Kansans Mobilizing for Direct Support Workforce Change
Advisory Committee Meeting
August 16, 2007
Individual Support Systems, Inc.
3615 SW 29th St, Suite 201,
Topeka, KS 66614

Meeting Summary

Members Present: Dolores Engle, Julie Gusman, Dan Hermreck, Sharon Kimbrough, Monty King, Pattie Knauff, Craig Knutson, Tracy Price, Amy Swanson, Kathy Olson, Dorothy Patry, Kelly Smiith, Mary Jo Temple, and Leslie Shorno

Introduction and Experiences with CDS

Members are using CDS in different ways. Strategies were shared. Brief comments include:

• Dolores will retire around the first of the year. We will be sure to use her expertise over the next few months and wish her well.
• Julie reports continued growth of CDS at Arrowhead.
• Dan is seeing use in self determination with lessons addressing Maltreatment and Rights.
• General use in at TARC is developing slowly.
  
• Sharon is using even more of CDS to train new hires. Orientation covers 2 weeks. She is also brings experienced staff in for refreshers as needed.
• Monty is struggling with turnover issues that have required him to leave CDS on the back burner.
  
• Pattie reports that things are moving along at KETCH. Forms and stories from the staff training department were shared.
  
• Tracy reports that Lakemary continues with the training.
  
• Craig will examine some modules that may be appropriate for self–direction.
  
• Kelly is examining CDS and will co-present at the SACK conference.
  
• Mary Jo continues to use CDS at class and has seen a lot of growth in staff who complete lessons.
  
• Dorothy Patry joined us from CLASS and shared some of the things she has seen with CDS.
  
• Leslie Shorno is completing a pilot of CDS and will expand use in the future.

Comments from CDS Learners

“I have two Consumers that I’ve been having problems dealing with attitudes. I got back in to CDS and went to Lessons 2 and 3 on Teaching People with Developmental Disabilities and was able to pick up valuable tools on how to work with these two individuals on the Work Crew. One of the big mistakes that I was making was treating all team members the same way, but viewing these two lessons I found that it was very important that I learn as much about each individual and what makes them tick. I again reviewed their individual records, talked to their Home coordinator and Service Coordinator and my supervisor and now I feel I am better able to understand how to train them better on work site skills. On one Consumer - I talked with both of their Coordinators and we decided that a 45 day review meeting be held with the Consumer which really opened my eyes on what was going on. CDS has been very helpful in helping me work with the clients on the work crew.”

CDS Success Story

“I have done work with persons with disabilities for a period of eight years. Obviously, there were some lessons which were refreshers for what I’d already learned. However, I found the module on cultural diversity very informative and very thought provoking. I had never fully taken the time to understand how important cultural differences are, nor how much understanding those differences can make a difference in the lives of our clients and how we provide services for them.

CDS Learner

I feel every coach, as well as leaders, could benefit from taking these courses, and I’m thankful for the opportunity to take them and understand how better to serve our clients.”

CDS Learner

“College of Direct Support is a course that all staff should complete to help give them a better understanding of how to assist that their clients are living life to the fullest. The best assignment I had was reading the culture chapters. For me it helped me understand that not everyone that lives in America has the same culture or preference. I have.
Over all, it also helped me with assisting the clients I work with in being able to make their own choices and to advocate for themselves. Many people don’t understand that eating steak instead of hamburger is a choice that we make everyday and so should the clients that you work with. “

CDS Learner

“My experience with this course has been an adventure form the start. It was the first time I’d ever used a computer and it was a struggle to get thru the first lessons. I spent more time thinking “What will it do to me next.’ I don’t have a computer so I had to arrange use of a computer through (community college) and juggle my time.
When I was doing the pretest on the 3rd lesson I wondered what I had gotten into I couldn’t see what it had to do with my job. As I progressed down the list of lessons it all tied in.

