Cheryl Louise’s Experiences With The NADSP E-Badge Academy

The National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP) recently asked Cheryl about her experiences with the NADSP E-Badge Academy. The questions covered how she carries out her work as a direct support professional, the skillsets she demonstrates on a daily basis, the impact that the E-Badge Academy has had on her professional recognition, and how she gets credit for competency.

Describe the story you shared in carrying out that competency:

A person I was supporting was a fantastic singer and performer in a musical group, though wasn’t always able to access the community with the rest of his peers to perform owing to him having diabetes. So, I decided to become a diabetic-AMAP, where I could assist the person within the community. This way, the person was able to perform in theater shows and access the community with the rest of his peers.

Why is this competency so important to DSPs?

Everyone should be able to access their community and partake in the same opportunities as everybody else. Ensuring access allows a person to partake in and become valued members of community and expand their life experiences thusly.

How have you used this competency in your work?

Identifying a person’s wants, needs, passions and barriers is an integral part of my work. I use this information to plan activities, particularly those in the community, to ensure that the people I support have access to these opportunities. This way, I can try to alleviate the barriers to ensure accessibility whilst providing supports. This may be ensuring I have the medication equipment required or planning the best accessible route for transportation.

How can other DSPs replicate your practices?

Really get to know the people you support. Learn about what motivates them, their choices, and the barriers they may face to access these opportunities. Plan ahead and research effective or creative ways to overcome these barriers so the people supported can access opportunities that are meaningful to them.

How does the NADSP E-Badge Academy benefit your agency?

The E-badge academy encourages DSPs to self-reflect upon their skills and to strengthen and improve upon the quality of support they provide to the people supported. It benefits AHRC by ensuring that DSPs have the knowledge, values and skills required to provide this level of support, so that people supported can become as independent as possible, with enriched life experiences important to them.

How does NADSP E-Badge Academy benefit the people you support?

The E-badge Academy strengthens a DSP skillset which the people supported benefit from. It provides a wider array of knowledge and resources, along with a deeper understanding of the competencies and code of ethics, which ensures the people supported receive higher quality of support in their daily lives.

What does the future hold for your involvement in the NADSP E-Badge Academy?

I have been able to complete DSP levels I, II and III. From participating within the E-badge Academy, I am now an employment skills instructor for youth’s wanting to become our future generation of DSP’s, instructing the certification I was able to achieve myself.

How has NADSP E-Badge Academy affected your professional image?

My professional image has sky-rocketed since participating in the E-badge Academy. I have been recognized by my agency and was able to advance my career into becoming an Employment Skills Instructing, teaching the certification to the future generation of DSPs. I have also had my work published in the Frontline Initiative Magazine due to my involvement with the E-badge Academy, of which I am extremely proud.

I definitely feel more skilled from participating within the E-badge Academy. It has solidified and strengthened my knowledge for providing person-centered support, as well as assisted with advancing my own skillset..

How does the NADSP E-Badge Academy give you credit for competency?

You earn badges for each competency. I love collecting badges as I always wanted to be a girl scout!

Statements from AHRC NYC 

The quote here is from Cheryl’s supervisor:

Cheryl Nelson came to us from [AHRC NYC’s] Camp as a Community Support Professional (CSP) and threw her heart and soul into the job. She quickly understood the principles of  person-centered programming  and generously shared her love of musicals with our people, giving them the opportunity to experience the joys of music, theater, and dance.

During the pandemic, Cheryl was one of the few CSPs to volunteer to work in a residence and braved dangerous neighborhoods in order to provide services to the people we support. On ZOOM, she helped people deal with the horrors of what was happening around them by creating “Lockdown” – the Musical, written and performed by her group making lemonade out of lemons.

Cheryl  consistently gives over and above the call of duty, and we are lucky to have her.

– Rutha Rosen, Community Support Supervisor, Adult Day Service AHRC NYC

Quote from AHRC NYC’s Local Administrator:

It has been a pleasure to work with Cheryl while in the E-badge Academy, the NADSP E-Badge Academy has provided Cheryl with the opportunity to reflect on her work and expand in her professional development.  Her dedication to the people she supports to to lead self-directed lives filled with opportunity and passion is truly an inspiration to myself and AHRC NYC! We are proud of Cheryl’s accomplishment and look forward to continuing to support her growth.

-Lindsay Murry, Program Associate and  Local Administrator of the E-Badge Academy NY Pilot from AHRC NYC.

NADSP E-Badge Academy Earners Of The Month