Direct Support Professional
Encyclopedia
Direct support professionals (DSPs) are people who work directly with people with developmental disabilities with the aim of assisting the individual to become integrated into his /her community or the least restrictive environment
.
A direct support professional is a person who assists an individual with a developmental disability to lead a self-directed life and contribute to the community, assists with activities of daily living
if needed, and encourages attitudes and behaviors that enhance community inclusion. A DSP may provide supports to a person with a disability at home, work, school, church, and other community places. A DSP also acts as an advocate for the disabled individual, in communicating their needs, self expression and goals.
Year one training
Year two training
scandal where it was uncovered following an investigation by then WABC journalist Geraldo Rivera
, that residents were being physically mistreated and kept in poor living conditions. Telly Award winning film Everyday Heroes, produced by Pleasantville, New York
media production company Creators Media Group, highlights the work of Direct Support Professionals.
This legislation followed a series reported by the San Francisco Chronicle on poorly trained staff and a high death rate for the developmentally disabled in the State of California
In 1998, the California legislature established the Direct Support Professional (DSP) Training Program.
The purpose of the program is to increase quality of care for people with developmental disabilities living in licensed community care facilities by ensuring core competencies or skills for all Direct Support Professionals.
The statewide training program requires all Direct Support Professionals to successfully complete 70-hours of training over two years, or pass a challenge test for each of two, 35-hour training segments. Upon successfully completing either of these requirements, Direct Support Professional Certification will be provided.
The DSP requirements are not in place for DDN or DDH facilities under the Department of Health Services of the State of California. These requirements are also not in place for day programs, work acitivity centers or for at home vendored service providers.
www.collegeofdirectsupport.com
www.collegeofdirectsupport.com
www.collegeofdirectsupport.com
Offers Training and National Standards. Some standards may be higher than the National Alliance depending on the State.
www.collegeofdirectsupport.com
Least Restrictive Environment
As part of the U.S. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the least restrictive environment is identified as one of the six principles that govern the education of students with disabilities and other special needs...
.
A direct support professional is a person who assists an individual with a developmental disability to lead a self-directed life and contribute to the community, assists with activities of daily living
Activities of daily living
Activities of Daily Living is a term used in healthcare to refer to daily self-care activities within an individual's place of residence, in outdoor environments, or both...
if needed, and encourages attitudes and behaviors that enhance community inclusion. A DSP may provide supports to a person with a disability at home, work, school, church, and other community places. A DSP also acts as an advocate for the disabled individual, in communicating their needs, self expression and goals.
DSP training
A DSP should complete training as per their individual states' requirements. These are per the State of California http://www.dds.ca.gov/DSPT/DSPT_guides.cfm and have the following core training modules:Year one training
- 1 The Direct Support Professional
- 2 The California Developmental Disabilities Service System
- 3 Risk Management and Incident Report
- 4 Medication Management: Part 1
- 5 Medication Management: Part 2
- 6 Wellness: Maintaining the Best Possible Health
- 7 Dental and Oral Health
- 8 Signs & and Symptoms of Illness and Injury
- 9 Risk Management: Environmental Safety
- 10 CommunicationCommunicationCommunication is the activity of conveying meaningful information. Communication requires a sender, a message, and an intended recipient, although the receiver need not be present or aware of the sender's intent to communicate at the time of communication; thus communication can occur across vast...
- 11 Positive Behavior Support
- 12 Resources
Year two training
- 1 Making Choices
- 2 Person centered planning
- 3 Medication Management
- 4 Preventive Health Care and Advocacy
- 5 Nutrition and Exercise
- 6 Strategies for Successful Teaching Part 1
- 7 Strategies for Successful Teaching Part 2
- 8 Risk ManagementRisk managementRisk management is the identification, assessment, and prioritization of risks followed by coordinated and economical application of resources to minimize, monitor, and control the probability and/or impact of unfortunate events or to maximize the realization of opportunities...
in Daily Living - 9 Positive Behavior Support, Part 1
- 10 Positive Behavior Support, Part 2
- 11 Life Quality
- 12 Resources
Willowbrook State School
Direct Support Professional training and community placement/living became more prevalent following the Willowbrook State SchoolWillowbrook State School
Willowbrook State School was a state-supported institution for children with intellectual disabilities located in the Willowbrook neighborhood of Staten Island in New York City from the 1930s until 1987....
scandal where it was uncovered following an investigation by then WABC journalist Geraldo Rivera
Geraldo Rivera
Geraldo Rivera is an American attorney, journalist, author, reporter, and former talk show host...
, that residents were being physically mistreated and kept in poor living conditions. Telly Award winning film Everyday Heroes, produced by Pleasantville, New York
Pleasantville, New York
Pleasantville is a village in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 7,019 at the 2010 census. It is located in the town of Mount Pleasant. Pleasantville is home to a campus of Pace University and to the Jacob Burns Film Center...
media production company Creators Media Group, highlights the work of Direct Support Professionals.
