Updates: 2011

October

Much Deserved Recognition

In a show of bipartisan support—and for the fourth consecutive year—the U.S. Senate unanimously approved a resolution designating the week beginning September 11, 2011 as “National Direct Support Professionals Recognition Week.”

Sponsored by Senator Ben Nelson (D-NE), Senate Resolution 263 recognizes direct support professionals (DSPs) for their commitment to supporting individuals and promoting community-inclusion for individuals with disabilities of all ages. Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME) co-sponsored the measure.

“Direct support professionals provide an invaluable service to the millions of Americans living with disabilities. I’m proud to honor these hard-working individuals who give so much to help those in need. Their dedication to service is an example to us all,” said Senator Nelson.

This acknowledgment by the Senate is significant to the ANCOR National Advocacy Campaign (NAC), as work continues to secure increased funding for DSPs and improve supports and services for people with disabilities. “We are proud that the U.S. Senate has bestowed this recognition in honor and observation of the direct support workforce and the tremendous impact they have in communities across the country,” said Renee Pietrangelo, CEO of ANCOR.

Contributions by the direct support workforce were also honored by governors that issued proclamations designating Direct Support Professional Recognition Week in 29 states. Such recognition again speaks to the critical role DSPs perform in assisting individuals with disabilities of all ages to remain connected to their families and communities. Thank you to everyone for the hard work put into receiving recognition in the following states:

ANCOR member agencies celebrated DSPs for their hard work in many ways. They hosted events such as cookouts, luncheons, scavenger hunts, carnivals, daily drawings for gift cards, ice cream socials, pancake breakfasts, concerts, softball games and car washes. Some created t-shirts or wristbands as tokens of thanks.

One agency created a display and had individuals stand on the edge of a street to explain to the public what DSPs do. Many agencies organized interviews with local newspapers about the work of DSPs. Conversations about celebrating DSP week within member agencies were held in the Supports and Services Open Forum of ANCOR’s Connected Community. Go there now to see some of what members shared about their DSP Week festivities.

‘The DSP workforce deserves our highest praise and respect for the critical services they provide daily. They are vital the fabric of our communities and the need for the quality supports provided by DSPs continues to grow at an alarming rate,” said Pietrangelo. “National Direct Support Professional Recognition Week is a significant and very public way to demonstrate gratitude for what direct support professionals unselfishly do for so many.”

July/August

Direct Support Professionals Motivated by 2011 DSPs to DC

ANCOR was proud to host the 2011 DSPs to DC, June 6–8 at the Gaylord Convention Center in the Washington, DC area. This year’s event took place in conjunction with ANCOR’s 2011 Conference: Leading Cultures of Innovation and Advocacy. Informative sessions filled the first two days and the event culminated on Wednesday with the Rally for Community Living in front of the nation’s capitol.

To kick off the event, DSPs heard from Brad Fitch, CEO of the Congressional Management Foundation on How to be an Effective Citizen-Advocate. Attendees learned that “You are the most powerful advocates on Capitol Hill.” People walked away having taken “The Advocates Pledge,” with a new knowledge of information including how to influence legislators, how to use their personal story, and how one person makes a big difference.

DSPs attended training sessions including DSPs and Organizations Using Social Media to Connect, Communicate and Network Regardless of Ability/Disability, The NADSP Code of Ethics: Live in High Definition Full Color and facilitated DSP roundtables. DSPs were also able to hear from journalist Judy Woodruff and best-selling author Rachel Simon.

2011 DSP of the Year

During ANCOR’s annual DSP to DC event, the 2011 DSP of the Year, Gina Bartlow, was honored and the state recipients received their awards during a special ceremony.

This is the fifth year of the National Advocacy Campaign’s successful DSP of the Year Recognition Contest. Once again, we were provided with a wonderful opportunity to highlight the direct support workforce, thank them for their immeasurable work and advance the advocacy agenda on their behalf.

