The following article is part of an ongoing series about the NADSP Competency Areas. The NADSP Competency Areas offer DSPs the opportunity to address challenges, work on issues identified by the person they support, or assist a person in pursuing a particular goal. Each Competency Area has corresponding skill statements that describe the knowledge and skills DSPs must have to demonstrate competency in each area.

This blog is about the skill statement “The competent DSP interacts with and educates community members and organizations (e.g., employer, landlord, civic organization) when relevant to participant’s needs or services,” within the NADSP Competency Area: “Advocacy.” It is especially relevant to cover ahead of March, which is Developmental Disabilities (DD) Awareness Month.

Inside The Competency Area

Advocacy

Direct support professionals (DSPs) need to be knowledgeable about the diverse challenges facing the people they support (e.g., human rights, legal, administrative, and financial). They should also be able to identify and use effective advocacy strategies to overcome such challenges. This is essentially word-for-word from the NADSP Competencies.

What does this mean for direct support professionals, who frankly, are so busy with the day-to-day responsibilities and tasks of supporting people in their daily lives. Are we asking direct support professionals to be civil rights and human rights activists? Do direct support professionals require extensive legal and advocacy training? Well, let’s explore this a bit deeper.

Inside The Skill Statement

The competent DSP interacts with and educates community members and organizations (e.g., employer, landlord, civic organization) when relevant to participant’s needs or services.

One skill statement within the NADSP Competency Area of Advocacy states, “The competent DSP interacts with and educates community members and organizations (e.g., employer, landlord, civic organization) when relevant to participant’s needs or services.” Here is where a direct support professional shines! The reality is that most DSPs are intimately involved and aware of the people that they support. DSPs are as close to “experts” about the needs and wants of people supported as anyone else. With that, they can be a great companion and partner in advocacy efforts with people in the education of community members, especially about improving the life of the person they support.

DSPs don’t need to be lawyers or activists. Often, they can even just raise the issues that people face, which may be barriers or obstacles. This knowledge and understanding can then create positive outcomes and help improve inclusion of people with disabilities.

The Impact On People Receiving Services

People with disabilities should have others in their lives who are allies and partners, supporting them while knowing their preferences, needs, and desires. Direct support professionals who recognize this aspect of their role can be invaluable in helping the community understand and adapt to the people they support. We often hear that people with disabilities need to adapt and be accommodated. While this may be true in some instances, it is the perspective of disability rights activists that the community should be more open to adapting to people with disabilities – not the other way around.

Direct support professionals should embrace their obligation to help the people they support overcome barriers in society and communities. Then, they will begin to see that the people they support can be part of the fabric of the community, thanks to allyship and advocacy efforts.

Putting It All Into Practice

Direct support professionals bring this competency into daily practice by staying aware and being observant. They must be willing to act when something affects the rights of people they support. In everyday practice, this means listening closely to the person’s preferences, recognizing when their rights may be limited or overlooked, and helping them understand and exercise their options.

It includes simple but powerful actions by supporting someone to speak up in meetings. It may mean helping them review their service plan. It could be ensuring privacy and dignity by documenting concerns clearly and accurately.

Being knowledgeable does not mean knowing every law. It means knowing where to find answers and asking questions. Direct support professionals must use their supervisors and administrators in times of navigating situations where rights may be at risk. Direct support professionals need to advocate when they notice barriers, such as a lack of access to community activities. It may be financial-related confusion about a person’s benefits or not understanding an insurance or Medicaid concern. If a direct support professional notices that decisions are being made without the person’s input, they should work with the team to address the issue.

Advocacy in daily practice is rooted in respect and partnership. By encouraging informed choice, protecting rights, and helping people navigate systems, direct support professionals can ensure that the people they support remain in control of their own lives. This transforms advocacy from an abstract concept into a natural part of quality support.

Quick Tips

How can you help embrace this skill statement and implement it? Here are some quick tips!

• • Be a companion and partner in your efforts to advocate with people supported
  • Act when a situation arises that affects people’s rights
  • Consult with supervisors and administrators when facing complex rights-related issues
  • Recognize your responsibility to help people overcome barriers in their communities
  • Advocate when you notice barriers to help people get access and be respected

Relevant Resources

• NADSP: The Time For Advocacy Is Now!
• Frontline Initiative: Self Determination
• Frontline Initiative: Legislative Advocacy
• Administration on Community Living: Federal Advocacy
• National Disability Rights Network
• AAPD American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD)