Volume 2, Issue 1

Winter 2013N

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Direct Support Professional Workforce Development

The NJPartnership for

On September 11, 2013 the New Jersey Partnership for Direct Support Professional (DSP) Workforce Development held a recognition event to celebrate the work of DSPs across the state. The event, held at the New Jersey Law Center, included presentations from members of “The Partnership,” state representatives, Direct Support Professionals, and a self-advocate and his family. During the event, Governor Chris Christie’s proclamation declaring the week DSP Recognition Week in NJ was presented by Dr. Dawn Apgar, Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Human Services. The proclamation emphasized the value of the work done by DSPs to provide support to “hundreds of thousands of children and adults with disabilities, empowering them and enabling them to lead meaningful productive lives.” Through this Governor Christie, applauded “our State’s Direct Support Professionals for their dedication and commitment to our residents with disabilities.”

New Jersey’s first National Alliance for Direct Support Professional (NADSP) Credentialed DSP, Brenda Hoagland of Matheny Medical and Educational Center was recognized for her dedication to the people she supports and her steadfast commitment to promoting educational opportunities for DSPs. The NJ DSP Career Path Class of 2012 including: Wondwossen Atnafu,

Inside this issue:

Thomas Edison State College 2

Course Corner: Emergency Preparedness 2

Vineland Developmental Center: DSP Week 3

Above and Beyond: Weathering the Storm 4

CDS Administrator Tip: New PlatformCDS & Pre-Service Training 5

GetFIT @ CDS 6

Direct Support Professionals Honored during DSP Recognition Week

The NJ Partnership for DSP Workforce Development

• It’sabouttheQuality...ofsupportsthatawell-trainedworkforceprovides.

• It’sabouttheValue...ofprofessionalismgainedthroughtheCollegeofDirectSupportstate-of-the-arttraining.

• It’sabouttheFuture…ofDirectSupportProfessionalsandthelivesofpeoplewithdevelopmentaldisabilities.

Continued on page 6...

Direct Support Professionals need to understand how to prepare for and respond to both large and small emergencies. They also need to know how to recover from these types of events. This course is designed to help DSPs understand the importance of being prepared for emergencies. It will help staff to be informed about the many types of emergencies they could encounter and helps identify actions that should be taken. This course will helps DSPs understand the important role they play in supporting people with disabilities during these times. In addition, DSPs will learn about the similarities and differences between pandemics and other emergencies. This course covers the topics important to helping DSPs understand their role in many types of emergencies.

The following lessons are included in this course. Lesson 1: What is Emergency Preparedness?Lesson 2: The Role of the Direct Support Professional in Emergency PreparednessLesson 3: Defining Disasters and EmergenciesLesson 4: Pandemics

This summer, through collaboration with The Elizabeth M. Boggs Center on Developmental Disabilities, Thomas Edison State College (TESC) conducted an Academic Program Review of the NJ Direct Support Professional Career Path. The faculty reviewers commended the content of the College of Direct Support and the Career Path in their feedback. Level 1 of the Career Path, which consists of seven College of Direct Support courses combined with mentoring and portfolio development, was approved for 3 credits toward a bachelor’s degree in Human Services, Social Sciences, or Psychology. Level 2 was approved for 4 credits.In order to receive this credit, the student must enroll in one of the approved degree tracks within the TESC Heavin School of Arts and Sciences and provide TESC with record that s/he completed all of the NJ DSP Career Path requirements. Prospective students are encouraged to visit http://www.tesc.edu/embcdd/ to learn about this exciting educational opportunity and all that Thomas Edison State College has to offer. Record of Career Path completion may be obtained through The Boggs Center by emailing colleen.mclaughlin@umdnj.edu.

