Consider these Elvin Alvarez milestones:

• Earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology with a minor in Organizational Psychology from the Universidad Tecnologica de Bolivar in Colombia, South America at the age of 20.
• Is among a select few nationwide DSP-Cs who participated in the formal portfolio submission
  review and critique process for DSP-Registered seeking to gain DSP-Credentialed status.
• First DSP and MCP employee to earn DSP-Credentialed status from the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP).

His thirst for knowledge and accomplishments endure. In the fall of 2012 he will begin working on his Master’s in Behavioral Analysis at Florida International University.  “Then I’d like to start work on my Ph.D, maybe in Clinical Psychology,” Elvin says. “I am motivated, and always have been, to continue learning, to continue my education. Otherwise I would not be happy.”

Elvin came to MCP Residential in 2007 when he left his homeland in Colombia to work in the United States. He found MCP and didn’t know if he’d like the work.  He did. He began as others do – as a DSP Apprentice – and was assigned to the Braddock facility, which supports 24 people with varying disabilities.  Today he is the Assistant Administrator at Braddock, but works daily with clients, trains DSPs and at heart remains a DSP in spirit and in is normal work day.

Kellen Hassell is the Braddock Facility Administrator and Elvin’s boss.  He says this about his young Assistant Administrator: “One of the things that everyone can agree upon is that Elvin is absolutely just fun to work with and be around.  He’s confident and secure and takes his role supporting individuals with disabilities and our staff very seriously.”

Hassell remembers a situation that he says exemplifies Elvin’s maturity and poise under pressure. In February 2009 one of the agency’s vehicles was carrying four MCP Braddock residents on an outing. Elvin was in the car behind them. Another car ran a red light and plowed into the MCP vehicle.

“It was a pretty horrific accident that resulted in some serious injuries. Elvin was one of the first people on the scene, intervened, stepped-up, kept his composure amongst the chaos, and played a key role in relaying critical information to our Executive Director and to the EMS/911 Rescue personnel for the four individuals and staff under his supervision,” Hassell recounted. “He had valuable and key information for the paramedics about how to deal with our clients and their disabilities. Once those four individuals came back to our facility, Elvin worked very closely with our interdisciplinary team and medical department to support the full recovery of those who sustained the most severe and extensive injuries.”

Hassell added this: “He enjoys taking charge in a crisis situation when things don’t go according to plan.  He doesn’t panic, he keeps his composure, he doesn’t take things personally, and he really seems to respond very well under pressure and enjoys taking on that ultimate responsibility.”

During National DSP Recognition Week the Florida Association of Direct Support Professionals (FADSP) honored him as a “DSP Making a Difference.”

When you ask Elvin about his primary responsibilities, he gives you a list of the top 12, and among those are: works with families and outside providers….maintains all client information and records….conducts quality assurance monitoring….helps with staff development and training and is a reviewing officer for DSPs….on call 365/24/7 for anything that comes up….participates as On-Duty staff on a rotating basis on weekends and holidays and is Officer on Duty for weekends and holidays.

His motivation to learn also included the College of Direct Support (CDS) curriculum.  “We have no training like this in my country. I enjoyed the CDS curriculum because it was something additional to all of the training components that I did once I was hired at MCP. I really liked all the courses because they show ‘the big picture’ of what DSPs need to be doing to provide great supports. Also, it was important because I learned additional things I did not learn in my normal training.”

This matches his passion for becoming a DSP-Credentialed through NADSP. “When I first read about the NADSP credentialing program (DSP-R; DSP-C; DSP-S), I said to myself I would become a DSP-C,” he explained. “It was not an easy task, but after several workshops I understood the right way to create portfolios, and then I could complete my DSP-C application package. It was fun doing this. It made me think beyond just providing services to individuals with disabilities. Currently, I am helping (coaching) DSPs at MCP to do their DSP-C application packages.”

