|
NADD U.S. Policy Update (from the NADD Bulletin Volume X Number 2)
Complete listing
The College of Direct Support
Abstract of Presentation by Sheryl Larson, Ph.D., and K. Charlie
Lakin, Ph.D., Research and Training Center on Community Living,
University of Minnesota
The College of Direct Support (CDS) is the product of a commitment of
the Research and Training Center on Community Living/University of
Minnesota and Elsevier/MC Strategies of Atlanta to build and sustain
a state-of-the art, competency-based, nationally valid, multi-media,
web-based training program for direct support professionals (DSPs)
who support individuals with disabilities. The initial courses of the
CDS were created as “Project of National Significance,”
funded by the Administration on Developmental Disabilities, with an
understanding that with the initial 6 courses completed, CDS would be
sustained and expanded through user fees.
The commitment to provide seed funding for CDS came in response to
concerns about access to the high quality training needed by DSPs,
especially in light of their increasing responsibilities as they work
in smaller, more dispersed settings, more often support persons with
complex needs, and less often work with on-site supervision and/or
access to specialized professional support. Additionally, as
the complexity and autonomy of direct support has increased, the
dispersion of the workforce and the increased employment of persons
who work part-time and odd-hour schedules have made traditional
training less accessible. Specific standards and features were
built into the design of CDS to respond to these challenges and to
provide high quality of training to meet the growing demands for DSPs
to possess the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to provide high
quality support. Twelve primary features of CDS include: 1)
guidance from a National Advisory Committee made up of
representatives of major national organizations and CDS users; 2)
content based on the specific competencies required of DSPs as
determined through systematic job analyses; 3) content based on
values of respect, self-determination and ethical behavior as
conveyed in the CDS Core Values and the Code of Ethics of the
National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (CDS content is
cross-referenced to the latter); 4) content guided, reviewed
and revised based on focus groups before course outlines are
developed and critical review of course outlines and draft course
content by national experts on the CDS National Board of Editors; 5)
fail-safe instructional delivery 24-hours a day, 365 days a year in
all communities in which DSPs live and work; 6) a field-tested
platform and course functionalities; 7) permanent retrievable records
of all completed training, testing and rated job performance,
transportable from agency to agency and state to state; 8) a learner
management system that allows lessons and courses to assigned a local
training director to respond to individual and agency needs; 9)
an annotation system to permit core content to be easily supplemented
with agency and/or state specific information; 10) a program that is
easily and appropriately articulated into post-secondary degree and
certificate programs; 11) an annual review and as needed revision of
existing courses based on reviews of learners, staff and editors; and
12) a “Human Resources Tools” package that permits
organizations at state, agency or program site levels to assess the
quality of DSP and supervisor work experiences (e.g., staff
satisfaction, new hire and existing staff surveys and others).
In addition to reviews by experts on the Board of Editors, CDS
learners can be surveyed about the quality of their training
experience using a survey that is part of the HR Tools package.
The largest external survey of this type was a pilot-program
conducted in Virginia prior to its statewide adoption of the College
of Direct Support. Among the findings of that study was that in
94% of 735 separate course reviews, DSPs “agreed” or
“strongly agreed” that, “Overall, this is an excellent course.”
CDS has 19 courses for DSPs with 84 lessons. Lessons average
about 45 minutes of direct instruction per learner, but vary in
completion time because learners progress at their own pace.
There are also 5 courses (21 lessons) in the CDS’s “College
of Frontline Supervision and Management.” CDS courses of
particular professional interest to NADD members may be Positive
Behavior Supports and Functional Assessment. However, the other
CDS courses are also essential components of providing supports to
persons with or without dual diagnoses. Their topics include:
safety in home and community; prevention and reporting of
maltreatment; supporting healthy lives; individual rights and
choices; medication administration and support; documentation;
supporting social connections with family and friends;
person-centered planning and support; direct support professionalism;
introduction to developmental disabilities; effective teaching;
communication supports; cultural competence; personal care and
self-care; and employment supports.
CDS became available in September 2003. By January 2007, CDS
had 44,600 enrolled learners. Between July 2006 and
January 2007 CDS grew by an average about 2,000 learners and 20,000
completed lessons each month.
