QUALIFIED PERSONNEL Residential programs should ensure that qualified and competent personnel are available to provide services, their responsibilities are clearly defined, and measures to evaluate their performance and maintain their job satisfaction are instituted.
Ask how the program:
| Has clearly defined job descriptions and personnel who meet those descriptions | Collaborates with all professionals across disciplines both within the agency and in the community | Ensures resident and staff safety | Handles staff turnover | Implements and complies with the standards set out in Implementing the New DSP Training Standards: A Guide for DDD Providers | Provides comprehensive onboarding training, professional development opportunities, and competency-based performance evaluations | Includes effective supervisors who motivate staff to perform consistent with job expectations and at high levels
TOO FEW STAFF
One of the ways that quality programs ensure the safety of both staff and residents is by staffing residences with the appropriate number of employees. The “appropriate” number will differ, based on the unique needs of the individuals that live there, but should always be enough to maintain each person’s level of supervision. The number of staff present should also be high enough so that staff can intervene if necessary to maintain everyone’s safety.
TOO MANY STAFF
Staffing a residential program is not always a “more is better” proposition. Having too many staff in one residence can create an overstimulating environment for residents. It may also get in the way of residents’ ability to exercise their independence. Your child should be encouraged to be as independent as possible, according to their individual abilities and needs, and a program that is overstaffed may make that difficult. A good conversation to prompt is: “To what extent do staff promote resident independence?”
| 8.
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online