Hassell described one other problem that Elvin solved.  For a while, MCP had struggled with creating, organizing, and maintaining a stable group of On-Call DSPs to step into roles in a last-minute or emergency basis. He described the system that was used was “inconsistent and not always efficient or maximized staff talent or effectiveness.”

In stepped Elvin, who had come to understand the need for stability in the lives of those they support. “Looking at this problem with a big-picture mentality in that it was impacting nearly all MCP residents and staff, Elvin was able to attack it and solve the problem employing a great attention to detail and by remaining organized,” Hassell said. “He became the ultimate gate-keeper for the On-Call staff at the Braddock Facility.  He created a simple, yet perfectly designed system of organizing the On-Call staff schedules at our Braddock Facility by working 1:1 with our Residential Service Coordinator supervisors on a weekly basis in order to plan ahead for the need for On-Call and additional fill-in staff based on what is happening in the individuals’ lives at that time and also planning for the unexpected by allowing for free blocks where On-Call staff would be available in the event of a last-minute change or emergency.”

The result? Elvin’s system matched On-Call DSPs with clients they knew and who the people being supported knew.

“The bottom line is that Elvin was able to essentially see both sides of the issue. Unlike those who favor one approach over the other, Elvin has shown increasingly that he is not wedded to one particular mode of conceptualizing or solving a problem,” Hassell added. “Those of us who know him really well see where he typically falls on an issue, but he has demonstrated an ability to literally use both his left brain and his right brain (without prejudice) in order to work to implement whatever is necessary, whatever the situation demands – not what he arbitrarily prefers.  That’s another extremely significant way that Elvin’s maturity as a person and professional greatly impacts us at MCP.”

He began as a DSP. Today, he manages and helps train DSPs and down deep he’s still a DSP.  “We make a difference in their lives,” Elvin said.  “That’s what being a DSP is all about.  It’s simple.”

“DSPs do amazing work every day, helping people with disabilities enjoy lives that are defined by their dreams and aspirations, instead of being limited by their disabilities,” said ANCOR CEO Reneé L. Pietrangelo. “We feel it is important to honor their dedication and personal sacrifice on behalf of the individuals they serve.”

The DSP Recognition Award competition, which began in 2007, is part of ANCOR’s National Advocacy Campaign, an effort to ensure a healthy DSP workforce through higher wages, better training, and increased public awareness. ANCOR also sponsors Direct Support Professional Recognition Week, designated by the U.S. Senate, each year in September.

Since the competition began, ANCOR has received more than 1,500 nominations for this recognition. All nominees receive a certificate of appreciation from ANCOR.

Organizations and individuals are encouraged to nominate deserving individuals. For instructions and online nomination, visit the National Advocacy Campaign’s website at www.youneedtoknowme.org, or follow this link: http://www.ancor.org/news/2011/12/2012-direct-support-professional-recognition-contest.

The deadline for submissions is 5:00 p.m. (EST) on Wednesday, February 8.

ANCOR will announce the recipients of the state and national awards at ANCOR’s 2012 Conference: Leading Cultures of Innovation and Advocacy, which takes place May 6 – 8 in Washington, DC. The national winner will be invited to attend the conference at ANCOR’s expense.

About ANCOR.  The American Network of Community Options and Resources is a national trade association representing more than 800 private providers of community living and employment supports and services to more than 400,000 individuals with disabilities. As a nonprofit organization, ANCOR successfully addresses the needs and interests of private providers before Congress and federal agencies, continually advocating for the crucial role private providers play in enhancing and supporting the lives of  people with disabilities and their families. Through its National Advocacy Campaign, ANCOR seeks to obtain the resources to recruit, train and retain a sustainable direct support workforce.  ANCOR provides organization, professional, leadership development and networking opportunities and services, and is continually working toward partnerships and collaborations that advance our vision, mission and goals. Our prime goal is to be the indispensable leader, resource and advocate for a diverse private disability services network that ensures full citizenship and engaged community participation for people with disabilities of all ages. www.ancor.org.

