Center for Disabilities Studies awarded $680,500 grant

10:27 a.m., Oct. 10, 2003--UD’s Center for Disabilities Studies (CDS) has received one of only five U.S. Department of Health and Human Services “Demonstration to Improve the Direct Service Community Workforce” grants for $680,500.

The award, announced this month, is designed to create systems that will recruit and retain workers who provide direct services to persons with disabilities in residential and day programs.

“This grant award could have a significant, positive impact on the systems that are charged with supporting adults with disabilities in Delaware,” Mark Bernstein, project coordinator, said.

The three-year award will support the training and retention of workers who provide services to individuals with psychiatric, cognitive, physical and developmental disabilities in a variety of organizations throughout the state.

CDS will focus efforts on developing educational materials, training of support workers and mentorship activities.

“This grant provides us with a unique opportunity to demonstrate the importance of values and principles in attracting and keeping good, qualified staff in agencies that support people with disabilities. We hope it will serve as a model—not only for the state of Delaware—but for programs throughout the nation,” Bernstein said.

Implementation of the grant in Delaware will occur collaboratively with community partners, including Easter Seals of Delaware and Maryland’s Eastern Shore, Chimes Delaware, Ken-Crest, Delaware Elwyn and Connections.

The goals of the project include promoting a more positive image of the direct support worker position, establishing partnerships with educational institutions as natural links for recruitment of employees, developing and implementing an orientation and mentoring program for new employees entering the organization, establishing a career ladder for employees and providing innovative supervisory training and individualized coaching to both employees and persons with disabilities who are supervising others.

For more information, contact Bernstein at 831-6974.

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