1.
“The College of Direct Support: Training a 21st Century
Direct Support Workforce for NC’s MH/DD/SAS System”
Funded by the NC Council on Developmental Disabilities to
The NC Providers Council
Lead Presenter for Slide:
Charlie
Minutes for This Slide: 1
Facilitator Note:
this is simply to let the audience have record of the web site address
Materials Needed:
none

2. Catalyst for Change NC Council on Developmental Disabilities
34-member body appointed by Governor (PL , DD Act)
Federally funded to promote policy and practice innovations in Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities (I/DD)
Investments in systems change, advocacy, and capacity building initiatives – many, cross-disability
FMI:

3. Supporting a 21st Century A project funded by the NCCDD
Supporting a 21st Century
Direct Care Workforce
A project funded by the NCCDD
Lead Presenter for Slide:
Charlie
Minutes for This Slide: 1
Facilitator Note:
this is simply to let the audience have record of the web site address
Materials Needed:
none

4. Mission Statement
The College of Direct Support is a learning gateway for contemporary best practices for direct support professionals. By incorporating web-based learning, backed by nationally recognized curricula, the CDS is designed to help support a profession of direct care.

5. Momentum: National Policy Direction
4.3 million Americans with I/DD
Ensure that individuals of all ages receive, throughout their lives, supports/services they need to live with dignity as fully included citizens
Access to and quality of Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) is key to realizing goals of the Americans with Disabilities Act
US HHS Report to Congress

6. Promoting a “Next Generation” Workforce
: NC Employment Security Commission: DSPs among NC’s “top 10 fastest growing occupations”
FMI: “Direct Support Professional Work Group Report,” NCCDD in collaboration with CMS National Resource Center on Direct Support Workforce (2007)

7. Rising to the Challenge
Retaining existing DSPs
Meeting increase in demand across increasingly diverse populations
Addressing turnover
Low wages and limited access to health insurance
Meeting the need for comprehensive, cost-effective, competency-based training

8. NCCDD Workforce Goals
Establishment of state-wide, competency- and values-based, portable training and certification requirements for DSPs, supervisors
State-level certification and career path based on demonstration of these competencies
“Birth of a new profession”

9. Investing in Change: College of Direct Support
Competency- and values-based, portable, nationally recognized curriculum
40,000 learners
300 agencies
23 states
Grantee: NC Providers Council
$300,000 investment over 3 years
Test Pilot – Tailored to NC’s Needs

10. North Carolina Providers Council
Bob Hedrick, Executive Director
The NC Providers Council is largest cross-disability mental health, intellectual/developmental disability and substance abuse service provider association in North Carolina. Our 92 members support over 85,000 people who receive mh/dd/sa services in every county across North Carolina through over 30,000 employees of Providers Council members

11. What is the College of Direct Support(CDS)?
CDS is an online, self-paced training program and learner management system designed for direct support professionals and entry-level
managers. The curriculum effectively utilizes multimedia and interactive instructional activities and includes pre- and post-testing as well as a mentor-based competency component. The CDS provides agency participants with a database to manage and analyze participant data.

12. CDS Evaluation Participants
9 organizations
Staggered entry
As early as 7/07 and late as 9/09
Total number of DSP learners – 2,526

13. CDS Pilot Statewideness

14. Preliminary CDS Evaluation Results
Learner outcomes
123,932 completed lessons/hours of completed training
+25.3% average change in pre/post test score
Highest test score change (cultural competence continuum); lowest test score change basics of grooming and dressing)

15. CDS Preliminary Outcomes
DSP Training Courses Completed
DSP Training Courses Completed
Civil Rights and Advocacy (138)
Community Inclusion (1,191)
Cultural Competence (1,238)
Direct Support Professionalism (1,091)
Documentation (1,143)
Employment Supports (1,043)
Communication (106)
Functional Assessment (993)
Working with Families and Support Networks (957)
Friendship (1,074)
Individual Rights and Choice (1,110)
Intro to DD (1,209)
Intro to Medication Support (1,030)
Maltreatment of Vulnerable Adults and Children (1,082)
Person Centered Planning and Thinking (1,017)
Personal Care (1,298)
Positive Behavior Support (1,088)
Safety at Home and Community (1,034)
Supporting Healthy Lives (1,017)
Teaching People with DD (1,025)

16. CDS Preliminary Outcomes
Supervisor Courses
Fueling High Performance (360)
Recruitment and Selection (361)
Training and Orientation (354)
Preparing for the Supervisors Job (2 - brand new course)

17. “Empowerment! We strive for empowerment for the people we serve and now with the CDS we can give that same Empowerment to our employees.”  
DSP CDS Learner

18. Cynthia VanCamp, Qualified Professional, Independent Living
“College of Direct Supports offers so much more information and so much more technical training that it far surpasses any type of classroom experience you could have. Working at your own pace and on your own schedule makes the learning experience very personalized to you. I do think it is THE best training curriculum I have ever seen for overall responsibilities of group home staff and supporting people and over this last 25 years I’ve seen a lot.”
Cynthia VanCamp, Qualified Professional, Independent Living

19. Preliminary CDS Evaluation Results
Organizational Outcomes
Decrease in DSP turnover
Range from -5.5% to -19.4%
Lower then average early leaver turnover
Range is 2-19%
Previous studies would indicate average of 68%
Two of the larger programs have been able to report increased retention of CDS completers as compared to non-completers (note – smaller organizations were unable to report this data)

20. Preliminary CDS Evaluation Results
Organizational outcomes (cont.)
Reported improved ability to recruit and retain
Employees feel values and like they have more knowledge
We provide a tool and resource to staff with the CDS – it makes it so clear how to do things and staff can go back to it as a reference
WIN program was developed to help staff go to college; CDS is a gateway to college and this program
CDS graduates now welcome and train new DSPs through CDS kickoffs

21. CDS Changes Lives Staff who have never used a computer now know how to
Staff are going on to college programs
DSPs have become more assertive and involved in suggesting changes and taking initiative to make things happen for people they support

22. Year 3 Initiatives
Technical Assistance funding to market results and further attempt sustainability
Materials at the state level for approval of state mandated training curriculum.
New Training Modules in Civil Rights Advocacy, Communication and Autism
Recognition on the National Level of the unique and successful implementation of the CDS training