News on Workforce Development Issues:

There is so much happening in the field of workforce development for DSPs, check out the highlights below for updates:

• Congratulations to Alison Malnak, winner of the 2008 "Making a Difference" Award for DSPs by the Elizabeth M. Boggs Center. Alison will be honored at the 2008 DSP Conference on September 25th.
• The 2008 DSP Conference is full! For questions on Conference Registration, please visit the Elizabeth M. Boggs Center's website by clicking here.
• Last week is marked the first-ever National DSP Recognition Week! For more information, visit ANCOR's website by clicking here.
• As the State of New Jersey prepares to roll-out the College of Direct Support program for statewide use among community-based provider agencies, Training and Consultation Specialists from the Boggs Center will be available for information sessions to bring agencies up to speed on the program implementation. Contact information to schedule an information session for your agency can be found below, and ABCD will be holding an information session at its November QA&T Senior Staff Forum meeting on November 25th at CPNJ's Horizon High School:

Colleen McLaughlin, M.Ed.Training and Consultation Specialist

The Elizabeth M. Boggs Center on Developmental Disabilities - UCEDDUMDNJ - Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

P.O. Box 2688335 George St., Suite 3500

New Brunswick, NJ 08903-2688

Phone: 732.235.9313

FAX: 732.235.9330

Web Page: http://rwjms.umdnj.edu/boggscenter

Email: colleen.mclaughlin@umdnj.edu

Nominate a DSP for the "Making a Difference Award"!

Is a Direct Support Professional in your organization making a difference?

If so, please consider nominating this individual(s) for the award opportunity below. Please read on for a call for nominations from Colleen McLaughlin at the Boggs Center:

As you know, the DSP Conference titled "Making a Difference" will be held on September 25, 2008. We are busy planning for this exciting event. In addition to the certificate ceremony for those DSPs completing Level 1 of the Career Path, we would like to have an individual award for a DSP who has truly "Made A Difference."

Nominations are due back by August 1, 2008. Nominations are open to any DSPs regardless of his/her or the agency's participation in the Career Path Pilot.

Please click here to access the "Making a Difference" Award Nomination form, and submit nominations to Colleen McLaughlin at the email address or mailing address below by August 1, 2008.

Colleen McLaughlin, M.Ed.Training and Consultation Specialist
The Elizabeth M. Boggs Center on Developmental Disabilities - UCEDDUMDNJ - Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
P.O. Box 2688335 George St., Suite 3500
New Brunswick, NJ 08903-2688
Phone: 732.235.9313
FAX: 732.235.9330
Web Page: http://rwjms.umdnj.edu/boggscenter
Email: colleen.mclaughlin@umdnj.edu

Register for the 2008 DSP Conference!

Register now for Making a Difference: A Direct Support Professionals Conference!

Thursday, September 25, 2008 at the Doubletree Hotel, Somerset, NJ

Keynote presenter: Beth Mount, Ph.D.

Register today! Only $30 with Early Bird Registration by August 27, 2008.View the brochure at:

http://rwjms.umdnj.edu/boggscenter/conferences/index.htm

Please contact Beth Ong at elizabeth.ong@umdnj.edu or 732-235-9327 if you have questions about registration for the DSP conference.

Inviting DSPs Participating in the Career Path for Focus Groups!

We are holding a series of focus groups for Direct Support Professionals participating in the career path to gather input on the College of Direct Support, portfolio, mentoring, and coordination of the career path. Participant point of view is extremely important to us. If you are a DSP and/or mentor participating in the Career Path/College of Direct Support and from one of the following agencies: Allies, Inc., The Arcs of Atlantic, Mercer, Middlesex, Somerset and Warren Counties, Bancroft, Caring with Compassion, CP of North Jersey, Matheny Medical and Educational Center, Partnerships for People, or UCP of Hudson County we’d like to hear from you.

August 8, 2008
10:30am – 1:00pm
Arc of Middlesex
219 Blackhorse Lane
North Brunswick, NJ 08902


August 18, 2008
10:30am – 1:00pm
Matheny Medical & Educational Center
65 Highland Ave.
Peapack, NJ 07977


August 19, 2008
10:30am – 1:00pm
Hammonton Library
451 S. Egg Harbor Rd.
Hammonton, NJ 08037

REGISTRATION REQUIRED

Registration is limited to those DSPs participating in the career path. Please register to attend one of the 3 focus groups being held throughout the state. A stipend of $75 will be provided for those DSPs attending the focus groups “off-the-clock” (i.e. not being paid by their employer to attend).