To promote a quality workforce, policy planners should consider the
use of various methods for flexible learning like the CDS to enhance
training opportunities for direct support staff.
For further information about the presentation, please contact:
Sheryl A. Larson, PhD., Research Director
Research and Training Center on Community Living
214B Pattee Hall, 150 Pillsbury Drive SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455
Tel: 612-624-6024; E-mail: larso072@umn.edu
Additional information about the College of Direct Support can be
found on the CDS website: http:www.collegeofdirectsupport.com
or by calling the CDS toll-free number: 1-877-353-2767.
The “U.S. Public Policy Update” is an ongoing column in the
NADD Bulletin. We welcome your comments, as well as,
submissions for this column. To learn more or to contribute to
this column, you may contact Joan Beasley, Editor of the U.S. Public
Update and Chairperson of the U.S. Public Policy Committee, at jbbeasley@rcn.com
|
Upcoming Conferences:
September
Ohio State 10th Annual MI/DD Conference , Mental Health Aspects
–Treatment & Support (September 18 & September 19, 2012)
Columbus, Ohio
October
NADD 29th Conference & Exhibit Show, (October 17 - 19, 2012)
Denver, Colorado
October 2013
NADD 30th Conference & Exhibit Show, Baltimore MD (October 23 -
October 25, 2013)
Complete Calendar |
New Educational Products:
|
|
 Intellectual
Disability and Mental Health: A Training Manual in Dual Diagnosis
Sharon McGilvery, Ph.D. and Darlene Sweetland, Ph.D.
With the release of this book, Drs. McGilvery and Sweetland share
decades of experience working with individuals diagnosed with an
intellectual disability and co-occurring psychiatric disorders. Their
well-practiced approach takes into account the extremely complex
nature of working with dual-diagnosis. The authors provide
in-depth information about the diagnostic process, hands-on treatment
considerations, and their experience training thousands of people to
work passionately with these individuals. An important
contribution is their approach to addressing complicating factors in
identifying appropriate psychiatric diagnoses, as well as the problem
of the underreporting of psychiatric symptoms and disorders. Finally,
those working in a variety of contexts with these individuals will
benefit from the innovative approaches of looking at treatment and
intervention strategies that can be immediately implemented. 264 pages
Details:
ST11-053B
|
|
 A
PRACTICAL GUIDE to Assessing Medical Issues Associated with
Behavior/ Psychiatric Problems in Persons with Intellectual
Disability – Revised in 2011
Ann R. Poindexter, M.D.
This book discusses medical/medication issues which may present as
behavioral/ psychiatric problems in individuals with intellectual
disability. Three self-directed instructional courses and
several illustrative case histories are included. 110 pages\
Details:
DA05-021BR
|
Psychotherapy for Individuals with Intellectual Disability
Edited by: Robert J. Fletcher, DSW, ACSW
This book provides the reader with insightful and useful ways to
provide psychotherapy treatment for individuals who have intellectual
disability (ID). It brings together all three modalities
(individual, couple, and group), and a variety of theoretical models
and techniques are discussed. The first section, Individual
Therapy, offers a variety of approaches and techniques including
dialectical behavioral therapy, positive psychology,
mindfulness-based practice, and relaxation training. Also included in
this section are chapters on specialty populations including victims
of abuse, people who have Autism Spectrum Disorder, and people in
mourning. The second section is a chapter on group therapy addressing
trauma issues. The third section is on family and couple therapy. The
fourth section covers chapters on research, ethics, and
training. The individual authors are respected authorities in
the field of providing psychotherapy treatment for persons with ID
and all have contributed to the professional literature.
This book is a major contribution to the effort to make psychotherapy
available to individuals who have ID and should serve to further
stimulate interest in the provision of psychotherapy treatment for
individuals who have ID co-occurring with significant mental health problems.
NADD # CT11-051B Details
|
 Comprehensive
Competence-Based Parenting Assessment for Parents with Learning
Dificulties and Their Children
Maurice Feldman, PhD, Marjorie Aunos, PhD
This book presents an innovative, empirically-supported approach to
assessing parenting capacity of parents with learning difficulties
that can lead to more humane, fair and accurate child custody
decisions. The authors are leading researchers and
practitioners in this field haing worked with hundred of these
families. Many professionals working with these families
recognize that the current parenting capacity assessment approaches
are based on outdatd and invalid assumptions and methods. This
book addresses the unique assessment needs of these families and
includes detailed background information, rationales and methods.