ANCOR received hundreds of nominations from across the country and carefully selected winners in 42 states and the District of Columbia. Award recipients demonstrated examples of accomplishment in building social networks for their consumers, effectiveness in advocating for change on behalf of their profession and those they support, creativity in performing their duties and leadership among their peers.

Congratulations to our state winners, as well as our national winner, Gina Bartlow. We admire the dedication and professionalism these DSPs exhibit in their daily work, and appreciate the many ways they make a difference in the lives of people with disabilities and within their community.

Week of September 11: Direct Support Professional Recognition Week

The ANCOR Board of Directors in May declared the week of September 11 as the “2011 Direct Support Professional Recognition Week.” ANCOR is also working with members of Congress to once again pass a national resolution celebrating DSP Recognition Week. This cannot be accomplished without your help! Contact your Representative and ask them to contact Sarah Riser in Rep. Lee Terry’s office at (202) 225-4155. Then, contact your Senators and ask them to contact Charlie Ellsworth in Senator Ben Nelson’s office at (202) 224-6551. The “ask,” for both the House and Senate, is “be an original co-sponsor of the “2011 Direct Support Professional Recognition Week Resolution.”

Start planning your events now! Let us build upon the DSP Recognition Awards by celebrating 2011 DSP Recognition Week in your agency. In preparation for DSP Recognition Week in September, ANCOR is readying resources to assist members in show casing the work of DSPs in their own communities. Over the summer, ANCOR members will receive template materials, ideas and successes collected from last year’s celebration and some fresh new recommendations to ensure a successful week in 2011.

Rally Calls for Right to Community Living for People with Disabilities

ANCOR was proud to host the Rally for Community Living along with partners the Direct Care Alliance (DCA) and the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP), where we called on Congress and the White House to adopt policies that support the right of individuals with disabilities to live and receive services in their communities, instead of in institutions.

Nearly 150 supporters from across the U.S., including community service providers, direct support professionals and self-advocates gathered on Capitol Hill for the rally, where they were addressed by Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), New York Times best-selling author Rachel Simon (Riding the Bus With My Sister, The Story of Beautiful Girl), ANCOR Direct Support Professional (DSP) of the Year Gina Bartlow, and self-advocate David Liscomb.

Sen. Cardin referred to recent Congressional attempts to cut Medicaid funding. “I am going to do everything in my power to make sure that we protect...those who are the most vulnerable in America. We’re not going to let them block grant Medicaid,” Cardin said. He added, “We’re going to light a fire in the United States on this issue.”

David Liscomb, a self-advocate and NADSP member, spoke of the value of DSPs in his life, helping him to live independently, travel and make friends. The crowd joined him in declaring, “Nothing about us without us!”

DSP Gina Bartlow, who is also the mother of a son with disabilities, spoke of the hardship many parents face, having to quit their jobs to care for children with disabilities when services in the community are not available. “Our constitution purports that all are created equal and that each has the right to pursue happiness. Services to the disabled should be considered such a right.”

Rachel Simon, author of the bestselling novel The Story of Beautiful Girl, spoke of her experience as the sister of a woman with disabilities. She recalled the suggestion that her family have her sister “put away” in an institution. “But who would want to live in an institution?” Simon asked. “Not you, not me, not my sister.” She said she wrote her latest book “to show that people with disabilities want to live in a home like everyone else, out in the world like everyone else, having the same opportunities for happiness as every one else.”

She also wrote the book “to show that civil rights have been denied to people with disabilities for a lot of American history, and that one of the many ways we can right that wrong is to close all the institutions and create a solid, well-supported system, well-funded, with DSPs, where people can live in houses, with friends and families. Where DSPs make sure they don't only exist, but thrive.”

May

Get Ready for DSPs to DC 2011 and the Rally for Community Living

As part of the ANCOR 2011 Conference: Leading Cultures of Innovation and Advocacy, ANCOR will again be hosting its 4th annual DSPs to DC event!

DSPs to DC will take place June 6–8 and provide DSPs with professional development seminars, advocacy best practice sessions, and opportunities to network with peers. The event culminates in the Rally for Community Living and Capitol Hill visits on June 8, where DSPs can make the case for a well-paid, professional workforce directly to lawmakers.

