Developmental Disabilities Network, Inc.
Additional Training topics
These additional topics are available upon request.
Email your request to: admin@ddnetworkinc.org.
Positive Behavior Support, Part 1
Many people labeled with “challenging behavior” spiral into crisis through actions and events that could have been avoided. Many crises are caused – unintentionally – by the system, the team or the behavior plan. When people are lonely and disconnected, when life is dull, when a “home” does not feel like home, when a place where someone spends the day is not a good match – the likelihood of unwanted behavior increases. This is not a session about techniques, but rather about how paying attention to quality of life relates to crisis prevention.
Positive Behavior Support, Part 2
This is a follow-up to Part 1, in which we explore RISK. How do we weigh the costs and benefits of risk? How do we even define what is risky? How do we think about the differences between how most of us take risks from time to time, and the reality of most people being served in our system, where often others are deciding what is risky and what is not (and making the decision.) ? We are curious to have a conversation about how organizations providing direct support evaluate risk and whether that changes over time.
Seeing and supporting a WHOLE person
“She doesn’t have much going on upstairs.” “He’s a 40 year old with the mental age of a 6 month old.” Even without overt statements like these, many adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities are spoken to – and about – like they are children. Decisions get made that could not be made if the person was seen as a whole person. A real human being. This is an opportunity to talk about this and challenge each other to truly understand every person as a whole person – 100% THERE.
Commitment, Continuity, Compassion and Competency
What does it take to create the conditions of CCCC? How do we discover people to do the work who have these? How do leaders develop practices and protocols that promote these qualities?
Doing Our Best Work: 10 Ingredients of Quality Support
What do we really mean by commonly used phrases such as “best practice” and “quality supports”? What do these mean when we consider people with disabilities and those who do the important work of supporting them? Through real experiences, stories, this conversation examines 10 important ingredients of excellent direct support, taking a good look at how we can measure when we are at our best, and helping to remind us what matters most about our work.
Intentional Teaming
Participate in a conversation about how we develop teams that are beneficial to everyone involved. Intentional Teaming values each team member, utilizes their gifts, challenges their motivation and unifies the mission of the team. We’ll discover ways of strengthening agency infrastructure and we’ll leave asking ourselves: “What is the next best question?” Intentional Teaming is a well designed organizational paradigm shift.
Making Connections: Building Bridges to Community Life
Paying attention to a person’s community life is a fundamental part of our work. Many people served in our system are lonely or disconnected. Through real stories this session explores strategies for making connections and building relationships, the barriers to community connecting, and how we can make and keep a commitment to community building when there are so many other “front-burner” issues.
Shoulder to Shoulder: Honoring the Direct Support Role
In a field with low pay, low status, and high turnover, we need to recognize the importance of truly valuing and honoring the people providing day-to-day support. Direct Support Professionals have a lot to say about what's necessary to keep them committed to, and engaged in, their work. Are we listening? What is important to YOU in order to feel supported and valued? Come listen and participate!
Whose Life Is It, Anyway?
This session looks at power, control, and decision-making in the lives of adults with disabilities. When a person is “placed” in a home she had no choice about, when a 51-year-old woman is told by her 24-year-old staff person that it is time for bed at 8:30 pm, when “outings” are scheduled only twice a week for a very active young adult – we need to ask questions. Questions like “Who is making the choice here?” “Who gets to decide?” “Whose life IS it, anyway?”
Bringing Who We Are to What We Do
For people requiring ongoing paid support, we believe we are missing the boat if we fail to recognize the gifts paid supporters can bring that go beyond the job description. Your experiences, networks, skills and interests – including those that don’t at first glance seem to relate to your job – can in fact have a big positive impact on those receiving your support. And when the organization recognizes and values this, employees report greater job satisfaction and we see lower turnover rates.
When Are You Going To Get a REAL Job?
Has anyone ever asked you this question, or raised the issue with a similar tone? Questions like this pop up from time to time in conversations some of us have with our families and friends. Supporting people with disabilities to have good lives IS a real job! This interactive session is a chance to have a conversation about how we honor and value the work we do.
10 Things I’d Like to Tell My Employer
Often, people who work in direct support roles do not feel heard. This is an opportunity to think together about some common themes, questions, and concerns of direct support workers. It is also a chance to view and discuss a new video on the subject.
