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the college of direct support on-the-job resource guide for use by supervisors trainers and peer mentors this guide is intended to be used as part of an integrated approach to applying the knowledge and skills contained within the college of direct support to the work environment it is made available through the directconnect grant institute on disability/unh 56 old suncook road concord nh 03031 603 228-2084

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copyright information this guide was created by scott trudo at the institute on disability/university of new hampshire it is intended to be used as a tool with the college of direct support online learning all information contained within this guide and within the college of direct support is copyright protected

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table of contents introduction how to use this guide 1 7 creating a culture of competence cds tools you can use with dsps on-the-job cds features you can use within your organization course listing college of direct support college of frontline supervision and management 8 ojt skill statements on-the-job training list of dsp skills listed alphabetically by course 9 portfolio activities activities and writing assignments listed alphabetically by course 84 additional resources contacts and other resources 163

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introduction how to use this guide this resource guide has been created to help you get the most out of the college of direct support cds by providing you with tools to help direct support professionals dsps apply the knowledge and skills on the job the cds teaches dsps how to best support people with disabilities in community settings ­ the best practices of today the courses cover a broad range of topics including those that are disability-specific such as cerebral palsy and autism to those that are more general such as safety and documentation being able to apply what was learned online to daily activities in the workplace will make the cds more effective and impact the quality of services delivered it is this application of learning that moves the learner from knowing to understanding and from understanding to practicing skilled competent dsps practice what they know research looking at how adults learn in the workplace finds that adult learners remember as little as 10-30 of what they have learned in training just two weeks after attending that means that they forget as much as 70-90 but there is good news ­ that same research finds that if the learning incorporates active learning approaches giving learners the opportunity to actively apply the learning in some way they are shown to retain as much as 90 of the learning over the same timeframe edgar dale audio-visual methods in teaching state university of new york at potsdam department of information and communication technology 1

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this guide will provide you with the tools and offer you some guidance about how to use these tools to develop an active learning approach using the cds an approach that integrates online learning with active on-the-job activities designed to reinforce learning it contains examples of activities that can be used and skills that can be demonstrated for each course using the online learning as a foundation this guide will become your toolkit to build a highly effective dsp training program within your organization 2

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integrating active learning · college of direct support online learning step 2 reinforcing learning · discussion groups · agency-led training · staff meetings and informal settings · cds toolkit · ojt skill statements · portfolio activities step 1 learning step 3 applying learning on the job reinforces cds learning by applying it on-the-job using an integrated active learning approach to training will allow you to build a workforce of skilled knowledgeable direct support professionals which can lead to higher service quality and reduced costs associated with staff turnover and training 3

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creating a culture of competence on-the-job tools as a supervisor you know how difficult it can be to find time to send your staff to training resources are scarce and it s tough to find coverage for those times when training has been scheduled at the same time you need to insure that your staff is skilled knowledgeable and able to deliver quality support it s a challenge service providers live with every day the on-the-job tools on the following pages can help you with this challenge as you use begin to plan your cds implementation there are 3 areas that you will need to consider online learning peer-to-peer discussions and using the ojt and portfolio tools the following tables contain some key questions and suggested approaches tools you can use as you begin your cds implementation planning cds online learning key questions what is our staff selection process should we train all our dsps should we make this a voluntary benefit suggested approach train supervisors and key staff first make them peer mentors while there is nothing wrong with this approach you won t realize the full benefit to your organization without a full commitment to an integrated learning process one that is fully supported by your organization identify a place with high-speed internet access if staff take this from home determine compensation create a plan to allow all participating staff the time required consider non-scheduled work times determine this before you start so expectations are clear and can be met identify your best staff and train them to be peer mentors if staff takes this during work hours you will need to consider coverage options set weekly and monthly benchmarks have a beginning and ending point online lessons have tests but additional outcomes should be measured on-the-job 4 where will staff take it when will staff take it how much time will be allocated who will act as a staff mentor will we need to provide coverage how will i measure progress how do we measure outcomes?