Discussion is a tool that can be used for both training and organizational related activities where you want to discuss or exchange ideas related to a prescribed activity.  Discussions can be used for a variety of reasons; examples include facilitating learning objectives and organization wide collaboration such as a policy review.  Administrators with the Discussion privilege can act as the Moderator of the discussion or they can assign the Discussion privilege to another administrator.  Moderators manage Discussions by responding to and/or editing each participant’s posts.  You can elect to grade each learner’s response just like you would in a classroom setting where participation is part of the learner’s grade.

Discussions may be assigned across the organization to develop/review policies, encourage staff engagement and allow collaboration on a variety of topics.

In addition to the Discussions tool, please continue taking advantage of several other training tool options:

Survey: obtain feedback from learners, supervisors, management, and board members

Classes & Events:  track classroom training, attendance and completions

Ontrack: track certifications and re-certifications

Assessments & Remedial Training: assign remedial trainings based on learner responses to a free standing test

Knowledge Manager: skills checklist

If you would like additional information about Elsevier Performance Manager: Core Development and its tools, such as Discussions, please contact a member of the DirectCourse Client Services team toll free at 1-877-353-2767 or via email:

Jason Nohe – j.nohe@elsevier.com

Donna Kosak – d.kosak@elsevier.com

Michelle Kael – m.kael@elsevier.com

Annie Woodruff – a.woodruff@elsevier.com

Archiving, Reassigning and Removing Lessons

As the end of the year approaches, please take a moment to consider the advantages associated with archiving learner lessons.  Archiving is the process of transferring lesson data from a learner’s current lesson plan and moving it to the learner’s historical transcript.  This process keeps a historical record of lessons assigned (if included) or completed by learners.  Archiving does not delete historical lesson completions, and can even record incomplete lessons that were assigned.  Appropriate uses for archiving include: re-assignments of annual mandatory, recertification, and refresher trainings, cleaning up learner lesson plans that may contain large amounts of lessons, and to remove outdated or discontinued lessons.  Learning Administrators have the capacity to archive modules independently either by individual learner or department.  However, it is recommended that a
representative from DirectCourse’s Client Services team schedule a data base archive if multiple departments and facilities are involved, the same lesson is contained in multiple modules, or the learning administrator wishes to
discontinue use of a module.

To learn more about archiving please visit our Help document,  http://www.webinservice.com/helplinks/kds/AdminHelp.html, to gain access to past roundtables.

New Report Analytic Tool

We are pleased to announce our new Reporting feature called the Report Analytics.  The Report Analytics is an updated version of the existing reports on the Elsevier Performance Manager learning management system and will run parallel to your existing reports for some time.  The Report Analytics tool offers more flexibility by allowing you to select specific filters in creating your own views. The new Report Analytics allows administrators to view multiple departments, multiple learners, learner IDs, inactive learners, job codes, hire dates and many other options not included in the existing reports.  All Reports are now part of the navigation menu.  The Navigation menu can Show/Hide, expands (+), and collapse (-) while viewing reports.  Using the back arrow is no longer required to navigate using the Report Analytic tool.

The Report Analytics is found in the Custom Apps and Reports drop down menu.  Additional information can be
found by visiting the Administration Help Documents, http://www.webinservice.com/helplinks/kds/AdminReportsMenu.html or by contacting your Client Services representative.

Most important, the website houses compelling content centered on the curricula within the DirectCourse overbrand, College of Direct Support developed by the University of Minnesota’s Research and Training Center on Community Living and College of Employment Services developed by the Institute for Community Inclusion at the University of Boston Massachusetts.

As well, as the learning management system that powers the curricula – Elsevier Performance Manager: Core Development.

Coming 2012, the website will further engage visitors with social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, and new online curricula focusing on persons with physical disabilities and older adults.

