Kansans Mobilizing for Direct Support Workforce Change
March 16, 2005
The Arc, 2919 West 2nd, Wichita, Kansas

Meeting Minutes

Attendance:
Bonnie Duden, Kansas Apprenticeship Council
Sarah Emrick, Creative Community Living
Mark Harper, Lakemary Center
Dan Hermreck, TARC
Bobbie Keller, DSNWK
Pattie Knauff, KETCH
Tracy Melte, Lakemary Center
Gary Merklein, DSNWK
Patty Black Moore, KUCDD
Kathy Olson, KUCDD
Angie Reinking, SACK
Kelly Smith, SACK
Kathy Stiffler, ISS
Kathy Walter, Arrowhead West

Special Guest: David Gaither, U. S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training

NOTE: The next meeting will be held on June 15, 2005 at the SRS Training Center, Room D, 2600 SW East Circle Drive South, Topeka, KS.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS TO CELEBRATE

• Ad Astra Direct Support Registered Apprenticeship Program approved by Kansas Apprenticeship Council

“Congratulations! The Standards of Apprenticeship for DSP were registered by the Kansas Apprenticeship Council effective 2-16-05.” Dolores Engel, U.S. Department of Labor •

• CDS is in the 2005-2010 Kansas Strategic Plan> Thanks to the DD Task Force members.

To see for yourself, go to http://www.srskansas.org/hcp/css/News.htm and select New DD Task Force February 2005 (PDF) to download the 2005- 2010 Kansas Strategic Plan

Also check out these files forwarded to us from MC Strategies regarding the College of Direct Support in Virginia

• Final Report from Minnesota Traci LaLiberte, University of Minnesota is putting the finishing touches on the comprehensive final project report. The advisory group elected to add a recognition page to the final report. The hard work of many should be recognized.
• Moving Mountains Award Kathy Stiffler reported that the award application was submitted. We are awaiting news of the status of the application.

LEGISLATIVE AGENDA FOR NEXT YEAR – GOAL GROUP 1

Goal Group 1 Report

Goals listed in the February 2004 KMFC Report.

1. Conduct annual and on-going legislative advocacy campaigns to increase the wages of direct support employees by not less than $3.00 per hour by 2006.
   1. Establish a baseline wage of direct support employees across service types and by geographic/economic regions of the state.
   2. Gather stories from families and self-advocates on the impact of low wages and their relationship to poorer outcomes and quality of services for people with MR/DD in Kansas.
   3. Identify potential sponsors of legislation to support enhanced wages for DSPs in Kansas.
   4. Create a “talking points” document that policy advocates could use in talking with their legislators and other s regarding DSP compensation

Update:

Dan Hermreck’s talking points document is nearing completion. Plans are to make it available on the project website and perhaps the KADSP website. Discussion needs to include dissemination plan.

TALKING POINTS

• The State currently reimburses providers only $7.68 per hour for direct support professional wages.
  • A full time job at $7.68 per hour equals $15,974.40 per year, which is only 102% of the 2004 Federal Poverty Level for a family of 3. These numbers represent gross, not take home, pay.
  • In 1999, the last time DSP wages were adjusted by the state, the same $7.68 per hour full time wage would have put a family of 3 at 115% of the Federal Poverty Level.
  • Community DSP wages have increased only 6.71% since 1993, workers in state hospitals who have similar duties have received a 52% wage increase over the same period.
• A 2002 report by the accounting firm BDO Seidman, LLP (prepared for the American Network of Community Options and Resources), found that “[Service providers] are held to fixed appropriations and funding has not kept pace with inflation. The lack of adequate funding has put providers to the developmentally disabled at a distinct competitive disadvantage with other industries and professions competing for the same workforce.”
• The University of Minnesota’s Research and Training Center on Community Living estimates that there are 9,282 full-time equivalent DSPs in Kansas (probably over 10,000 people).
• The Kansas Department of Labor estimates the demand for Personal and Home Care Aides (this is the closest available category to typical Direct Support Professional responsibilities) will increase 47.9% between 2000 and 2010. Because the DD Reform Act gives persons with disabilities the right to live in and receive services in their home county, these are jobs that exist and will continue to exist across the state.
• Current low DSP wages are contributing to high turnover, which causes limited resources to be used for advertising, interviewing, screening, hiring and training new staff plus overtime to cover vacant positions.
  • A 1998 study by the Institute for Social and Behavioral Research at Kansas State University found that the average cost per hire for direct support positions was $2,094 for CDDOs and $1,348 for other community service providers.
• Need some stories here
• We need to pick one of our “bumper sticker slogans” we suggested at the Kerrie Bacon activity:
  • Professional Wages for Professional Skills
  • Direct Support Professionals make a difference; shouldn’t they also make a living? (New one, borrowed from the National Advocacy Campaign)
  • Consumers want their staff to stay, raise DSP wages today.
  • To be fair, raise pay for care.
  • Quality Pay = Quality of Live o Support DSPs: your Quality of Life provider.
  • Real Wages for Real Work
  • Just Raise It.
• What are we actually asking for?
  • Raise DSP wages by $3.00 per hour.
    • Per University of Minnesota’s estimate, this would cost 57.9 million dollars, not including the cost of benefits.
  • Support (insert the InterHab bill name or number).
  • Increase DSP wages.
  • Provide automatic cost of living adjustments to DSP wages.
  • Tie Community DSP wages to increases in state employee wages.
  • Redirect funding to consumers and DSPs.