Going thru this course strengthened my self-confidence. I found out I was more knowledgeable about many subjects than I thought I was. I also found out what my weaknesses were. I read almost all of the lessons, as I wanted to learn as much as I could. I increased my vocabulary by learning may new words, terms, and looking up the definitions as related to the lessons.”

Learner after completing College of Frontline Supervision

“In taking the lessons for the college of direct support, I found the information very helpful. There were certain issues tat I was not aware of, for instance, doing task analysis, and situations dealing with client health issues. I think this is a very informative course that would be very beneficial to new staff that are not familiar with this field of work.”

CDS Learner

“I have completed the lessons assigned to me through the college of Direct support. I found these lessons to be very enlightening, and very useful towards helping to make me a better coach.”

CDS Learner

Updates

Use of CDS in Kansas – the most recent report was shared with participants. Highlights include the following:

There is continued growth in Kansas. The number of learners and the number of lessons continues to increase.

Number of Learners and Lessons in Kansas as of the First of Each Month

* ISS removed learners who had completed all lessons and their reports from their database. Thus the totals appear to have decreased. Use across Kansas has increased.

Some organizations are using the CDS heavily while others are exploring ways to use CDS. The following shows some of the most active use of CDS.

Organizations with the Greatest Use of CDS

Although the rate of participation is stabilizing, there continues to be some growth in the number of service providers using CDS

Summer Conferences- Members participated in two conferences.

The InterHab Workforce Conference was held in Wichita on July 12th.
Kathy, with the help of Dan and others, made a presentation on CDS. Attendees included users and potential users. The mix of information appeared to meet the audience needs. Interest was sparked by several agencies. Interhab appears to have a renewed interest in credentialing. Representatives from the Wichita Childrens’ Home expressed an interest in CDS and we will explore how they could access CDS. Traci LaLiberty is working with a couple of other states on helping the child welfare system use CDS. She volunteered to assist us.

Case Management Conference Topeka - July 24th and 25th
Dan and Monty presented. They were successful in getting at least two case mangers to sign up for CDS and also established a new contact with KNI.

Promotional pens for Conferences and marketing have been purchased
1000 blue and white pens with the project name, web address and Kathy’s phone number have been purchased. Samples were distributed.

Labette Community College
LCC may offer credit for CDS courses, Kathy met with Lori Ford earlier this week. Some people are in an existing degree program and need classes to finish. Other learners are looking for a short course on some of the CDS topics. One credit options may be possible. Online class work, statement of use, and possibly a portfolio will be required. Lori will work with the curriculum committee to identify requirements. Kathy will develop syllabi and serve as instructor when needed.

Innovations in Use
Gwen at DSGP- now using this to schedule many agency classes that are not online (CPR, First Aid)
Diane at CLO is tailoring content for learners. She has included information specific to Kansas regarding abuse and neglect.
Diane is also using three courses for potential hires prior to orientation.

Communications
A Letter and brochure developed by the project sent to small service providers
Websites have been updated
Newsletters and info have been forwarded to users.
If anyone is not able to open the national newsletter when forwarded, it can be opened from the national College of Direct Support website. (www.collegeofdirectsupport.com) under “Publications” and “Newsletter”.

New CDS courses coming in the next six months:

The College of Direct Support will be rolling out four new courses and two mini-courses within the next six months. One of the courses will be the fifth course in the College of Frontline Supervision and Management – “Preparing for the Supervisor’s Job in Human Services.”

The other courses are:

• Functional Assessment
• Working With Families and Other Support Networks
• Everyone Can Communicate
• Disability Intensive Mini-Courses:
  • Autism
  • Brain Injury
  • Cerebral Palsy

Bobbie Keller is retiring and getting married. She has contributed a lot to the project, especially in terms of developing apprenticeship. We will miss her and wish her the best on her new endeavors.

Lunch deli bar catered by Engroff’s.