NADD # DA10-050B Details
|
 Working
with People with Challeging Behaviors: A Guide for Maintaining
Positive Relation
Nathan Ory
The material in this book introduces general practices
and specific solutions to behavior problems that will work with
people who display difficult and challenging behaviors regardless of
who they are. It is especially suitable for working with
individuals who have developmental or intellectual disabilities
coupled with a behavior disorder. The methods also apply to the
person with emotional or psychiatric disturbances, or another serious
mental health problem. Finally, they are helpful in providing
support to elderly individuals who display challenging behavior.
NADD # ST10-049B Details
|
Human Needs and Intellectual Disabilities: Applications for Person
Centered Planning, Dual Diagnosis, and Crisis Intervention
Steven Reiss, Ph.D.
Human Needs and Intellectual Disabilities identifies the 12 human
needs most relevant to the lives of people with intellectual
disabilities, autism and related developmental disabilities. It
includes detailed, practical suggestions for caregivers or parents
interested in the happiness, quality of life, and self-determintion
of their loved ones or consumers. The book includes detailed,
practical suggestions for reducing episodes of challenging behavior
and psychiatric symptoms in people with a dual diagnosis
(intellectual disabilities and mental illness). It shows how to
substitute the language of individuality (e.g., "friendly
person") for the language of disability (e.g., "person with
disability"). It also reduces the tendency of planners to
confuse their own value system for that of the consumer. The
book includes scholarly reviews of dual diagnosis literature on
mental illness, prevalence, and assessment.
NADD # DA10-048B Details
|
Positive Identity Development
Author: Karyn Harvey, PhD
Positive Identity Development is an exciting new approach to
treatment for individuals with intellectual disabilities. This
book provides a new theoretical perspective on treatment along with a
variety of innovative tools. It rejects reducing adults with
intellectual disabilities to a mere compilation of their behaviors
and promotes the use of a positive, therapeutic approach to each
unique individual. Psychologists, social workers and therapists
should be able to use the tools presented in this book to directly
enhance the effectiveness of the treatment they provide to adults
with intellectual disabilities. This book promotes well-being on
every level and explores a broad range of issues relevant to the life
and mental health of adults with intellectual disabilities
Mbr Price: $34.95
Non-Mbr: $39.95
NADD #CT09-047B Details |
 Down
Syndrome: When to Worry about Mental Health and What to Do About It
Robin Friedlander, M.D. & Peter Johnson, Ph.D.
NADD # FI09-044B Details |
 Working
with People who have Intellectual Disability and Behavioral
Problems: A Self-Study Guide for Interdisciplinary Team Members
Ann R. Poindexter, M.D. & Paul D. Kolstoe, Ph.D.
NADD # ST09-045B Details |
Multi-Media CDs of NADD 25th Annual Conference Presentations
Presentations recorded at NADD 25th Annual Conference are available
as multi-media CDs. These CDs contain the video and Power Point
from conference presentations and are a great tool for training
yourself and your staff. To order, or for additional
information, click here.
Community Networks of Specialized Care: Building Community
Capacity through Training and Education Lisa Holmes, Liz
Froese, MSW, Rosanne Stein, LLB, BSc, Sandi Bricker
NADD Competency-Based Dual Diagnosis Certification Program Robert
Fletcher, DSW, ACSW, FAAIDD; Donna McNelis, PhD; John McGonigle,
PhD; Kathleen Olson, PhD; Jarrett Barnhill, MD
Autism Spectrum Disorders: Separating the Data from the
Myths Ann R. Poindexter, MD
Diagnostic Systems for Use with People with ID Luis
Salvador-Carulla, MD, PhD, Robert J. Fletcher, DSW, ACSW, FAAIDD,
Sally-Ann Cooper, MD
The price for the above multimedia is: Member:
$49.95 Non-member: $59.95
To order, or for additional information, click
here.
|
|