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peer-to-peer discussion groups key questions what are the topics suggested approach pick a topic that is relevant to the work your staff does refer to the cds course listing in this guide are there resources we can use as part of directconnect you have access to a complete set of facilitator s guides created specifically for you to use the set contains lesson plans for all 27 cds courses who will facilitate these discussions it is recommended to have a supervisor a trainer or a peer mentor facilitate the discussion groups how much time will they take the lesson plans are designed to be flexible but 1hour is suggested who will attend anyone who is taking the cds and wants to receive an iod direct support professional credential is required to attend at least 6 discussion groups led by a certified facilitator how frequently will we hold these discussion groups can take place as often as discussions you like for anyone wanting to use them as a tool for training they are an important step in applying the online learning will nh bds recognize these trainings there is a specific set of online cds lessons which when combined with facilitated discussion groups meet the he-m 506.5 reg requirements for new employee bds overview trainings can these peer-to-peer discussion if discussion groups are led by a directconnect groups count toward staff s credentialing certified facilitator they will count toward the process iod direct support professional credential as well as the dol apprenticeship credential are there additional locations staff can directconnect has set up a number of locations attend discussion groups throughout the state where staff can go to participate in video-conferenced discussion groups facilitated by staff from the institute on disability in concord 5

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ojt skills and portfolios key questions what are ojt skill statements suggested approach ojt skill statements represent observable skills that dsps should be able to demonstrate in their day-to-day work each ojt skill statement is directly connected to the content of the online cds course the portfolio tool provides you with a set of activities and writing assignments that you can use with your staff to help them apply the learning portfolios are flexible they offer a wide variety of learning opportunities that can fit into different work settings to get the very most out of this program use both the portfolio and ojt tools anytime they are working with the people they support a staff meeting peer-to-peer setting or with a supervisor portfolios also provide an opportunity for dsps to demonstrate knowledge help dsps recognize that these activities are an important part of their professional development and a way to demonstrate their professional skills and abilities whenever possible look for opportunities to include the people you support in this process ­ talk about it ask them for their thoughts and include them in activities develop evaluation criteria to measure dsps portfolios consider creating a committee to regularly evaluate work the national alliance of direct support professionals nadsp requires written portfolio work as part of their professional credential process www.nadsp.org what is a portfolio activity which one should we use what are the best opportunities for dsps to demonstrate skills and knowledge won t dsps feel threatened by this how can we involve the people the dsp supports in this how do we evaluate the dsps portfolio work can portfolio work count as credit when dsps are working toward professional credentials as you begin to use the tools in this guide stay focused on your big-picture objectives think about what you are hoping will result from your effort is it lower staff turnover higher quality of service fewer incident or accident reports the ability to attract and retain better staff although difficult these objectives are all achievable with proper planning teamwork and by involving all levels within your organization 6

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creating a culture of competence organizational tools cds contains several learning management system lms features tools to help your organization get the most out of the program they provide additional ways to reinforce the learning and measure its effectiveness these tools are available a la carte which means you can just use those that best meet your needs if you are interested in learning more about this please contact scott trudo at the institute on disability 288-2084 or scott.trudo@unh.edu scott is available to provide technical assistance on the use of these tools 1 assessments ­ this is a great way to assess your staff s knowledge a year after they have taken a course assessments show you areas where additional training or mentoring is needed 2 online discussions ­ this is a great way for dsps and their supervisors to have online conversations about what they have learned supervisors post questions that dsps answer to verify their understanding in a particular area 3 checklists ­ this is a great way to keep track of dsp s professional development process you can use checklists to track completed portfolio assignments ojt skill standards and other milestones relating to a dsps professional development checklists are also a great way to track information used in employee job performance reviews 4 surveys ­ this is a great way to get formal feedback from your dsps you can design your own questions or choose from the extensive list of surveys available survey results can provide you an accurate picture of dsp s opinions in areas such as training effectiveness and job satisfaction allowing you to make improvements as needed 5 announcements ­ this is a great way to share information with dsps and know that it was received when an announcement is posted it appears on the dsp s personal learning page within the cds after reading the announcement the dsp checks-off that he or she read it 7

