Orientation for ODP Service Providers - Amazon S3...Orientation for ODP Service Providers Person-Centered Practices: Webcast #5 Certificatesof Achievementwill be available to all staff

Orientation for ODP Service Providers Person-Centered Practices: Webcast #5

Music only.

Course #: ID 2018-28 1


This webcast includes spoken narration.

To adjust the volume, use the controls at the bottom of the screen. While viewing this webcast, there is a pause and reverse button that can be used throughout the presentation.

The written version of the narration appears to the right of the screen.

Course #: ID 2018-28 2


Certificates of Achievement will be available to all staff of Direct Care Provider Agencies and Supports Coordination Organizations after completing all course requirements.

Please view and then save or print your certificate in order to receive credit for this course.

Course #: ID 2018-28 3


Hello, my name is Dave Maloney from The Columbus Organization. This is the fifth webcast in a course of six webcasts developed on the topic of Person‐Centered Practices for all newly hired service provider staff including managers, supervisors, Direct Support Professionals, Supports Coordinators, buildings and ground staff, and administrative support staff.

This training content is offered by the Office of Developmental Programs to meet the General Orientation training requirements specific to the topic areas identified in the 55 PA Code 6100 Regulations.

Course #: ID 2018-28 4


For this webcast, you’ll need a blank piece of paper and a pen or pencil to write down some of your thoughts during the webcast. If you don’t have them handy, pause the webcast and press play when you’re ready to continue. Or, you can open a document on your computer, if you prefer.

Course #: ID 2018-28 5


After watching this webcast you will be able to

* Describe the important role that relationships play in our lives.

* Describe the process by which we form relationships, and

* Define ways that you can foster and encourage relationships within your role in the organization.

Course #: ID 2018-28 6


To paraphrase the poet John Donne, no person is an island. Having relationships with others is a basic human desire.

Course #: ID 2018-28 7


Who are the people in your life? The friends and family that mean the most to you might come to mind first. Think also about neighbors and coworkers and others you know at the places that you go to regularly ‐ a place of worship or a volunteer group or club. Then, think about those that are paid to provide a service, such as the person who cuts your hair, a doctor, the mechanic that always takes care of your car, or the person who grooms your dog.

Course #: ID 2018-28 8


On a blank piece of paper, make three columns. Over the first column, write “Friends and Family”. Above the second write, “People I know in the community and other places”. Then, above the third column write, “People who are paid to support me”.

Now, write a few people’s names under each column. It’s your list, so how many names you write and where you put them is entirely up to you. Try to have at least a few names in all three columns. Pause the webcast while you write and then press play to continue.

Course #: ID 2018-28 9


Perhaps the people on your list are similar to mine. The first four names are the family members with whom I’m closest. Margaret and I have been friends since we were in school together in the 1980s. Even though we live in different cities, she’s on the list because we share a lot of history together. Jeff, Carol, and Paula are longtime friends, the ones who always show up to celebrate good times and offer support in tough times. There are a lot of family members and friends I could include, but these are “my people”, the ones I think of first when I have great news to share or if I’m in a jam and need help.

Course #: ID 2018-28 10


These are some of the people I know in the community and other places: coworkers, the minister at my church, and people I know at an art center in my town. They make my list because they’re important in my life but not as close as the closest friends and family. People who are paid to support me include Sam, my barber, who has cut my hair for years, and Melissa, the veterinarian who takes care of my pets. My doctor’s included because I’ve been his patient for ten years. He knows everything about me and has seen me through some tough health situations.

Course #: ID 2018-28 11


Making a list of people we know in different parts of our lives can provide some information, but a list can only tell us so much. For example, if you were supporting me and wanted to talk with someone who really knows what is important to me, how would you know who to talk with first?

Course #: ID 2018-28 12


There’s a technique in person‐centered thinking that would help give insight into the closeness of each relationship, from the person’s perspective. This is how my list would look on a map. The people nearest my name are those I feel closer to.

Course #: ID 2018-28 13


Here’s what we can learn from a visual display of relationships.