Action Items

Upcoming Conference Presentations
Self Advocate Conference – October 20th-21st.
Kathy and Kelly will demonstrate CDS and answer questions about self enrollment. They will meet to decide which courses may be the most appropriate. Personal Care, Maltreatment, and Rights were suggested as top choices. Craig will help assure that we have internet access

InterHab - October 10th - Two presentations

Credentialing - InterHab requested a presentation on credentialing. Kathy and Bonnie will compare and contrast the NADSP credential and Kansas Apprenticeship. They are similar but each has unique advantages. Carolyn Risley Hill has agreed to participate and we will ask Margaret Zillenger to participate also. We will try to enlist someone from the apprenticeship program to participate also (Sharon and/or a DSP) would be a good addition.

CDS – A discussion was held on whether this should be a meeting for trainers or a general session. The consensus was that there would probably be more administrative people at the conference. Training coordinators may not be able to attend. It was decided that we should provide an update, discuss use options, and demonstrate some of the advanced features of the system. Mary Jo will try to bring a DSP user or supervisor to talk about the impact of use. Others are encouraged to attend and participate.

Regional Administrator Sessions
Rather than hosting a trainer/administrator session at InterHab, the suggestion was made to host regional meetings of trainers around the state. These would be used to allow users to share ideas on use, and the challenges and successes with CDS and could also be used to help new users learn how they could use CDS. We will explore use but tentatively will host one in Southeast Kansas (Mary Jo) one in Wichita (KETCH), one in Northern Kansas (Topeka and Dan or Lakemary and Tracy) and one in Western Kansas (Julie). Kathy will invite participants and provide refreshments through the grant.

College Credit
Leslie expressed interest in continuing to explore how college credit could be used for CDS. Dolores will connect us with a KBOR representative. Bonnie has been successful in developing early childhood programs. We will actively pursue this.

New contract with MC Strategies
Amy hopes to have a new contract with MC Strategies and KU by September 1st.

KADSP
The NADSP has requested information about the Kansas Chapter. Our project sponsors a website. We did have some active members in the past, but it was short lived. Members moved out of their positions. Challenges are present on many levels. Organizations do not see a need for a DSP group and some feel that this could lead to unionization and other problems. Organizations and self-advocates do not have the funds to provide paid time off or travel for DSPs. DSPs do not have time and money to devote to the professional organization especially when there are few benefits for membership.

Direct Support Professionals do have a lot to contribute. They are central in providing quality support. Could an organization assist them in expanding their voice and growing as professionals? Would it help us all identify this as a professional workforce?

Craig will provide information about another DSP group in Kansas. These DSPs support persons with physical disabilities but may be interested in KADSP. We will contact them.

We will not disband the structure of KADSP at the current time. We will revisit the issue at our next meeting and see if it does have the potential to become a viable organization.

Recruitment and Retention
Continues to be a problem.

Plans for the Annual Report

Kathy reviewed use of CDS in Kansas. We have a lot of learners and a few completed surveys. Part of the challenge is that some agencies have learners who have completed 50 – 100 lessons, while others require only a few. Some use it as pre-service, others for orientation, others for first year basic training, others for remedial training, advanced voluntary training or for apprenticeship. The depth of training varies widely. This is a beauty of CDS but it makes it challenging to evaluate.

Agreed- the current reporting of number of lessons completed, number of learners, and number of organizations is helpful as are narrative accounts.
Surveys may not reflect a common learning experience. The survey results are positive but they do not include all learners. Some learners have very little exposure to CDS and may not experience increased knowledge in all areas since they have only experienced a small part of the training. The general survey may not be the most appropriate.

Frontline supervisor evaluations of changes in behavior also pose challenges in that the individual who took one class versus the individual who took 50 may have different experience.

Evaluation needs to be explored with some consideration.

• We could identify a number of lessons the learner must complete and then look at learner performance.
• We could do case studies of agencies
• We could identify several goals and ask each participant to report quarterly.
• Two important measures are effect on quality of services and turnover. These are difficult to measure. We will continue to explore this.

Next Meeting - Somewhere in Wichita November 27th or 29th.
More Information to follow. Let me know if you have preferences for a date or location.