Sending members of your DSP staff to DC is one way you can show appreciation for your outstanding DSPs. Give your DSPs an experience they’ll never forget—and they’ll return home energized and armed with the tools to increase their effectiveness on the job.

DSPs in D.C. will learn with fun, information-packed sessions, including topics like:

• Communicating with Congress: You Can Make a Difference
• How Technology Can Help You
• The NADSP Code of Ethics: Live and In High-Definition Full Color!

While in DC, DSPs will have the opportunity to collaborate and to connect with each other informally—and in a facilitated session called “DSP Forum: Taking Our Work to a Deeper Level.” The forum will encourage DSPs to share their stories of success, near success, and even failure, with a focus on how Direct Support Professionals can work with intention.

DSP voices strengthen ANCOR advocacy. We look forward to a large gathering of DSPs at the Rally for Community Living on Capitol Hill, where we’ll speak out on the importance of the providers and DSPs that are the essential bridge to community living for people with disabilities. The rally begins at 10 a.m. Be sure to schedule your visits with Members of Congress after the rally!

Make plans now to accompany your DSPs on Hill visits June 8 to seek support for declaring the week of September 11, 2011 as National Direct Support Professional Recognition Week and to ensure your representatives understand the problems associated with funding that relies on Medicaid state block grants.

April

Broadening Our Horizon

The National Advocacy Campaign (NAC) has made great strides over the past 10 years as an effective voice in Washington, D.C. for issues related to the direct support workforce—in particular, advocating on behalf of increased wages and training opportunities.

While our flagship legislation wage legislation has not been enacted, it has received wide bipartisan support in Congress. It has also served as a rallying point for ANCOR members and our partners in the NAC to raise awareness in Washington of the lasting and meaningful impact members of the direct support workforce have each day in the lives of millions of Americans with disabilities.

Though we have much to celebrate as we reflect on a decade of hard work and success of the NAC, we now look to the future with renewed energy and vigor to build on campaign successes and strengthen our voice in Washington.

As a first step, we have come to terms with the political and budgetary realities of Washington. The makeup of the new Congress—and the slow economic recovery—has given us pause to reevaluate and reposition our focus on Capitol Hill. Unfortunately, the wage legislation we championed has little chance of success in the current climate. Instead, we are fine tuning our awareness message and shining a light on the work of the direct support workforce and the incredible value private providers bring to the communities they serve.

We are shifting direct focus away from dollars and cents temporarily to concentrate more on how the increased demand for the supports we provide and call for greater community living options for people with disabilities. We are pushing our industry in a direction that ultimately requires a highly qualified and duly compensated workforce to meet that demand.

By doing this we are looking to broaden the base of support in the campaign and grow participation among organizations that share our goal of realizing greater community living options for those with disabilities. We look forward to sharing the NAC with other organizations and strengthening our mission to advocate on behalf of increased wages for the long term supports and services workforce, while enhancing the delivery of supports to millions of Americans each day.

March

Shine a Light on DSP Leaders

This is the fifth year ANCOR has sponsored the DSP Recognition Contest as part of its award-winning National Advocacy Campaign (NAC). The purpose of this program is to recognize leaders in the DSP workforce, and—at the same time—raise awareness in Washington of the devotion, professionalism and quality supports Direct Support Providers (DSPs) provide in their daily work.

By nominating the star of your DSP staff for this coveted award, you have a unique opportunity to bestow deserved national recognition, while fueling advocacy initiatives on behalf of direct support professionals nationwide. We invite you to showcase the best and brightest within your organization’s DSP community—those DSPs who lead and are models within your organization.

In addition to advancing the goals of the NAC, your nomination provides an opportunity to spotlight the critical value and importance of your dedicated direct support staff. Each nominee is considered a “finalist” and acknowledged accordingly by ANCOR. Your participation demonstrates the value you place on your direct support staff, while educating your local media, elected officials and supporters about the value DSPs bring to their communities.