First, decisions about who is nearer the center belong to us ‐ you, me, or a person with a developmental disability. We make the decisions about who is important in our lives and how close they are. For example, my brothers Mark and Joe would appear on my map, but not quite as close as my brothers Mike and Dan.

Second, relationships can change over time. If you looked at my map from ten years ago, it would look different. How close I feel to some people has changed, and I’ve added new people in my life.

Course #: ID 2018-28 14


There are others reasons to have a sense of the important relationships in life.

Look at the list you made a few minutes ago. If your list looks similar to mine, there are many more friends, family, and people you know in the community. The right side, people paid to support me, probably only has a few names. For most of us, the balance of relationships is toward having people in our lives that we feel close to, not those that are paid to perform a service. Most of us put people at the top of the list of things that make life worth living. Some of us may have many names on our list, others of us would think of a few cherished relationships. It’s up to us to decide.

Course #: ID 2018-28 15


For people with developmental disabilities, the picture can look much different. Think of someone with significant disabilities who needs support throughout the day. There may be as many or more people under the “paid to support me” column compared to the columns for friends, family, and people in the community.

Course #: ID 2018-28 16


How would your life be different if most of the relationships in your life were with paid people, even respectful and caring ones, rather than with friends and family that you choose?

* Would there be someone who loves to spend time with you because she “gets” your sense of humor?

* Is there someone to hang out with because they like the same music or hobbies?

* Is there one person who has known you for twenty years or longer who’s seen what you’ve accomplished and how your life has changed?

* Are there people who deeply understand what you think makes life worth living and are willing to stand by your side to get what you want?

* Are there people who know the little things that make your tough days easier? Who remember the traditions that make holidays special for you and try to make them happen?

* Is there someone you have complete trust in to speak on your behalf if you couldn’t speak for yourself?

* Are there people you’ve known for years and have stayed by your side when everything else in life was changing?

Course #: ID 2018-28 17


There are lots of paid support people who are caring and respectful in providing service and know the people they support very well. Sometimes, those relationships can last for years and become very close.

But the point is that each one of us decides who is important in our lives. Those we consider our people often aren’t the ones who are paid to support us. Those we stay connected to are the ones with whom the feeling of closeness is mutual.

Course #: ID 2018-28 18


Why is it important to have a clear picture of the relationships in the lives of people with developmental disabilities? The first reason is one that probably already occurred to you: we are wired as human beings to have relationships. We choose to be close to a few people and make an effort to stay connected with them because their presence in our lives gives joy and meaning. Knowing who is close to the people we support means we know which relationships to respect and support.

Course #: ID 2018-28 19


There are other ways close relationships make a difference, especially in the lives of people with developmental disabilities.

People paid to provide support sometimes move on to other responsibilities. It can be difficult to lose a paid staff person you’ve known and trusted, but people with a circle of friends and family around them may feel the change is a little less stressful because the circle provides stability and continuity. And when there is a new paid person providing support, the individual and close friends and family can help the staff person learn about what works and what doesn’t work.

Course #: ID 2018-28 20


People who have been friends for years carry a little bit of each other’s history with them. Have you seen old friends telling stories about their lives? They fill in the gaps for each other as if they are remembering together. Having well‐written information is essential but it can’t replace the way longtime friends can paint a picture of each other’s lives.

Course #: ID 2018-28 21


I met Mac many years ago. When people remarked on his soft‐spoken, gentle manner, he gave credit to his southern mother who taught him to treat everyone with respect and kindness. Everywhere he went, people who knew Mac told stories about him, like fishing together in the bay or the time he walked through a snowstorm to get formula for a mother and her newborn. Mac was so well‐thought of that his neighbors called him “The Mayor of 13th Street.”

Once, because Mac hadn’t been seen in the neighborhood for two days, people worried and checked on him. They found him barely conscious and very sick with pneumonia and got him to the hospital. Being known and missed by others literally saved Mac’s life.

Course #: ID 2018-28 22


When someone isn’t showing up at the usual places or seems out of sorts, others who care about the person will notice and check in. Relationships can help keep people healthy and safe from physical harm, exploitation, and sexual abuse.