2. Identify options for joint purchasing of health, workers compensation, and other insurance/benefit options for DSPs in Kansas by working with community service providers and self-advocates and families who direct their own supports. Update: It was decided by the advisors present that this step was beyond our present resources.
3. Provide financial and related incentives to community service providers for maximizing the use of benefited positions within their organizations. Update: It was decided by the advisors present that this step was beyond our present resources.
4. Create financial incentives for DSPs to improve skills in providing community supports to people with disabilities and to maintain tenure. Update: The apprenticeship program accomplishes this, which is being promoted and developed by Goal Group 2.
5. Prevent excessive administrative costs (e.g., salaries, bonuses, and overhead) from draining resources for adequate direct support salaries/benefits and high quality support. Update: Will not be pursued at this time.
6. Assure equity and fairness in determining salary, benefits, and bonuses for employees at all levels within the organization. Update: Will not be pursued at this time.

AD ASTRA DIRECT SUPPORT REGISTERED APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM – GOAL GROUP 2

Project partners are urged to contact their local Workforce Investment Boards to learn the services that may be available for organizations at no cost. Bonnie is willing to answer questions and encourages partners to call. Bonnie Duden (316) 266-8600 or bduden@kansascommerce.com.

Goal Group 2 Report

Contact Gary? For report?

Action Steps Update

1. Provide statewide access of the College of Direct Support (CDS) to all DSPs in Kansas. Update: Lack of funding has stalled this effort, however, partners continue to explore ways that the CDS may be funded for all community service providers in Kansas.
2. Provide statewide access to the Ad Astra Direct Support Registered Apprenticeship Program for DSPs in Kansas. Update: Apprenticeship Standards were approved by the Kansas Apprenticeship Council, February 2005.

It is anticipated that Individual Support Systems and DSNWK will become Local Service Providers and formally enroll in the Ad Astra Direct Support Registered Apprenticeship Program.

3. Provide time, resources, and opportunities for DSPs to secure college credit for completion of CDS and related training in Kansas. Update: Kathy Stiffler spoke with Blake or Bryce Flounders, Kansas Board of Regents. He is interested in exploring the relationship that apprenticeship/CDS would have going through the Tech schools or community colleges.

It was noted that Janet Hamilton, Community Support/Special Projects, Hutchinson Community College and Area Vocational School, hamiltonj@hutchcc.edu , 620-665-3302 has expressed interest in the project. It was suggested that we should also contact someone from the State Association of Community Colleges. Gary might do this? Also Business and Industry options and the Workforce Investment Board may assist with them.

4. Provide financial support to DSPs who pursue distance education and other training through Kansas’s university settings. Update: It was suggested that there may be some funding possibilities for students through Pell grants. This should be further investigated.
5. Create a post-secondary educational program that offers college credit for completion of the CDS and the Ad Astra Direct Support Registered Apprenticeship Program. Update: David Gaither, U.S. Department of Labor, urged partners to seek college credit for apprenticeship training, to find a cooperative college or university to work with, and apply for additional credit for experience in the same manner as a practicum, maybe 3-6 credit hours. He noted that other apprenticeship programs get this additional credit. He suggested that for acceptance into the community college system the coursework needs to apply to a degree program. It was noted that the University of Minnesota offers college credit through continuing education and this might set a precedent to approve something similar for Kansas.