Thomas Edison State College: Approves the NJ DSP Career Path for Credit

Course Corner: Emergency Preparedness

NEW JERSEY WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT INSIDERPage 2

Vineland Developmental Center: DSP Recognition Week Event 2012

Direct Support Professional Recognition Week is held annually to recognize and celebrate the direct support workforce and the difference they make in the lives of people with disabilities. On September 10, 2012 Gayle Hart (Principle Training Technician) and Mamie Mason (Training Technician) of Vineland Developmental Center organized an event to honor 22 staff at their site during Direct Support Professionals Recognition Week. For this special event, Cottage Training Technicians, Residential Living Specialists, Licensed Practical Nurses, Human Services Assistants, Human Services Assistants, Food Service Handlers, and Therapy Program Assistants were awarded certificates and recognized for voluntarily taking part in the online training available through the College of Direct Support. Many distinguished guests participated in this special event. In addition to CEO Eloise Hawkins, the following were there to commend the work of these employees: Mayor of the City of Vineland, Robert Romano; State Senator Jeff Van Drew; the Cumberland County Board of Chosen Freeholders Representative, Sam Fiocchi; and the American Federation of State County Municipal Employees Representatives. Each dignitary gave proclamations acknowledging the hard work and dedication of the staff in honor of Direct Support Professional Recognition Week. In addition to the certificates, staff were given copies of the proclamations and a framed copy of a letter of recognition from the New Jersey Department of Human Services Commissioner, Jennifer Velez. The employees also received tokens of appreciation donated by the Employee Association at Vineland. All of the staff commented that they plan on continuing their online training and appreciate having the opportunity to do so. Mrs. Hart noted that additional staff training will “benefit the people with support and our employees.” Within the last year, over 200 Vineland employees have signed up to take the online training available through the College of Direct Support. Ms. Mason worked with Mrs. Hart to promote

From left ot right: Milinda Banks, Rachel Bonner, Regina Bryson, Connie Burch, Margaret Candelario, Benita Dickerson, Rachel Dixon, Darlene Gates, Lisa Green, Tonya Hart, April Hickman, Andrea Holman, Shaunett Hyman, Andrea Jennings,

Brandy Jennings, Tina Johnson, Terri Matthews, Yvonne Morrison, Kimberly Myrie, Karen Petway, Angela Pluta, Tanya Samuel

VOLUME 2, ISSUE 1 Page 3

Continued on page 6...

The entire state of New Jersey has felt the effects of Hurricane Sandy in one way or another. Many parts of the state are still recovering and trying to piece things back together. As the primary providers of support, from caring for the most intimate of needs to helping a person develop connections in the community, Direct Support Professionals play a vital role in the lives of people with disabilities. Prior, during, and after the storm many Direct Support Professionals throughout the state went above and beyond their standard job responsibilities to ensure the safety and well-being of the people they support. Their efforts included ensuring the safety of the individuals they support, gathering supplies, calling family members to keep them posted of the whereabouts of their loved one, maintaining equipment, etc.David McGrath from Search Adult Activities volunteered to assist individuals in other areas of the agency. During the storm, many of the agency staff were unable to report to work and the Day Program where David worked was closed due to power outages in the area. Despite having some damage to his own house, David volunteered to assist in one of the group homes. He also reached out to the community and worked with local organizations to organize a fundraising event to raise money for families that were affected by the storm. At the Arc of Monmouth there was concern for the individuals served through the Independent Living Program. Despite living in one of the hardest hit areas along the shore, and having to evacuate her own home, Harley Stanley

checked in on everyone (staff and individuals served). She was also able to contact many individuals who were not under her direct supervision to give them direction and comfort them during and after the hurricane. Management at Cerebral Palsy of North Jersey commented that many of these essential staff braved the “severe weather conditions and worked extended hours to make sure that individuals served by our agency received the care they needed.” At J-ADD, many of the people served

through their agency had to be moved to other locations because their homes were without heat and power. Meals were prepared and distributed and some staff planned activities to bring about a sense of security.Often flexibility, keeping a positive attitude and telling a light joke can be more important than adhering to rigid job functions. The DSPs mentioned in this article weren’t alone in their efforts. Hundreds, if not thousands, of other Direct Support Professionals throughout the state kept the people who count on them day in and day out safe during and after the storm; but they have also provided a sense of calm and comfort during other uncertain times faced by individuals. The dedication of Direct Support Professional goes beyond that of being providers of physical and safety support, but also as providers of emotional support, compassion, connection, and companionship for many people with disabilities.

Thank you to all of the Direct Support Professionals throughout New Jersey for the work you do!