Course #: ID 2018-28 23


People who are not as well‐connected to their communities as Mac might need support and encouragement to meet people and form relationships. Your role in the organization may or may not be to provide direct support to people with developmental disabilities, but there are opportunities each time you meet someone and things you can do that don’t require special skills or training. And what we’ll talk about are things you already have experience in doing.

Course #: ID 2018-28 24


Look at your list again and choose one person who is not a family member but whom you have known for a long time and feel close to. Do you remember how you met?

Chances are, you didn’t walk up to a stranger and introduce yourself. More likely, you met this person because the two of you kept seeing each other over and over again in the same places ‐ in school, church, or the neighborhood. Maybe you were introduced by a common friend or maybe one of you just walked up to the other and said, “Hi! I’ve seen you here a couple of times. My name’s Dave.”

Course #: ID 2018-28 25


As you got to know each other, shared interests emerged. Maybe the two of you were committed to volunteering or perhaps you learned you both love being outdoors. Or you like the same movies, books, or football team. Perhaps you found that you shared common beliefs and values.

Course #: ID 2018-28 26


What happened next? You decided to meet for a cup of coffee, or one of you asked the other to the neighborhood barbeque or a get‐together with other friends. Someone offered the invitation to continue getting to know one another better. The friendship expanded beyond where you met and as you spent more time together, you discovered what you like and admire about each other and began to become part of each other’s lives.

Course #: ID 2018-28 27


Why have you remained close friends? Shared interests are part of the reason, but it’s probably more than that. You’ve seen a lot of changes and been there for each other in good times and bad. You are kindred spirits. You and your friend are part of each other’s lives and your life would be less meaningful without your friend in it. Your relationship is more than worth the effort because it’s mutual. You are both giving and taking. A relationship that works both ways feels good to everyone.

Course #: ID 2018-28 28


The details may differ but the process is more or less the same for all of us, including people with developmental disabilities. First, there’s an opportunity to connect one to one with people who share our interests. Then, there’s the invitation to expand the friendship beyond what first brought us together. We look forward to spending time together and grow to appreciate the person for who they are. They take a place in our hearts that only they can fill. The commitment to remaining friends is mutual.

Course #: ID 2018-28 29


Let’s apply the process of forming relationships to the roles people perform within an organization. While we’re talking through some examples, keep in mind the factors that support relationships:

* An opportunity to meet someone one on one

* An invitation to expand the friendship

* Learning to appreciate a friend for who they are

* A mutual commitment to remain friends

Course #: ID 2018-28 30


When I worked in a group home, we were encouraged to take the guys on outings and activities in the community. It was common for group home workers to get everybody in a van and go to a movie or a restaurant or take a drive through the state park. It may have been fun and relaxing, but I don’t recall anyone making a new friend through those outings and activities. The guys were in the community but no real connections were happening. When was the last time you met a new friend in a movie theater?

Simply doing things in the community does not by itself mean people will meet new friends. The opportunity to meet someone doesn’t often happen when people participate in activities in groups. More often, it happens one to one when people meet and begin to discover they have things in common.

Course #: ID 2018-28 31


Even if your work is not to provide direct support, you will still meet and get to know people with developmental disabilities that your organization supports. Perhaps you will become friendly and will begin to think of each other as people that you know personally and look forward to seeing.

As we said, the decision about who appears on our list and how close they are to us belongs to each one of us. But, everyone has the opportunity to be open to a relationship and there’s always the potential for deeper relationships.

Course #: ID 2018-28 32


Here’s an example.

Judy met Dee through the day service provider where Dee worked. The women came from different worlds. Judy was raised in the city and Dee grew up on a dairy farm. Still, they hit it off from the moment they met and soon, Judy became a regular part of holidays and get‐togethers with Dee’s family.

Within a year of meeting each other, Judy and Dee asked if they could become part of the Lifesharing Program, a service for people with developmental disabilities to live and receive support in someone’s home in the community. Judy left the group home and lived with Dee and her family for the next seven years, until Judy passed away, surrounded by Dee and her family.

