Service Recipients / Family / Advocate Resources
It is important for the people who are supported by or work with Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) to understand not only the duties and responsibilities of these professionals but also the high standards required of them by New York State.
As a person with a developmental or intellectual disability, a family member, or an advocate, you have every right to question the support being provided by DSPs and to participate in their annual evaluations. The Regional Centers for Workforce Transformation understand how overwhelming this can be. That is why we are providing the following list of resources – videos, webinars, and documents – for your use.
Feel free to download or view any of them as often as you wish.
If you have any questions, please contact us!
DSP Evaluations for People Receiving Support/Family/Advocates
RCWT Weekly Activities – July 20, 2020
Books that deal with grief and loss: The Goldfish Went on Vacation: A Memoir of Loss (and Learning to Tell the Truth about It) by Patty Dann A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis Grief Works: Stories of Life, Death, and Surviving by Julia Samuel Healing the Adult Sibling’s...
RCWT Weekly Activities – June 30, 2020
Your Guide to safe outdoor activities during Covid https://lakesidemilam.com/blog/safe-outdoor-activities-during-covid-19 For some of the people we support who are not yet comfortable with going out, exercise with Spirit Club a fitness company that offers online...
RCWT Weekly Activities – April 15, 2020
Fun things to do while practicing Social Distancing Test your knowledge with some Kahoot quizzes. Copy and Paste the link below into your search engines: https://create.kahoot.it/share/some-code-of-ethics-anyone/f8c55f87-8480-4eaf-b230-027accba5f50...
Register Now for the From Compliance to Competency Webinars on the NYS DSP Core Competencies
Click here to register and learn more about the From Compliance to Competency Webinar Series! This series is your Go-To Resource on the NYS DSP Core Competencies.
NADSP and RCWT present Code of Ethics Webinar Series
Join us for monthly webinars on the NADSP Code of Ethics This series of 10 live webinars will focus on The National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP) Code of Ethics. Each webinar will highlight a tenet of the Code. The webinars...
Frontline Supervisor Symposium – Region 4
Region 4 of the Regional Centers for Workforce Transformation (RCWT) is hosting a Frontline Supervisor Symposium on Thursday, 5/25/17. The symposium will take place in New York City from 10am-12pm. You can register here. Why are the RCWT having a...
A Report on DSP Workforce Crisis of the 21st Century
In April 2017, the American Network of Community Options and Resources (ANCOR) published a report on the Direct Support Professional (DSP) workforce crisis. The report is called Addressing the Disability Services Workforce Crisis of the 21st Century. The...
New York State Participates in National Survey of DSPs
For the first time, New York State is participating in a national survey on the quality and stability of the Direct Support Professional (DSP) workforce. The survey is called The 2016 National Core Indicators Staff Stability Survey. DSP...
RCWT and Core Competencies at 2017 NYSACRA Conference
At the 2017 NYSACRA conference, the Regional Centers for Workforce Transformation (RCWT) shared resources and answered inquiries. We distributed posters for the core competencies, cards for the code of ethics, Workforce Transformation DVDs, and...
Governor announces funds in the state budget to increase wages for Direct Support Professionals
This year’s State Budget will contain the funds requested by the #bfair2DirectCare campaign to increase wages for Direct Support Professionals (DSPs). Governor Andrew Cuomo, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, and Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan attended a recent...
DSP evaluations for time-limited Family Support Services Programs
How are provider agencies supposed to evaluate a DSP who may be working for several different programs throughout the year? The answer isn’t always easy or clear cut. If a Direct Support Professional (DSP) in a time limited Family Support Services (FSS) programs...
Developing Evaluations for Frontline Supervisors
Frontline Supervisors (FLSs) sometimes offer direct support to people with disabilities. However, since FLSs are not Direct Support Professionals (DSPs), they are not subject to evaluations like DSPs. The Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) is...
Agencies Wanted to Host Free Training Workshops
The Regional Centers for Workforce Transformation (RCWT) are looking for agencies across New York State to host FREE training workshops. The Council on Quality and Leadership (CQL) is offering three, FREE workshops through September 2017, and the RCWT are seeking...
What is a Direct Support Professional and how are they different from Caregivers?
A Direct Support Professional (DSP) is someone who works directly with people who have intellectual or developmental disabilities. DSPs aim to assist people in realizing their full potential. They help people become integrated and engaged in their community. In...
Direct Support Professional Observation Forms
This resource includes forms that can be used by FLS when they are observing the work of DSPs during the evaluation process.
YAI-DSP Core Competency Self-Evaluation Tool
This is a self-evaluation tool created by YAI Seeing Beyond Disability for use by DSPs to help them self-evaluate their performances.
Workforce Transformation: A Cultural Improvement Initiative for Direct Support Professionals.
Workforce transformation is an organizational culture improvement initiative. It requires organizations to understand and participate in continuous quality improvement at every level of the agency. It requires training Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) but...
Core Competencies Address Changing Role of DSPs
New York State has adopted the Core Competencies and the Code of Ethics to address the changing roles of direct support professionals (DSPs). An Emphasis on Person-Centeredness and Ethics The culture of providing support and services for people...