Jeff, This is very nice - well said. One of the best direct care staff members I ever had the privilige of working along side of did not have a HS diploma or GED. She lived (7-days on/7-days off) with four ladies for 20 years until she could no longer work due to ALS. I tell my management team all the time that we can teach paperwork but can't teach caring. Janice On 2014-12-17 12:37 am, Jeff Davis wrote: > I have been enjoying this e-mail chain all day and have found the > comments thoughtful and engaging. Realizing that this is a board > decision I nevertheless appreciate the opportunity to offer my > thoughts. With your patience I will take you through my own journey of > caregiving that formulates in large measure my beliefs. I offer these > comments solely focused on the nature of caregiving and in no context > do they relate to the issue of a workforce shortage. > > In 56 years of volunteer and professional human service I can find > little to no correlation between formal education and effective and > compassionate caregiving. Kindness and respect coupled with simple > courtesy and curiosity about the individual served strike me as the > foundational components of caregiving. > > Surviving a formal education that included a four year bachelor's > degree I have no vivid memory of any teachable moment that would > enhance or encourage natural caregiving instincts save the sole > exception of a guest speaker in a class that led directly to me > volunteering on a suicide hotline. While in college I worked in a > skilled nursing facility. As we all know this a very structured > environment with specific educational and training requirements. By > temperament and an affection for the population served this was a > natural career path for me. I left soon enough after starting, > disenchanted with a caregiving environment lacking (in my view) basic > respect for those served. > > During my tenure at DODD I spent some time working part time as a home > health aide and alternately through Hospice as a volunteer companion. > I was always listening, learning and searching for the magic answer as > to what makes a good caregiver. > > I have also been legal guardian for five individuals served through > different service systems. We were able to take one couple out of a > nursing home and place them in their own apartment. Critical to > success was the in-home registered nurse. Ultimately we had two > different nurses serve this couple both with advanced education > specific to the delivery of healthcare. The first RN I had to fire > because she did not understand her role. The second understood it > completely. Two nurses, both with advanced degrees. The first unfit > for her role, the second a lifesaver. I am not convinced that > education had anything to do with why one was good and the other not. > I am currently guardian for another individual served by a private > provider in our system. One direct care staff in particular has an > incredibly strong bond with the individual and forms the core of the > caregiving team. My suspicion is that formal education was an > afterthought for this caregiver. > > All my wandering in and out of different human service systems leads > me to this conclusion: Caregiving is really about love. The kind of > love that enables one person to care enough about another to support > them as an individual. This is what makes caregiving the most unique > of professions because it doesn't require formal structured education > to be really good at it. > > We have all been taught to link job requirements with formal education > and status and to judge on the basis of educational accomplishment. As > such policymakers in human service feel compelled to fit caregiving > within this narrative. But it doesn't quite fit and it likely never > will. Because it fits within its own narrative. > > Do we leave potential good caregivers and employees off the table > because they don't have a high school degree or equivalent. I would > argue we do. As to Matt Ottiger's earlier point will policymakers > (including legislators) understand and accept this point or will they > attribute this effort to desperation over a workforce shortage and > label this as negatively impacting both the perception of and > application of quality care? > > I do not yet know the answer to that but I would be more than happy to > take a shot at it and in the process begin to reshape the narrative > about caregiving. I also know that over my 20+ years in this system we > (our system as a whole) talk a lot about payment, regulation, > positioning of one part of the system over another, politics and > everything else but the one thing that matters the most. What makes a > good caregiver and how do we create a loving environment for that > caregiver and the individuals they serve? (This is another reason I > have so enjoyed the interaction on this issue.) > > Jeff > > FROM: list-manager@opra.simplelists.com > [mailto:list-manager@opra.simplelists.com] ON BEHALF OF Than Johnson > SENT: Tuesday, December 16, 2014 4:35 PM > TO: <opra_board@opra.simplelists.com> > SUBJECT: Re: Direct Care Sustainability and HS Diploma/GED > Requirement > > With The Arc signing on I think that gives more cover for all and it > addresses barrier to citizens with disabilities being prohibited from > employment if technology can be an assist in DSP performance criteria > in the future. Than > > Sent from my iPhone > > On Dec 16, 2014, at 4:21 PM, "Debbie Schmieding" <debbies@havar.org> > wrote: > >> Damn that Steele fellow is persuasive! OK, I'm in. Only concern is >> being ready to address some possible (legit) push back from members >> who wish it'd been a wider conversation