Course #: ID 2018-28 33


If you provide direct support to someone, you’ll learn who the person is, what’s important to them, and see qualities that you like and admire. Just by spending time with someone, you’ll hear about what’s interesting to the person and the talents, skills, and abilities they offer. Remember what I said earlier about the way we connect with one another: we meet and then find we share things in common. With all the knowledge you gain by supporting people, you are in a great position to be a connector and help people find others with whom they share interests.

Course #: ID 2018-28 34


Someone I worked with was really good at connecting people. Kelly was always in the habit of looking for common interests among people and then introducing them. She knew her friend Dianne got together with friends once a month to watch classic movies and thought of Janet, who had an amazing memory for movie trivia. After Kelly made introductions, Janet became a regular member of the group and grew very close with Dianne and her family.

Janet expanded the number of people in her circle, but it wasn’t just about adding to her list of friends. By becoming part of the group, Janet became friends with people who were different than those in other parts of her life. She met people who were interesting to her, and interested in her for who she was.

Course #: ID 2018-28 35


If your role in an organization is as a manager or administrator, showing respect to individuals receiving support can be an example for others to follow.

Rich founded an organization that grew to support hundreds of individuals with many different disabilities. As the Chief Executive, his days were busy but his staff members noticed that he always made time to stop and talk with others in the hall. In fact, people saw Rich having conversations with people receiving the agency’s support everywhere – in restaurants, at the movie theater, or in the grocery store.

Course #: ID 2018-28 36


What caught people’s attention was not just that Rich always had time to talk and that he was a good listener. He contributed some of himself to the conversation by talking about what was happening in his life. Rich didn’t need much encouragement to pull out his phone and scroll through pictures of his grandchildren.

The lessons for others were simple but powerful. Not every relationship will be long or deep, but even brief interactions can be positive, respectful, and show the willingness to give and receive.

Course #: ID 2018-28 37


Meeting people and forming new relationships is half the equation. You know from your own experience that it takes effort to keep a friendship thriving. For some people with developmental disabilities, perhaps what we need to do is light the spark of shared interests and let people take the relationship where they decide to go. Others may need support to stay engaged with friends, for example, help to get to the places to meet friends, or support to stay in contact using customized equipment or even simple, everyday technology like texting.

Course #: ID 2018-28 38


In this webcast, an underlying theme has been to look for ways to connect people with each other in their neighborhoods and communities. Here are some examples.

There were places Harry liked to go where people not only knew his name, they were glad to see him. The retired guys that met a couple days each week at McDonald’s would ask about him if he didn’t show up.

The people Carol knew in the knitting group said it wasn’t as much fun without her. They loved Carol’s sense of humor.

Lee had volunteered with the Paralympics for a couple of years and was deeply honored when Sherri asked if he wanted to join the board and coach other athletes.

Course #: ID 2018-28 39


Studies show that having a lot of relationships can be a good thing, but having at least a few close friendships that last a long time may result in better health, increased safety and security, and a lower rate of depression and anxiety. As I said before, forming relationships is part of being human. We all have experience in making friends. And, so, we can use our experience to support individuals with developmental disabilities to find and keep friends that will make their lives richer and more meaningful.

No matter who are you in the life of someone with a developmental disability, you can connect people with one another. And perhaps, you can make a new friend too.

Course #: ID 2018-28 40


This concludes the fifth webcast on Orientation for ODP Service Providers: Person‐Centered Practices. Please be sure to watch all six webcasts and complete all the course requirements in order to obtain your Certificate of Achievement and training credit.

Course #: ID 2018-28 41


This webcast has been developed and produced by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, Office of Developmental Programs in partnership with The Columbus Organization.

Thank you for participating in this lesson.

Course #: ID 2018-28 42

Documents

Orientation for ODP Service Providers - Amazon S3...Orientation for ODP Service Providers Person-Centered Practices: Webcast #5 Certificatesof Achievementwill be available to all staff