TRAINING SCHEDULE FOR FRONTLINE SUPERVISORY TRAINING - GOAL GROUP 3

Training Update:

The Power of Diversity training is scheduled for April 28 for Arrowhead West, Pratt. Taking the lead is KETCH staff trainer, Richard Lara. Patty Black Moore will co-facilitate.

Peer Empowerment Program training is in the planning stage for ResCare Kansas to be held in Wichita.

Goal Group 3 Report (submitted by Pattie Knauff)
Action Steps Update

1. Provide Remove the Revolving Door Training to all community service providers and individuals who self-direct in Kansas by 2005. Update: With the current lack of funding, the group felt it was unrealistic to try to provide this training across the state during 2005. If offered, the training might be done at a few select locations around the state and agencies would have to pay to attend. In addition, our list of trainers needs to updated and a refresher “Train the Trainer” session might need to be offered. Kathy Olson indicated that KUCDD would be able to help organize “Remove the Revolving Door Trainings” if the group decides to pursue this. However, the group felt that a more realistic approach will be to promote the on-line version of this training, “Frontline Supervisor Training”, to interested organizations.
2. Provide technical assistance and outreach training …..reduce turnover and improve recruitment. Update: This action step is currently underway. Sarah Emrick from CCL and Starkey, Inc. are both providing tech. assistance and training to organizations that contact them. Starkey, Inc. will be added to U of M’s final report as a contact under the “Technical Assistance” category.
3. Develop and provide ongoing access to high quality training for FLS’s of DSP’s. Update: Lakemary currently has frontline supervisors accessing this training. Kathy, Patty, and Tracy Melte will find out if the program can still be accessed and let the participating agencies know. If spots are still available, participants should promote use of this training within their organizations.

NOTE from Susan O’Nell, University of Minnesota and the College of Frontline Supervision:

“… we have starting moving files to the developer and it will be an emphasis for them to get the site up and running by "late spring" "early summer." I know we will not have final files for all course to them before the end of May. --So we are 2-4 months out from a fee-based site. Within that context we will not simply shut down the other site immediately, though we will most likely close it down to new learners at that point. At this point I don't have a limit on the number of people (short of EVERY FLS in KS!) signing up. The more the merrier! We want to get this stuff out to folks.

Fees will be most likely a similar situation to CDS, but I know even that is going through refinements as we try to make it self-sustaining and still affordable. This is decided by the developer with our influence, but again out of our control. We are meeting in May for a variety of purposes and I would guess pricing would be one of our agenda items. I'll keep you posted as I can.

Tell … all the folks I said Hi. -Susan

NOTE from Kathy and Patty: We read this to mean that free access is still available to organizations. We believe it is reasonable to think that learners would have about 6 months free access with an April start date. We will be checking in with the partners to try to measure the level of interest. We will also call colleagues throughout Kansas and invite them to take advantage of this great training opportunity. You can access the contact information from the KMFC website http://www.workforce.lsi.ku.edu or call Kathy or Patty.

Tracy Melte is willing to answer questions about the College of Frontline Supervision (CFS) and wants to encourage as much use of the CFS as she can. She would be glad to be a resource for anyone interested in feedback from staff utilizing the CFS.