Mail or fax the form to:

Beth Ong
The Boggs Center/UMDNJ
P.O. Box 2688
New Brunswick, NJ 08903-2688
Phone: 732-235-9327
Fax: 732-235-9330
Email: elizabeth.ong@umdnj.edu



Please complete the registration form. Please select the date you will attend and indicate whether you are requesting a stipend. The Boggs Center will send you a confirmation letter and directions two weeks before the focus group.

Enhancement to the College of Direct Support

Please see below the message from Carol Britton on recent CDS developments:

Hello All:

I received notice today that the College of Direct Support is making some improvements in it's functionality.
Next week on the 16th of June 2008, you and your learners will see a different look when you open a CDS lesson through the addition of a content player.
The new content player will enable you and your learners to view References such as the Skills Standards, Resources, and the Glossary at the top of every lesson page, provide a larger 'Annotation' button that is easier to find and see, provide a button to view a brief description of the lesson, and allow the CDS content staff to introduce a greater variety of interactive exercises to enhance the learning experience.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about the new player.
Thanks,
Carol

Carol M. Britton, MSWTraining & Consultation SpecialistThe Elizabeth M. Boggs Center on Developmental DisabilitiesUMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical SchoolDepartment of PediatricsPhone: 732-235-9321Fax: 732-235-9330Web: http://rwjms.umdnj.edu/boggscenter email: carol.britton@umdnj.edu

ABCD attends DSW Symposium...

In May, ABCD participated in the 2008 Direct Service Workforce (DSW) Symposium in Baltimore, Maryland. This year's Symposium on Strengthening the Home and Community-Based Services Waiver (HSBS) Workforce was given by the DSW Resource Center of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and was geared towards better meeting the needs of people with disabilities in the community by strengthening the members of the Direct Service workforce that serve them, better known as DSPs (Direct Support Professionals).

The Symposium included panel discussions led by DSPs, the people they serve, and other professionals in the field on disability. The Symposium also included workshops for attendees on various health and human services issues as they relate to the DSP Workforce, including housing, wages, compensation and benefits, etc. To read more about the Symposium, and access the vast collection of presentation materials, visit the DSW Resource Center's conference link by clicking here.

New Jersey DSP Career Path Pilot Program Moves into Second Year!

Beginning July 1, 2008, the Career Path Pilot Program for DSPs will move into its second year as a federally-funded project aimed at strengthening the Direct Support workforce in New Jersey. ABCD is proud to continue its support of the program and of its agencies that are currently participating. For more information about strengthening the Direct Support workforce in New Jersey, visit the Elizabeth M. Boggs Center and ABCD's "For DSPs" webpage.

Also, stay tuned for more details about the Direct Support Professionals Conference taking place on September 25, 2008.

Attend the National Symposium on Strengthening the HCBS Direct Service Workforce!

You are personally invited to register in advance for the National Symposium on Strengthening the HCBS Direct Service Workforce on May 8-9, 2008 in Baltimore, MD. This event, hosted by the DSW Resource Center with the support of the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Labor, will provide a forum for showcasing best practices in home- and community-based direct service workforce development, highlight Federal and state workforce initiatives, and disseminate research findings. A primary theme of the symposium will be the importance of addressing workforce issues across age and disability consumer populations.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will award sponsorships to a limited number of direct service workers, consumers of home and community-based supports, consumer advocates, and other stakeholders to attend the DSW Symposium. You may nominate yourself, a colleague, or acquaintance for sponsorship. Applications are due by February 15; decisions will be announced by March 1.

Online registration, sponsorship applications, and other information is available on the DSW Symposium website. This invitation to register in advance has been sent to you personally and is not transferable Advance registration is limited and will be pending approval from the Symposium planning committee. General registration for the DSW Symposium will open in February 2008.

The DSW Resource Center was created by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in 2006 to respond to the growing shortage of workers who provide direct care and personal assistance to individuals who need long term supports and services in the United States.

ContactDSW RC:
email: info@dswresourcecenter.org
phone: 1-877-822-2647
web: http://www.dswresourcecenter.org