The new DirectCourse brand initiated from in-depth research and stakeholder interviews amongst curricula developers, clients and employees and evolved to pay a nod to the past while introducing a growing set of online curricula for professionals who support people with intellectual, developmental and physical disabilities, as well as older adults. The brand continues to incorporate a collegiate feel, similar to the flagship College of Direct Support curriculum’s former branding, with a seal that embodies DirectCourse’s mission to educate, enrich and inspire and arrow representing guidance and direction. Most important, the new branding consists of a defining tagline “Online Curricula for Life in Community” providing  professionals (and individuals) with online courses in a growing number of disciplines to help every person they serve live more fulfilling lives within our communities.

Brew in holiday cheer with DirectCourse by browsing the new website and branding today. Between now and January 1, 2012, the first 10 Connections eNewsletter subscribers to submit an email(mailto:directcourse@elsevier.com)  with the subject line Brew in the Holidays with DirectCourse  enclosing the correct answers to the following questions will qualify to win a $10 Starbucks gift card:

• What is the length of time (in minutes and seconds) of the College of Employment Services marketing
  video?
• List the current number and names of College of Direct Support Resources available?
• What’s the DirectCourse tagline?

The first 10 eligible winners will be announced in the January/February 2012 issue of the Connections eNewsletter.

ATLANTA, December 8, 2011 – The College of Direct Support(CDS), an online curriculum for Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) and managed in collaboration with Elsevier/MCStrategies and the University of Minnesota’s Research and Training Center on Community Living, is pleased to announce that the NADSP Competency Set is now recognized on the Department of Labor (DOL) Competency Model for Long-Term Care Supports & Services. This is the first Tier 5 Competency Set that has been built into the model.

CDS, the flagship of Elsevier’s DirectCourse suite of online training curricula, has built its content to train to these NADSP competencies. CDS is an NADSP Accredited Training Program that prepares learners to become credentialed through the NADSP Credentialing Program, a program providing recognition for the advanced skills and competencies DSPs have acquired in the 15 competency areas. The recognition of the NADSP Competency Set by the Department of Labor affirms these competencies are critical to the development of a prepared, competent DSP workforce that will provide quality supports and services to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities living in the community.

“Recognition of these competencies by the Department of Labor provides an even more compelling reason to choose CDS as the training of choice for the direct support workforce,” said Bill Tapp, Director of DirectCourse/College of Direct Support. “CDS, based on the NADSP Competencies, is the most comprehensive, convenient approach to preparing a learner to become credentialed. CDS supports the ongoing training and professional development of DSPs, and the recognition of this vital workforce.”

These competencies are the critical skills needed for Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) to perform their job well and provide quality services to individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. The NADSP competency set is the basis for the NADSP Credentialing Program and the U.S. DOL Registered Apprenticeship Program for DSPs, developed by DOL in partnership with NADSP and the American Network of Community Options & Resources (ANCOR).

About Elsevier

Elsevier is a world-leading provider of scientific, technical and medical information products and services. The company works in partnership with the global science and health communities to publish more than 2,000 journals, including The Lancet and Cell, and close to 20,000 book titles, including major reference works from Mosby and Saunders. Elsevier’s online solutions include SciVerse ScienceDirect, SciVerse Scopus, Reaxys, MD Consult and Nursing Consult, which enhance the productivity of science and health professionals, and the SciVal suite and MEDai’s Pinpoint Review, which help research and health care institutions deliver better outcomes more cost-effectively.

A global business headquartered in Amsterdam, Elsevier employs 7,000 people worldwide. The company is part of Reed Elsevier Group PLC, a world-leading publisher and information provider, which is jointly owned by Reed Elsevier PLC and Reed Elsevier NV. The ticker symbols are REN (Euronext Amsterdam), REL (London Stock Exchange), RUK and ENL (New York Stock Exchange).

Media contact

Tom Reller
Vice President Global Corporate Relations, Elsevier
+1-215-239-3508
t.reller@elsevier.com

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