Above and Beyond:Weathering the Storm— Hurricane Sandy

NEW JERSEY WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT INSIDERPage 4

“She was also able to contact many individuals who were not under her direct supervision to give them direction and comfort them during

and after the hurricane”-Arc of Monmouth

This fall, the Division of Developmental Disabilities announced that effective January 1, 2013, New Jersey provider agencies will be able to use the College of Direct Support combined with competency-based, follow-up discussion as a method to meet Overview of Developmental Disabilities and Preventing Abuse and Neglect Pre-Service training requirements. This exciting new option was developed by the NJ Statewide Training and Advisory Committee in effort to provide agencies with expanded means to provide effective and efficient training opportunities to their staff. The committee blended a selection of College of Direct Support lessons pulled from multiple modules in effort to align the online content with the content presented in classroom training. This new model adopts the practice of using online training to engage the learner and present concepts that further enhances competency development through follow-up discussion, creating a bridge between the training content and use of the information on the job.A guidebook outlining required procedures was distributed to agency executives and to all CDS Agency Administrators. This guidebook outlines the required process and contains appendices useful to new staff completing the training and supervisors, trainers, and/or others that will conduct the required follow-up procedures. It will be posted on the DDD NJ Partnership for DSP Workforce Development website: www.nj.gov/ddd/DSPWD under “Information for Agencies.” A kick-off event was held on November 30th to describe this opportunity and outline the related requirements. A subsequent webinar was held in December and is archived at http://rwjms.umdnj.edu/boggscenter/projects/direct_support.html A webinar on conducting the follow-up procedures was also conducted and can be found by going to the same webpage.

The College of Direct Support has a new look! Along with a new logo, many of the functions in the CDS Learner Management System have been streamlined. For example, both administrator and learner access permissions are now on the same page. Administrators no longer need to switch between screens to access their learning information (personal page) and assign staff training (admin page). Although the general functionality of the system has not changed, the new platform allows for neater, clearer, and easier work flow. Here are some of the other new features in the new platform:

• Automatic drop-down options from the menu bar• Multiple tabs help to keep info all on one page instead of on multiple screens• In-line pop-up windows allows for easier access to new pages• A single assign training page instead of four individual pop-ups• Manager Zone (secondary access) integrated into general look-ups• Shorter multi-page search results and reports to help pages load faster• One report page with additional exporting options

CDS Administrator Tips: New Platform

VOLUME 2, ISSUE 1

“New Jersey provider agencies will be able to use the College of Direct Support

combined with competency-based, follow-up discussion as a method to meet Overview of Developmental Disabilities

and Preventing Abuse and Neglect Pre-Service training requirements.”

Page 5

The Division of Developmental Disabilities Announces Opportunity to use the College of Direct Support to Meet Pre-Service Training Requirements

Richard Carreon, Bridget Cottle, Martha Feleke, Weyetta Golafaly, Bernard Jaruga, Brittani Jones, Frank Kitchen, Tinashe Maphosa, Zinash Melaku, Simone Morgan, Liya Mulatu, Jana Ricketts, Imelda Schroeder, Andrea Singleton, and Tracey Young were also commended for their efforts.

The event included a panel featuring Andrew, Jaime, and Zinke McGeady, along with Andrew’s DSP Brandon Burkhardt. In their presentation, they shared their experiences and stressed the important role DSPs play not just in the life of Andrew, but to their entire family. The event concluded with poignant speeches given by Direct Support Professionals, Patroba Onyango, Camillia Horn, Jamil Barnes, further emphasizing the commitment DSPs have for the field. The passion they have for the work they do was not simply reflected in their words, but also their acknowledgement that they are but a few of the many DSPs across New Jersey doing all they can to ensure that people with disabilities live the lives they want in the community. DSP Recognition Week may be in September, but ask yourself, have you thanked a DSP today? You’ll be amazed at what it can do! To see highlights from the DSP Recognition Event go to: http://youtu.be/BsFLvnYDPn8

Mark Your Calendars for DSP Recognition Week 2013 — Sept. 8-14!