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course listing college of direct support cds courses 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 autism brain injury cerebral palsy civil rights and advocacy community inclusion cultural competence depression diabetes direct support professionalism documentation employment supports everyone can communicate functional assessment home and community living individual rights and choice intro to developmental disabilities intro to med supports maltreatment of vulnerable adults children person centered planning personal care positive behavior supports safety supporting healthy lives supporting jobs and careers in the community teaching people with disabilities working with families and support networks you ve got a friend college of frontline supervisor and manager cflsm courses 1 2 3 4 5 6 preparing for the supervisor s job in human services your first few weeks and months as a supervisor training and orientation fueling high performance developing and intervention plan recruitment and selection 8

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tools of the trade ojt skill statements the following pages contain a listing in alphabetical order by course of the on-the-job training ojt skill statements they represent measurable observable skills a skilled direct support professional should be able to demonstrate these in daily work or when asked these skill statements give supervisors a way to ensure that when supporting a person in the community the dsp can actually apply the skills they learned in the online cds lessons for dsps having the ability to apply appropriate skills is one important measure of service quality and an important part of being considered a professional each ojt skill statement is directly connected to the content of the online cds course however not all statements will apply to every dsp s situation you will want to select those that most closely relate to the work of the dsp one effective way to use these statements is to create checklists of those that apply to specific dsps you can then use them as a tool available for peer-to-peer and supervisor skill mentoring note ojt skill statements are also available online on the first page of each course s introductory lessons key point to consider you will need to think about how you will use these with your staff and within your work setting not all ojt skill statements will apply to every dsp s situation select those that most closely relate to the work the dsp does 9

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pages 11-83 contain ojt skill statements listed alphabetically for each of the courses within the college of direct support 10

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ojt skill statements autism the direct support professional describes autism spectrum disorders asds with specific traits that correspond to specific interventions describes asds as lifelong disorders that benefit from early intervention and ongoing specialized supports interacts with people who have this disorder in ways that are likely to support their best success accurately describes how views of autism spectrum disorders asds have changed through the years educates others on myths and facts in regard to these disorders uses current views and understanding as basis of support stays educated and current on information regarding these disorders describes most common current beliefs about potential causes of autism spectrum disorders asds is able to effectively support people with differing views can discriminate between safe and effective interventions and risky interventions seeks additional guidance and help from a trusted and knowledgeable source when needed recognizes the basic characteristics of autism spectrum disorders asds such as poor eye contact lack of awareness of social norms odd or impaired speech and communication patterns unusual or obsessive attachment to items or topics and/or repetitive or rigid routines does not assume that people with autism spectrum disorders asds know what to do in a social situation provides concrete instructions for social norms e.g stand behind the last person in line not wait your turn uses methods of helping a person remember and apply norms to social situations teaches social norms common of the culture offers support for people to experience opportunities for building meaningful social relationships with others recognizes the person s strengths and interests as a good starting point for relationships helps the person contribute in social situations assists people in using tools to plan for events that may be challenging visual tools such as cartoons or word stories are used stories focus on how to manage feelings and emotions or plan for upcoming social situation uses the most effective methods of communication for people being supported is able to use alternatives to spoken words especially when words upset the person enhances communication by using visual cues or checklist concrete communication signs or gestures is respectful of people s needs to engage in ritualistic behavior and understands this is a symptom of the disorder has positive strategies for encouraging appropriate behavior provides appropriate outlets as needed and teaches and rewards better behavioral choices accurately identifies the co-occurring conditions and issues faced by people he or she supports describes how these conditions can make the challenges of asd more difficult and what interventions and supports are being used to assist people is able to help the person effectively manage these conditions 11

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uses the strengths of people he or she supports to help them be successful and achieve goals is familiar with and uses visual cues and teaching strategies for persons with autism spectrum disorder asd uses personal interests and strengths as a basis for careers and hobbies when possible is familiar with services and supports across the lifespan for people with autism spectrum disorder asd informs families of resources and options assists as possible with applications and access helps families and people supported understand their rights and what might be expected in seeking supports and services describes common challenges and issues for families that have a family member with autism is able to connect families to resources discusses with families their preferences and respects their knowledge of the person s needs is respectful of family privacy strengths and perspectives accurately states family goals and expectations and accepts family feedback regularly consults with family and provides honest respectful feedback when asked understand all members of the family are affected shares successes and solves problems with the family when appropriate 12

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