Kansans Mobilizing for Direct Support Workforce Change

Wednesday, August 27, 2008, 10 am to 3 pm
TARC, Inc.
2701 SW Randolph Avenue
Topeka, KS 66611

Participants: Patty Black-Moore - ATK, Deena Baker –CCL, Dan Hermreck – TARC, Sharon Kimbrough- ISS, Pattie Knauff- KETCH, Judy Leiker- Starkey, Kathy Olson – KUCDD, Tracy Price- Lakemary

Introductions and Welcome

Patty invites all to the AT Expo. Scholarships are available for attendees.

Denna reports that CCL is moving along in the implementation of CDS. The board is considering ways to encourage use.

Dan’s staff enrolled in the NADSP certification program are doing some great work. The portfolio projects are exemplary and appear to be empowering to those completing the projects. Candidates will soon complete their portfolios and submit them for national review before the end of the year. DSPs will present at the InterHab Conference.

Sharon is busy training ISS staff utilizing the CDS. They recently moved from a separate agency-specific site so the state site. Things continue to run smoothly.

Pattie reports KETCH continues with CDS.

Judy similarly reports that Starkey continues to use CDS.

Tracy’s learners are engaged in the CDS and several have advanced to DSP II and DSP III on the career ladder.

Update on Recent Workforce Events
InterHab Workforce Development Summit June 25-26 was held. About 50 people attended our session. It was interesting and yielded a lot of discussion regarding recruitment.

Review of CDS Use
CDS use continues to grow. The number of learners, agencies, and courses continue to increase. Foster parents are using courses to meet requirements Last month 37 foster parents were enrolled. Three agencies joined or became more active by beginning to enrolling learners in the CDS last month. The Medication course is becoming popular with providers and foster parents.

Number of Learners and Lessons Completed
As of the First of Each Month
2007-2008

*ISS removed learners who had completed all lessons and their reports from their database.
** Starkey removed learners who were inactive from their data base.

Number of College of Direct Support Lessons Completed as of the First of the Month 2007-2008

Number of Learners Enrolled in the College of Direct Support
as of the First of the Month 2007-2008

Number of Lessons Completed by Top 15 Users

Upcoming Events

Patty Black Moore shared information regarding the upcoming Assistive Technology Expo.

Assistive Technology Expo 2008
Wednesday, October 1st & Thursday, October 2nd
Century II Convention Center
225 West Douglas
Wichita, Kansas

Sessions of interest to CDDOs & CSPs!

• Memory and organization issues & intellectual disability
• AT solutions for dementia; autism
• Strategies for improving access to reading and writing
• Exhibit Hall - 60+ vendors
• Highlighting cutting edge and popular technology
• Expert presenters, hands-on demos, door prizes and more!

For information or to register for the AT Expo 2008, go to http://www.atexpo2008.eventbrite.com. Limited scholarships are available. These are available to professionals as well as for self-advocates and family members. Call 620-421-8367 for more information.

A presentation has been accepted for the Fall InterHab Conference. Dan will coordinate a panel of individuals who have been involved in Apprenticeship and the NADSP Certification.

Regional Shareshops for CDS administrators have been scheduled for September 4th,11th, and 26th in Wichita, Topeka, and Parsons respectively. The proposed Agenda was reviewed and revised. These will include opportunities to network, a review of basic administrative skills, and an introduction to new skills.

Supervisor Workshops – Supervisor workshops are an option for those interested in providing a networking training option to these frontline staff. The College of Direct Support does provide some training in this area that could serve as a springboard for trainers. Fall is a busy time. The availability of a local host will determine whether or not these are held. They would be nice but may not be the highest priority considering the other conferences and demands on staff.

Kathy Olson has submitted a proposal to the Association of University Centers on Developmental Disabilities that will involve representatives from six states. It should be an interesting presentation.

Budget for KMFC
End of Year Budget – It was decided to host an exhibit booth at the InterHab Conference to distribute a promotional item (key chains), provide a raffle item, and distribute a written overview of the project to those interested. Lunch for shareshop networking was also a priority.

Next Year’s Contract – The range of activities in the current contract appears to be meeting the state need. Next year’s contract should include similar meetings, TA, and support.

Planning for the Annual Report
The annual report should include both facts and figures and some examples of successful implementation. Any summaries for wide distribution should be relatively short to maintain reader interest.

Discussion of Legislative Issues
The outlook for the budget is not good. It is unrealistic to expect major gains in this economic environment. We will see which issues arise this year.

General Workforce Issues
Recruitment and retention remain challenges. The increase cost of fuel appears to be shrinking the pool of applicants willing to drive a distance to work.

Many of the issues presented in previous workshops and present in the College of Frontline Supervision remain keystones in recruiting and retaining quality staff. Salary remains a factor limiting the appeal of the position.

We will continue to share our knowledge of best practices with others.

Discussion of Career Ladders and Lattices for DSPs
On hold until Bonnie joins us

Next Meeting
Meeting in Wichita will be held in January. Kathy will send out list of possible dates via MeetingWizard. Late November and December schedules are filled with holiday activities making scheduling difficult during this time period. Since there is not a pressing need for meeting, we will meet in January.

Adjourn