4. Establish competence standards and related curriculum for FLS’s in Kansas. Update: Competence standards are already built into the FLS computer training.
5. Provide access and training on how to implement and evaluate use of Direct Support: A Realistic Job Preview …in Kansas.
6. Provide access and training on how to implement and evaluate use of Direct Support: Professional Recruitment Toolkit … in Kansas. Update: Contacts regarding the Realistic Job Preview and the Recruitment Toolkit were made through participants who signed up to meet with CDDO’s across the state. In addition, participants made a presentation at InterHab and Patti Knauff presented to the InterHab Human Resources group.
7. Sustain and statewide campaign to enhance the status and image of DSP’s … comprehensive media campaign. Update: The group lacks the resources to pursue this action step alone. Kathy Walter will follow up with Sarah Emrick and Matt Fletcher regarding similar efforts through InterHab and how our group can partner with any existing efforts.
8. Develop a statewide professional association for DSP’s in Kansas… Update: A Kansas Alliance of Direct Support Professionals has been established and a web site is up and running. For now the primary function of this association will be an information clearinghouse for direct support professionals via the web site. Kathy Walter will review the web site to see if the information is current. Dan Hermreck will submit Talking Points from Group 1 to DSP representatives for review for inclusion on the web site once complete. Participants are encouraged to promote the website to direct support professionals in their organizations through newsletters, staff meetings, etc.
9. Develop resources to sustain an ongoing statewide coordinating capacity… Update: This is the ongoing work of Goal Group 3. With the current lack of funding the group is limited in capacity building, but will work to further Goal 3 through existing resources and collaborative efforts.
10. Establish a standardized way to assess turnover, vacancy rates … enhance the use of data-based policy decisions. Update: The formula used by the U of M will be used to measure turnover and vacancy rates for the same 12 agencies that submitted data for the final report. Data will be compiled for the timeframe from October, 2004 through September of 2005.
11. Periodically evaluate the workforce initiatives to identify successes, ongoing challenges, and emerging needs. Update: This is currently underway as Goal Group 3 meets quarterly or more often, as needed.

LARGE GROUP DISCUSSION

• Alternative Funding Sources for CDS

Collaborations/ Mill Levy – Kathy Stiffler, ISS applied through TARC the CDDO for a mill levy to fund CDS for ISS and for the Shawnee County providers. They will know if they were successful in October. Kathy Stiffler, ISS and Dan Hermreck, TARC and other TARC representatives will meet to talk about how an apprenticeship program and CDS could be funded through County Mill Levy. They will report progress in October.

Kathy Olson is discussing CDS and the apprenticeship program with the state mental health and mental retardation hospitals. Also we are advocating for the CDS to be used as a training requirement for State Institutions.

Grants – Kathy Olson, KUCDD, is preparing a grant to the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation. Bonnie reminded the group that for Federal funds it is important to show collaborative links between agencies and organizations showing how the proposal builds capacity. She suggested we create a career lattice, showing how the career path offers career opportunities to DSPs. A stronger proposal will show how programs and funders can work together.

• Alternative Funding for Frontline Supervisory Training

Because of funding issues it is unlikely that there will be a face to face RRD training in the next few months. Project partners will be encouraged to take advantage of the availability of the free access to the online College of Frontline Supervision. Additionally, project staff will notify other community organizations of the opportunities to access the CFS. For more information about availability call Patty or Kathy (620) 421- 6550, ext. 1619 (P) or 1771 (K).

• Alternative funding for Apprenticeship Grants

Another funding source to investigate: local Economic Development groups. Would they support funding to provide training? An advantage is that this would tap a different funding source. Communities need to have the kind of environment that encourages people and businesses to stay or relocate to their area. Need strategies for how to “sell” the idea that trained DSPs and apprenticeship are desirable.

Bonnie and David mentioned the KITKIR, Department of Commerce funding possibility for training equipment needs. Further information is needed to determine if partner organizations would be eligible.

David Gaither, Apprenticeship and Training Representative, Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training, U. S. Department of Labor, 401 North Market, Room B-40, Wichita, KS 67202, (316) 269-7197, urged project partners to become a Local Service Provider for the Ad Astra Direct Support Registered Apprenticeship Program. He said that as a Local Service Provider, Workforce Investment Act opportunities open up for organizations. Some opportunities include: help with screening applicants (including background check, driver’s license check and others); opens a funding stream through Workforce Investment Act funding sources; veterans can utilize benefits, e.g., G.I. bill; may qualify for tax credit, $1800 tax credit for WIA employees.

Question: What would the cost be if a person accessed CDS and paid MC Strategies individually to get college credit?

GOALS FOR NEXT MEETING

• Review Goal Statements from February 2004 Report
• Develop new goal statements Review and approve Framework for credentialing
• Discuss turnover and retention data

NEXT MEETING DATE AND LOCATION The next meeting will be held:

June 15, 2005

SRS Training Center, Room D 2600 SW East Circle Drive South Topeka, KS