before now. >> >> Debbie >> >> On Tue, Dec 16, 2014 at 12:39 PM, James Steele >> <jamiesteele28@me.com> wrote: >> >> It's nice to hear another Ohioan who isn't afraid of compromise:) >> >> Six months ago we started a new home for three people coming out of >> the developmental center. Challenging behaviors. We hired a brand >> new manager and direct care staff. One of the DSP's was hired with >> the understanding that he would show evidence of his GED within a >> months time. It turned out that his diploma is from an unrecognized >> high school. No GED equivalent, no valid diploma. He was eventually >> let go. >> >> It also turned out that this man fell in love with these three >> individuals and they with him. This guy had the knack of opening his >> heart to these three men, who had little experience with someone who >> accepted them for who they are. In a word, he was the right fit. >> >> We tried to help him with getting his GED, but as hard as he could, >> he could not master the online testing that is now in place. He had >> no computer skills on top of it all which added to his frustration >> and self-doubt. He gave up and sadly thanked us for the opportunity >> to have a brief job where he finally felt that he was good at >> something. This man was in his late 30's. >> >> Note: This guy worked in manufacturing for years until his plant >> went under. >> >> I guess my point is that none of us know how to teach love. We can >> hire caring people with the right credentials, but can't teach them >> how to care. >> >> I wish there was an equivalency test for love. >> >> Jamie >> >>> On Dec 16, 2014, at 3:14 PM, Anna Barrett <Anna@indport.org> >>> wrote: >>> >>> We are quasi-rural and have been challenged by the staff >>> shortages, however, I was enthused by the initiative of developing >>> a path toward graduation and our industry, while reducing the >>> drop-out rate. Or perhaps a compromise such as achieving a GED >>> within x time (i.e. 6 months) of hire, could be considered. >>> >>> Anna >>> >>> FROM: list-manager@opra.simplelists.com >>> [mailto:list-manager@opra.simplelists.com] ON BEHALF OF Mark Davis >>> SENT: Tuesday, December 16, 2014 7:36 AM >>> TO: OPRA Board >>> SUBJECT: Direct Care Sustainability and HS Diploma/GED >>> Requirement >>> >>> Please see the attached draft communication to DODD. In >>> partnership with the Arc of Ohio, we are planning to ask DODD to >>> selectively remove the requirement that DSP's have a HS diploma or >>> GED. This would open the door to the direct support profession for >>> these folks and increase the number of people eligible for >>> consideration to be hired as DSP's (if otherwise qualified). >>> Please reply with your thoughts and any concerns you may have >>> about OPRA suggesting this. We want to get this letter out by >>> Thursday, so please respond by COB Thursday. >>> >>> Thanks! >>> >>> Mark Davis >>> >>> President >>> >>> Ohio Provider Resource Association >>> >>> 1152 Goodale Blvd >>> >>> Columbus OH 43212 >>> >>> 614-224-6772 x113 [1] >>> >>> 614-224-3340 [2] fax >>> >>> The Trusted Voice for Providers Serving Ohioans with Disabilities >>> [3]. >>> >>> This e-mail message, including any attachments, is for the sole >>> use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain private, >>> confidential and/or privileged information, such as HIPAA >>> Protected Health Information. If you are not the intended >>> recipient, be advised that any unauthorized use, disclosure, >>> copying, distribution or the taking of any action in reliance on >>> the contents of this information is strictly prohibited. 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Unless messages and/or replies > are specifically directed, each posting/response is sent to the entire > group. This group is open only to members of the OPRA Board of > Directors. The views of individual list serve users do not necessarily > reflect the view of the entire OPRA Board or of the OPRA Staff. TO > SEND A MESSAGE TO THIS LIST SERVE, PLEASE USE THE REPLY BUTTON. TO > REPLY ONLY TO THE ORIGINAL SENDER, PLEASE RESPOND TO THE EMAIL LISTED > AFTER "ON BEHALF OF" IN THE FROM LINE OF THE MESSAGE HEADER. THANK > YOU. This e-mail message, including any attachments, is for the sole > use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain private, confidential > and/or privileged information, such as HIPAA Protected Health > Information. If you are not the intended recipient, be advised that > any unauthorized use, disclosure, copying, distribution or the taking > of any action in reliance on the contents of this information is > strictly prohibited. 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Unless > messages and/or replies are specifically directed, each > posting/response is sent to the entire group. This group is open only > to members of the OPRA Board of Directors. The views of individual > list serve users do not necessarily reflect the view of the entire > OPRA Board or of the OPRA Staff. TO SEND A MESSAGE TO THIS LIST SERVE, > PLEASE USE THE REPLY BUTTON. TO REPLY ONLY TO THE ORIGINAL SENDER, > PLEASE RESPOND TO THE EMAIL LISTED AFTER "ON BEHALF OF" IN THE FROM > LINE OF THE MESSAGE HEADER. THANK YOU. > > Links: > ------ > [1] tel:614-224-6772%20x113 > [2] tel:614-224-3340 > [3] http://www.opra.org/ > [4] tel:614-224-6772 -- Janice K. Hall, Executive Director Guernsey Residential, Inc. 627 Steubenville Avenue Cambridge, OH 43725 Phone: (740) 439-4271 This e-mail message, including any attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain private, confidential and/or privileged information, such as HIPAA Protected Health Information. 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