Direct Support Professional Workforce Development

The NJPartnership for

NEW JERSEY WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT INSIDERPage 6

Direct Support Professionals Honored continued from page 1

Vineland Developmental Center continued from page 3

the online training via informational sessions for staff at multiple locations across the center. The community-based focus of the training provides staff with skills and information needed to support people living in the Developmental Center transition into the community. Although it was thought that many would be interested in participating in additional training, the large number of inquiries and applicants showed how interested staff were in improving their skills and how much they cared about the individuals they support. Ms. Hart shared that “every one of the staff has decided to invest in their future and in the future of the people they support by taking the online training.” Both Mrs. Hart and Ms. Mason believe that part of the popularity of the online training is that is can be taken at any time of the day, which does not interfere with staff schedule and does not put any additional strain on cottage support during shifts. It is also a flexible training program where staff can take as little or as much of the training at any given time. Many of the Direct Support Professionals work many hours (including overtime) and/or hold several jobs to support their families. The training also includes training topics that are not currently available through the training department (i.e. courses such as Everyone Can Communicate and DSP Professionalism). Ms. Hart also believes that all types of training; whether in class or online can be a source of staff empowerment, which gives them the information they need to take leadership roles to help advocate with the people they support. After the event Gayle Hart (Trainer) noted that at many of the supervisors and managers throughout the Center has now shown an interest in taking the courses themselves after watching their staff go through the process and hearing the excitement about what they have learned through the lessons. She has now opened up the CDS courses to all staff at the Center regardless of title.

Get FIT, an acronym for Fitness, Integration, Training; is The Family Resource Network’s (FRN) health and wellness initiative focused on decreasing obesity and increasing wellness within the disability population. FRN has worked with partners throughout NJ, Texas, Mississippi and Maryland to identify and test Get FIT’s best practices, so that everyone irrespective of ability has the opportunity to Get FIT! Eager to share what has been learned over the past 5 years, Get FIT-fitness and nutrition guidelines have been incorporated into a course now available in The College of Direct Support (CDS) here in New Jersey. This course was created through a partnership between FRN, Rowan University and The Elizabeth M. Boggs Center on Developmental Disabilities. Get FIT is supported by the New Jersey Council on Developmental Disabilities (NJCDD). Once assigned, direct support professionals have access to the Get FIT learning module through their CDS personal page, and are encouraged to participate in this interactive learning module. This module provides an exciting blend of fitness tips and nutrition guidelines with real Get FIT stories that promote the use of preferred motivational interviewing techniques. Successful completion of the Get FIT learning module includes a pre-test, a pre-recorded Get FIT lecture and a post-test, all of which will be recorded on their transcript. FRN is excited to launch the Get FIT learning module through the CDS as it creates a gateway to share Get FIT best practices with the professionals who are positioned to have a positive impact on the activities of daily living within the individuals they support. FRN looks forward to helping people achieve optimal health as they incorporate small lifestyle changes the Get FIT way.

GetFIT and The College of Direct Support

Information on training related to the College of Direct Support can be found at:

http://rwjms.umdnj.edu/boggscenter/training/CDSAdministratorTraining.html

VOLUME 2, ISSUE 1 Page 7

The Elizabeth M. Boggs Center on Developmental DisabilitiesUMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School335 George St. ● P.O. Box 2688 New Brunswick, NJ 08903-2688Phone: 732-235-9300 Fax: 732-235-9330

Staff Contacts:Colleen McLaughlin, M.Ed.Shellyann Dacres, M.A.cdsta@umdnj.edu

http:/rwjms.umdnj.edu/boggscenter

Information about New Jersey’s DSP Workforce Development

Initiatives can be found on the NJ Division of Developmental

Disabilities website: www.nj.gov/ddd/DSPWD

Funding for the development of this newsletter is provided by the Division of Developmental Disabilities,

Department of Human Services, State of New Jersey (Contract#07ML13C)

THE INFORMATION YOU NEED ABOUT NEW JERSEY’S DIRECT SUPPORT PROFESSIONAL WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES

New Jersey Workforce Development Insider

Direct Support Professional Workforce Development

The NJPartnership for

Direct Support Professional Workforce Development

The NJPartnership for