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 encourages and assists the individual as needed in facilitating friendships and peer interactions,” within the NADSP Competency Area: “Building and Maintaining Friendships and Relationships.”

Inside The Competency Area

Building and Maintaining Friendships and Relationships

It has been long understood that the holiday season can be challenging at times for people who have few social connections, have lost loved ones recently or are encountering loneliness. In fact, we know that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities often have a very small circle of relationships and friendships. Direct support professionals (DSPs) have an obligation and an ethical responsibility to assist the people they support to develop and maintain friendships and relationships. Considering the attention that is given to family and friends during the holidays and knowing that this is an area where the people we support may be lacking, it becomes all the more important to assist people in meeting, developing and experiencing relationships with people beyond paid staff.

Inside The Skill Statement

The competent DSP encourages and assists the individual as needed in facilitating friendships and peer interactions​.

When a competent direct support professional encourages and assists an individual in facilitating friendships and peer interactions, so many positive possibilities can happen. There is a wealth of growth opportunities that exist when a direct support professional introduces the people they support to potential friends and relations. Direct support professionals are usually very good at knowing about the events, venues and resources in their communities that may be places for people they support to engage and develop relationships with non-paid staff.

The Impact On People Supported

It is important to have human connections and relationships. One does not need dozens of friends, necessarily, but there continues to be evidence that loneliness plagues people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. When a person has connections, friendships and intimate relationships, emotional and physical health is elevated. When people with disabilities have community connections and friends in their neighborhoods and communities, it is often that those are people who will monitor and support the welfare of the person with a disability.

Issues like exploitation, abuse and harm can be lowered and mitigated when there are people looking out for people. DSPs can also use the internet and social media to reach out in developing potential connections. This must be done carefully and thoughtfully as without proper guidance and oversight, the platforms that exist for such social networking can be occasionally exploitive and dangerous. Use caution on the internet!

Finally, it is important that people with disabilities make great neighbors, friends, employees and citizens. The world is better when we celebrate disability as another part of our diversity. As our friends from the Institute on Community Integration say, “Our differences drive our greatness. We all belong here.” Helping people we support build friendships and relationships helps us all become a better society.

Putting It All Into Practice

One aspect of a direct support job consists of quite a bit of fun. This is the part of a direct support professional’s skill of connecting people with their communities.

This can include examples like:

• Knowing and shopping at the best and most economical places to shop in the community
• Going to the local public library in order to help someone obtain a library card
• Attending the local bowling alley and connecting people with a bowling league or club
• Visiting the volunteer firehouse every Tuesday evening when they have “Neighbor Night”

The list continues. One can see that it becomes easy and likely that people who are supported to engage in such community involvement, may just meet some people who share the same interests. Once these introductions are made – and if the person supported is interested in pursuing friendships with others – the magic of inclusion and integration begins. Direct support professionals are a major driver of these types of blossoming relationships and friendships. Once there is a connection made and a friendship created, the natural supports of being a member of the community can flourish.

Quick Tips

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

• • Investigate local organizations that have members and membership.
  • Use community resources that you are already apart of, in which to introduce people to.
  • Participate in volunteer opportunities at civic organizations. They can be great places to meet people.
  • Explore religious and other worship facilities, which are excellent options for those who are interested.
  • Visit animal shelters and other types of shelters where people volunteer.
  • Ensure that there is physical, psychological and personal safety in the context of the connections made.
  • If assisting people with dating and romantic pursuits, ensure you are ethical and non-judgmental.
  • Always vet any unknown or new type of community outlet/resource/site to ensure safety and accessibility.

Relevant Resources

• Frontline Initiative: Supporting Healthy Relationships
• Hello, It’s Me® App
• Meetup Platform