National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals

Joseph Macbeth, NADSP Executive Director

John Raffaele, NADSP Training Consultant

October 16, 2014Grand Island, Nebraska

“Developing the North Carolina Chapter of the National Alliance for Direct Support

Professionals: Lessons Learned, Best Practices and Putting Values into Action”.

Today’s Agenda

• Introduction to Nebraska Direct Support Professional Chapter Development – Best Practices

• Policy and Advocacy – Facilitated Large Group Discussion

• Educational and Professional Services – Facilitated Large Group Discussion

• Organizational Structure – Facilitated Large Group Discussion

• Action Steps

Introduction & Background

"Quality is defined at the point of interaction between the staff member and the individual with a disability” John F. Kennedy, Jr. (1996)

About Our Chapters

Currently 27 Chapters of the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP)

All must adopt the NADSP’s Vision & Mission, otherwise are independent incorporations and

have a Union Neutrality Statement

All Chapters function at different capacities and reflect their state’s culture and priorities

New York, Ohio, Indiana, Minnesota & North Carolina Chapters are most successful

State Chapters are Committed to:

• Promoting NADSP’s Code of Ethics for Direct Support Professionals

• Creating educational and lifelong learning opportunities for Direct Support Professionals

• Advancing opportunities for a voluntary Credential in Direct Support based on NADSP’s competencies and building Direct Support Professional career paths with appropriate salary enhancements

• Sitting at the policy table during discussions that impact direct support professionals and the people they support

• Strengthening relationships with other advocacy groups, policy makers and elected officials

Some State Chapter Accomplishments

Direct Support Professionals providing Annual Legislative Testimony on the Governor’s

Budget. Advocating for:

Formal Statewide Adoption & Training of NADSP’s Code of Ethics

Credentialing Based on Competency-Based Training

Living WagesCareer Ladders with Commensurate

Salaries

Some State Chapter Accomplishments

ContinuedIn New York, met with:

NYS OPWDD Commissioner Burke and developed a Commissioners Direct Support Professional Advisory Committee

Clarence Sundram, the Special Advisor appointed by the Governor following the New York Times abuse exposé

Members of the Senate and Assembly Committees dealing with mental health and developmental disability related issues.

During these meetings stressed the need for an ethical, well trained and adequately

compensated Direct Support Professional workforce

NY State Chapter 2012 through 2014

Clarence Sundram, the Special Advisor included DSPANYS’ recommendations in his report to the Governor- April 2012

NYS OPWDD adopted NADSP’s Code of Ethics-July 2012

NYS OPWDD created Direct Support Professional Core Competencies based on NADSP’s nationally validated set of competencies –December 2013

The Governor & Legislature passed a bill authorizing a comprehensive study to pilot a credentialing program in New York- April 2014

More Chapter Accomplishments

Securing a Seat at the Policy Making Table. In states where we have NADSP Chapters, Direct Support Professional representatives serve on:• Statewide Advisory Councils• Steering Committees Dealing with:• Workforce Issues• Waiver/Systems Transformation/Redesign• Managed Care

To a degree, NADSP Chapters have networked with:• Parent Groups, Self-Advocacy Organizations

and Provider Associations

More Accomplishments

With State Provider Associations, NADSP Chapters have Co-Sponsored Annual Direct Support Professional Conferences

Provided Training/Presentations on Direct Support Professional Issues for Individual Agencies & Statewide Provider Associations

Participated in short-term focus groups to Inform the Policy Makers of Concerns & Solutions regarding Direct Support

Represented states at ANCOR’s Annual National Direct Support Professional Advocacy Event: “DSPs to DC” and advocated on Capitol Hill.

Serve as the state’s primary lead organization during National Direct Support Professional Recognition Week.

State Chapters Also

Attempt to Keep Members Informed about Current Events and Issues Relating to Direct Support Professional Development• Members Typically Receive:

State Chapter Electronic Newsletters & Updates Frontline Initiative, NADSP’s National

Newsletter Periodic Email Alerts on Emerging Issues and

Training Opportunities

• Through Social Media and Annual Meetings, Members Network with Others Who Share the Same Professional Values and Commitment

• A Social Media presence is HUGE

State Chapter Challenges

• Maintaining Organizational Support

• Board & Organizational Structure

• Flagging/Shifting Membership

Maintaining Organizational

Support• Incubator Organizations will inevitably have

other responsibilities and priorities

• Original Champions/Advisors have moved on to other duties

• Start-Up Grant funding has expired and become highly competitive

• Finding funding to support the hiring of a Part-time Coordinator.

Board & Organizational Structure

• All Direct Support Professional Board of Directors – Doomed to Fail

• Pulled in many directions (demands on time)

• Pulled from many directions (centralized structure)

• World-view narrowly, but necessarily, shaped by environment – my program, my shift, the people I directly support.

• Champions, Advisors, Funders and Leadership Development activities

Today’s Purpose

Set a course and a design for a Nebraska NADSP Chapter.

Discuss advocacy activities to engage in?

Explore services to offer members?

Consider an organizational structure to best support activities and services?

Create and commit to solid action steps to create a solid Nebraska

NADSP Chapter.

Advocacy & Influencing Public

Policy

What are critical public policy issues that this chapter

should devote its advocacy efforts toward?

Education & Professional Services

 

What types of products and services will the Nebraska Chapter of

NADSP offer that will promote the professionalization of Direct Support Professionals and will lead to better

outcomes for people receiving supports in the state?

 

A Nebraska NADSP Chapter

Organizational Structure

What are ways to structure the organization to best suit and support

the purposes and activities discussed today?

Time to get to work

Concrete next steps:

Suggestions/Tasks

Responsible person(s)

Time frame and deadline(s)

Closing

Review the Day

Revisit with the shirtless guy!!!!!!

One Word Go Round