to secure federal Medicaid dollars in order to increase wages for DSPs.

Introduced March 1, 2007, this bill is currently stuck in committee and needs to be further pursued and debated.

You can find more information about H.R. 1279 on GovTrack

DSP Hip-Hop Song by Sean Delaney

2008-02-11T16:22:00.007-06:00

This video is done by Sean Delaney, a DSP in Hudson, New York. Delaney's song "Open Your Eyes" is about people with disabilities and those who support them.

Look for an article about Delaney in the upcoming issue of NADSP's "Frontline Initiative."

Sounding Board

2008-02-04T14:22:00.001-06:00

Code of Ethics Scenario

You arrive to work and hear two staff talking about Rusty. One staff person is sharing a story about how Rusty had done something to another individual that day at work and the staff seemed to be laughing about the situation. What ethical issues should a DSP consider in handling this situation? How would you handle the situation?

Leave your comments below.