Email your request to: admin@ddnetworkinc.org.
Positive Behavior Support, Part 1
Many people labeled with “challenging behavior” spiral into crisis through actions and events that could have been avoided. Many crises are caused – unintentionally – by the system, the team or the behavior plan. When people are lonely and disconnected, when life is dull, when a “home” does not feel like home, when a place where someone spends the day is not a good match – the likelihood of unwanted behavior increases. This is not a session about techniques, but rather about how paying attention to quality of life relates to crisis prevention.
Positive Behavior Support, Part 2
This is a follow-up to Part 1, in which we explore RISK. How do we weigh the costs and benefits of risk? How do we even define what is risky? How do we think about the differences between how most of us take risks from time to time, and the reality of most people being served in our system, where often others are deciding what is risky and what is not (and making the decision.) ? We are curious to have a conversation about how organizations providing direct support evaluate risk and whether that changes over time.
Seeing and supporting a WHOLE person
“She doesn’t have much going on upstairs.” “He’s a 40 year old with the mental age of a 6 month old.” Even without overt statements like these, many adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities are spoken to – and about – like they are children. Decisions get made that could not be made if the person was seen as a whole person. A real human being. This is an opportunity to talk about this and challenge each other to truly understand every person as a whole person – 100% THERE.
Commitment, Continuity, Compassion and Competency
What does it take to create the conditions of CCCC? How do we discover people to do the work who have these? How do leaders develop practices and protocols that promote these qualities?
Doing Our Best Work: 10 Ingredients of Quality Support
What do we really mean by commonly used phrases such as “best practice” and “quality supports”? What do these mean when we consider people with disabilities and those who do the important work of supporting them? Through real experiences, stories, this conversation examines 10 important ingredients of excellent direct support, taking a good look at how we can measure when we are at our best, and helping to remind us what matters most about our work.
Intentional Teaming
Participate in a conversation about how we develop teams that are beneficial to everyone involved. Intentional Teaming values each team member, utilizes their gifts, challenges their motivation and unifies the mission of the team. We’ll discover ways of strengthening agency infrastructure and we’ll leave asking ourselves: “What is the next best question?” Intentional Teaming is a well designed organizational paradigm shift.
Making Connections: Building Bridges to Community Life
Paying attention to a person’s community life is a fundamental part of our work. Many people served in our system are lonely or disconnected. Through real stories this session explores strategies for making connections and building relationships, the barriers to community connecting, and how we can make and keep a commitment to community building when there are so many other “front-burner” issues.
Shoulder to Shoulder: Honoring the Direct Support Role
In a field with low pay, low status, and high turnover, we need to recognize the importance of truly valuing and honoring the people providing day-to-day support. Direct Support Professionals have a lot to say about what's necessary to keep them committed to, and engaged in, their work. Are we listening? What is important to YOU in order to feel supported and valued? Come listen and participate!
Whose Life Is It, Anyway?
This session looks at power, control, and decision-making in the lives of adults with disabilities. When a person is “placed” in a home she had no choice about, when a 51-year-old woman is told by her 24-year-old staff person that it is time for bed at 8:30 pm, when “outings” are scheduled only twice a week for a very active young adult – we need to ask questions. Questions like “Who is making the choice here?” “Who gets to decide?” “Whose life IS it, anyway?”
Bringing Who We Are to What We Do
For people requiring ongoing paid support, we believe we are missing the boat if we fail to recognize the gifts paid supporters can bring that go beyond the job description. Your experiences, networks, skills and interests – including those that don’t at first glance seem to relate to your job – can in fact have a big positive impact on those receiving your support. And when the organization recognizes and values this, employees report greater job satisfaction and we see lower turnover rates.
When Are You Going To Get a REAL Job?
Has anyone ever asked you this question, or raised the issue with a similar tone? Questions like this pop up from time to time in conversations some of us have with our families and friends. Supporting people with disabilities to have good lives IS a real job! This interactive session is a chance to have a conversation about how we honor and value the work we do.
10 Things I’d Like to Tell My Employer
Often, people who work in direct support roles do not feel heard. This is an opportunity to think together about some common themes, questions, and concerns of direct support workers. It is also a chance to view and discuss a new video on the subject.