Direct Support Professional Certification Project

2004

. After research conducted during the initial year of this three-year project, the purpose was expanded to include issues of recruitment and retention, in addition to training and certification of Direct Support Professionals (DSPs). Several factors contribute to the problems of recruitment and retention of available, qualified DSPs in Arkansas. According to research conducted in the first and second years of this project, newly hired DSPs are often sent out to an individual's home with very little or no basic training. Both providers and seasoned DSPs have reported that the training offered at this time in most agencies does little to prepare the worker for the experiences he/she is likely to encounter. The result is the high turnover rate reported in Year 2 research, where new hires typically leave in the first 30-60 days of employment. The other factor that has a big impact on training efforts is the rural nature of much of Arkansas, and therefore issues of transportation and cost. The critical need for DSPs is typically immediate, and so the project's initial plan to provide up to seven training sites around the state does not address all aspects of the portability problem. While this project will continue to work toward recruiting and training the faculty needed for the seven training sites, project staff will also develop and produce 27 hours of a videotaped version of the curriculum. After considering other options that might help to alleviate the transportation problems, such as distance learning, staff made the decision that videotapes of the curriculum would be the best choice. The 5-day training will be broken down into modules that logically fit well together, and videotapes will be made to cover the entire curriculum. The training modules will be re-scripted to work better with the video medium. The original trainers will be conducting the training on camera, with graphic enhancements as well as the use of additional video resources edited in as appropriate. Although project staff feel that the most effective training mode is live, interactive training, the real-world situation frequently does not allow for the luxury of waiting for the next available date. Providers and families have expressed great interest in having this training available when the need for a DSP with at least basic training is immediate. The DSP training videotapes will be utilized for this immediate training need.

Direct Support Professional Training Project

Training Trainees

Quality Assurance, Child Care-Related Activities, Employment-Related Activities, Transportation-Related Activities, Recreation-Related Activities, Quality of Life

Students/Trainees (long or intermediate trainees), Professionals and Para-Professionals, Family Members/Caregivers

Disadvantaged Circumstances, Geographic Areas, Rural/Remote

State

Federal

N/A