Lack of national standard of care
As of May 2006 Michigan and 5 other states were gearing up to implement fingerprinting background http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060501/LIFESTYLE03/605010336/1040/rss34 checks for Direct Support Professionals that provide care in long term care facilities. The lack of National Standard leaves some of the most vulnerable at risk. States like California have had criminal background checks for over two decades yet other states are just coming on board.http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060501/LIFESTYLE03/605010336/1040/rss34California direct support professional training
The requirement for the community care facility direct care staff training (a.k.a. Direct Support Professional Training) was created by Assembly Bill 2780 http://www.lausd-dspt.net/resources/dspt_legislation.htm enacted in 1998. AB 950, approved by the Governor in August, 2001, amends the Welfare and Institutions Code. Effective January 1, 1999, the Department of Developmental Services implemented mandated statewide competency-based training for direct support professionals employed in regional center vendored community care facilities.This legislation followed a series reported by the San Francisco Chronicle on poorly trained staff and a high death rate for the developmentally disabled in the State of California
In 1998, the California legislature established the Direct Support Professional (DSP) Training Program.
The purpose of the program is to increase quality of care for people with developmental disabilities living in licensed community care facilities by ensuring core competencies or skills for all Direct Support Professionals.
The statewide training program requires all Direct Support Professionals to successfully complete 70-hours of training over two years, or pass a challenge test for each of two, 35-hour training segments. Upon successfully completing either of these requirements, Direct Support Professional Certification will be provided.
The DSP requirements are not in place for DDN or DDH facilities under the Department of Health Services of the State of California. These requirements are also not in place for day programs, work acitivity centers or for at home vendored service providers.
- State of California On-line Resources/Community Care Facility - Direct Support Professional Training Program http://www.dds.ca.gov/DSPT/Home.cfm
- DSP Training Material:Year 1 http://www.dds.ca.gov/DSPT/Yr1Student.cfm and Year 2 http://www.dds.ca.gov/DSPT/Yr2Student.cfm
- Regional Occupational Centers and Programs (ROCPs) Information, including curriculum, for those Regional Occupational Centers and Programs (ROCP) that offer required training necessary for individuals to work in community care licensed facilities.http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/ct/rp/dspt.asp
- Los Angeles County Regional Occupational Program, DSP Training http://lacorop.org/dsp.htm and resources links.http://lacorop.org/DSP/dsp_otherresource.htm
Virginia DSP
Direct Support Professional Training through the College of Direct Support http://www.dmhmrsas.virginia.gov/adm-DirectSupportTraining.htmwww.collegeofdirectsupport.com
Illinois DSP
Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities http://www.ildspinitiative.com/ The Illinois project has been reviewing options for retention and training since 2003 with a projected outcome of having trained Direct Care Professional and retention once trained.http://rtc.umn.edu/dsp/Tennessee DSP
Direct Support Professionals Association of Tennessee http://www.state.tn.us/dmrs/direct_support/mission.htmlKansas DSP
The Kansas Chapter of the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals http://www.kadsp.lsi.ku.edu/www.collegeofdirectsupport.com
Internet-Based College for DSPs
An internet-based college for Direct Support Professionals http://www.collegeofdirectsupport.com/dsp.htmwww.collegeofdirectsupport.com
National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals
National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals http://www.nadsp.org/credentialing/Offers Training and National Standards. Some standards may be higher than the National Alliance depending on the State.
External links
- CaregiverCaregiverCaregiver may refer to:* Caregiver or carer - an unpaid person who cares for someone requiring support due to a disability, frailty, mental health problem, learning disability or old age...
- http://www.ancor.org/ ANCOR Nation Organization for DSPs
- http://www.ancor.org/about/activities/NADSPCodeofEthics.doc ANCOR, DSP Code of Ethics
- http://www.dds.ca.gov/dspt/dspt_main.cfm Department of Develomental Services, State of California
- http://www.la-dsp.org/ Louisiana Direct Support Professionals
- http://www.ildspinitiative.com/ Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities
- http://www.collegeofdirectsupport.com/dsp.htm College for Direct Support Professionals
- http://www.nadsp.org/credentialing/ National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals
- http://www.WhoWillCare.net/ WhoWillCare.net - H.R. 1279 - Direct Support Professionals Fairness and Security Act of 2007 Advocacy and Awareness
- http://directsupportprofessionals.blogspot.com/ WhoWillCare.net - Blog
- http://www.YouNeedToKnowMe.org/ YouNeedToKnowMe.org - H.R. 1279 - Direct Support Professionals Fairness and Security Act of 2007 Advocacy and Awareness
- http://www.change.org/changes/view/2234 Change.org - Stop the Direct Support Professional (DSP) Workforce Wage Crisis (Community)
www.collegeofdirectsupport.com