Nomination Process

• Only nominations submitted online through ANCOR’s website will be eligible for consideration.
• Nominations must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. EST on Friday, April 1, 2011.
• Please nominate only one person from each organization. For multi-state organizations, you may submit three nominations for each state in which you provide services.
• Only nominations accompanied by a clear digital photograph of the nominee (preferably with the person(s) they serve or in a work environment) will be eligible for consideration.

All state and national winners will be announced at ANCOR’s 2011 Conference: Leading Cultures of Innovation and Advocacy, which will take place June 5–8, 2011, in Washington, D.C. The national winner will be invited to attend the “DSPs to DC” portion of the conference. Hotel and airfare for the national winner will be provided at ANCOR’s expense.

Questions? Please direct any questions to Mary Pauline Jones.

February

In January, the Workforce Advisory Council (WAC) met in Baltimore to discuss a 10-year vision for the National Advocacy Campaign (NAC) and begin to outline the legislative and regulatory priorities that will guide our work and shape our message over the next decade.

The political climate in Washington has changed significantly just since the 2008 presidential election. In that time, we’ve seen a tremendous swing in political power in Congress and a shift in influence from the Administration. ANCOR and the leadership of the National Advocacy Campaign recognize this and we are retooling certain strategies to adjust to the changing environment and remain effective in our mission.

While the new political realities of Washington pose certain challenges, we are also presented with opportunities to reinvest in the Campaign and engage new stakeholders that will strengthen our ability to raise awareness and affect change on behalf of the long-term supports and services workforce and those they support.

The WAC was challenged to paint a picture of 2021 and to articulate how the outcomes of the NAC will evolve 10 years from now. Visions ranged from living in a world where home and community-based services are available to all who need them and a stable workforce supports individuals with disabilities in their communities to creating a movement that is supported by any group affected by the DSP workforce crisis.

The WAC also discussed near-term (two-year) and long-term (10 year) objectives in each of the campaign’s focus areas: public policy, communication/PR, grassroots, and partnerships. During the retreat, the council developed its ideas further, and each of the focus-area work groups ended with the outline of a plan of action for the coming year.

It was determined that the work of the NAC over the next two years will center on building partnerships, revamping the legislative and regulatory strategy, and raising awareness of the role DSPs and providers play in community supports. Strategic partnerships will play a key role in advancing the campaign’s agenda, so the WAC is giving careful consideration to the advantages and opportunities such partnerships grant ANCOR and other stakeholders as we move forward.

Several immediate actions taken by the WAC at the retreat included the decision not to reintroduce the Direct Support Professional Fairness and Security Act. While the DSP wage bill has long been our flagship legislation and rallying point, the committee decided not to reintroduce introduce based upon the political and budget realities of Washington today.

In the near term, the campaign will instead advocate for a declaration in both the House and Senate for a week in September to be declared as DSP Recognition Week and concentrate campaign resources toward building a coalition of support surrounding broader goals related to community living options for people with disabilities.

As we work with partners to develop an even more effective and broadly-supported legislative vehicle, members of the Public Policy workgroup will be looking for opportunities in the Administration to advance issues of impact to the long term supports and services workforce and promote community living options for people with disabilities.

Save the Date: “DSPs to DC” 2011

The campaign will once again host the annual “DSPs to DC” event in June with the goal of expanding the rally audience to increase the involvement of stakeholders, including families and self advocates, surrounding long terms supports and services issues. Make plans to attend the ANCOR 2011 Conference: Leading Cultures of Innovation and Advocacy, June 5–7, and join us for the rally and Hill visits on June 8.

Also, mark your calendar for the week of September 11, 2011, as we celebrate Direct Support Professional Recognition Week for the fourth year!

2011 DSP Recognition Contest—Call for Nominations!

Our advocacy efforts are expanding and we are excited to launch the 5th annual DSP Recognition Contest this month. This program recognizes the best of the direct support workforce and we are eager to begin accepting nominations!

For more information and nomination forms, click here.