Kansans Mobilizing for Direct Support Workforce Change
June 15, 2005 – Topeka, Kansas
Advisory Committee Meeting Summary

Attendance:
Marsha Dill, Starkey
Bonnie Duden, Kansas Registered Apprenticeship Program
Sarah Emrick, CCL
Dolores Engel, US Department of Labor
Marcie Grace, CCL
Dan Hermreck, TARC
Michele Heydon, Sunflower Supports Company
Bobbie Keller, DSNWK
Shelly May, KCDD
Gary Merklein, DSNWK
Patty Black Moore, KUCDD
Mark Newbold, CLASS LTD
Kathy Olson, KUCDD
Kelly Smith, SACK
Kathy Stiffler, Individual Supports System
Mary Jo Temple, CLASS LTD
Kathy Walter, Arrowhead West
Sarah Williams, JCDS

Guest: Michele Boschetto, Kansas Registered Apprenticeship Program

Moving Mountains Award
Kansans Mobilizing for Direct Support Workforce Change is a finalist for the Moving Mountains Award. Amy Hewitt will be in Kansas in October to interview partners about accomplishments and current activities. We plan to schedule the advisory committee meeting to coincide with Amy’s visit to facilitate the review process. The Moving Mountains Award will be presented in February 2006 at the Reinventing Quality Conference in San Diego, California.

2005 Presentations
Dan Hermreck and Kathy Olson presented project information at the April Sharing Our Best Conference in Beatrice, Nebraska.

Kathy Stiffler and Kathy Olson presented project information at the CMS Conference in St. Louis, Missouri.

Alliance for Full Participation Conference, September 21-24, 2005
Shelly May, KCDD and Sarah Emrick, CCL plan to attend this conference.

2005 Training
Sarah Emrick and Patty Black Moore presented The Peer Mentoring: Planning the Peer Empowerment Program (PEP) by request for 19 ResCare staff from Kansas and Oklahoma.

Kathy Stiffler, Monty King, and Dan Hermreck are planning collaborative effort to provide Removing the Revolving Door Training in Topeka area.

KADSP
Marcie Grace continues to promote the KADSP

Funding Status
Unchanged. The project receives accolades on all fronts, but no monetary support has been allocated. MC Strategies continues to provide access to the CDS to partners who paid the administrative fee with our heartfelt thanks. Kathy Olson, KUCDD, will serve as contact for inquiries of the Ad Astra apprenticeship program from Dolores and Bonnie.

Ad Astra Direct Support Registered Apprenticeship Program and WIA
Michele Boschetto, Kansas Registered Apprenticeship Program, provided information about the way WIA funds can be accessed. Bonnie Duden, Kansas Registered Apprenticeship Program and KMFC advisor, explained how the Ad Astra program might interact with the Workforce Development Centers and WIA funds. Anna Marie, WIA case manager spoke to the advisors via conference call. She provided an overview of the WIA guidelines. Organizations are advised to contact their local workforce development centers for specific information.

CLASS LTD, DSNWK, and ISS are in the process of becoming local service providers of the Ad Astra Direct Support Registered Apprenticeship Program.  They will then go to their local workforce boards to become aware of opportunities to access Workforce Investment Act programs including WIA funds and Youth Programs.

Grant Application for President’s High Growth
Kathy Olson presented the details of the proposal being prepared for submission in alliance with Labette Community College, Parsons, KS.

Insert grant description here

Suggestions:
Contact Blake Flanders, Kansas Board of Regents (Kathy Stiffler has met with him)

Best way to meet intent would be to have some employees from many organizations

Check out Youth Services could provide funding for Youth 14-22, WIA funds pay for work experience.

K-12 could include showing the RJP video, recommendations for course work that would prepare for DSP role, identify existing coursework.

WIA funding requires set price of training per student

Approach state board or coordinator, Armand and ask would this be WIA activity (Bonnie will contact)

Mandate is for WIA and apprenticeship to work together

Go to state, get CDS curriculum approved

Request State Workforce Board to provide CDS access

CLASS believes CDS training is a part of lower turnover

Check with University of Minnesota about college credit offered for CDS courses

Check with KNI about apprenticeship. Contact Dave Skinner or George Vega

Dolores suggested putting a lot of emphasis on health in opening statement of grant proposal. Home and personal care aids is possible category of job type. Marsha reminded that persons served by community service providers have considerable medical aspect with regard to their health. HCBS waiver – person is eligible for ICF, also aging and medical.

Organizations will compensate mentors. Grant money could provide mentor recognition in the way of t-shirts, cups, etc.

Money is needed to develop and disseminate manuals

Training and information is needed for new organizations to get started setting up new program

Ask Marianne Taylor is she would be advisor. Maybe a face to face meeting, but definitely phone call access

DSNWK, ISS, and CLASS LTD agreed to submit letters of support. Dan reported that Big Lakes Developmental Center may be interested in apprenticeship. Interest was expressed by those in attendance, TARC (will present proposal to Leadership Committee), Sunflower Supports Company (growth from 35 employees to 110, interested in apprenticeship), Arrowhead West, JCDS, CCL. A sample letter of support will be sent to all advisors.

CLASS thinks they would put a total of 45 through the Ad Astra in the grant period. ISS intends to have classes of 6 at a time. Maybe twice a year. CAP once a year. DSNWK has a class of 9 started with 5 mentors serving the class.

Butler Community College has Early Childhood Apprenticeship Program. They offer Mentoring I and II for a total of 2 credit hours on-line.

Group okay with an on-line class to teach mentoring skills for college credit. Less sure of the entire Ad Astra program offered on-line. They feel that the face-to-face coaching sessions are essential to candidate success.

Letters of support are needed. Partner needs to illustrate they understand their role. They will implement apprenticeship program. Get free access to CDS. Contribute space, time.

College of Direct Support
MC Strategies continues to provide access to CDS for organizations who paid the $2800 administrative fee. Kathy Olson continues to correspond with them on regular basis.

Starkey will fund College of Direct Support for the coming year for their staff. Marsha reports that they have staff ask to take CDS courses to prepare for other positions.

DSNWK reports 9 staff currently enrolled in CDS through the Ad Astra CIP level. Also used for orientation for new staff.

TARC have 3 staff enrolled now, 3 have completed

CLASS has 20 currently enrolled. Notes that their Accounting Staff has requested access to some courses.

ISS reports CDS is part of new staff orientation and also have 6 enrolled through Ad Astra CIP level

College of Frontline Supervision
Arrowhead West has one staff enrolled and one who has completed CFS
CLASS had one person complete CFS
TARC had one person complete CFS
ISS notes that new supervisors to organization may not have the experience to answer some of the questions in CFS courses.