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Do you know someone who is making a difference in the field of Direct Support? Then they should be nominated to win an award from DSPAT and DIDD More…

Direct Support Professionals Association of Tennessee

News You Can Use!

CELEBRATING ALL DSPs!  September was DSP Recognition Month.
Direct Support Professionals (DSP) are the driving force behind quality lives for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.  Gone are the days of custodial care and “I will make all decisions for you.”  We now recognize that people with special needs are more likely to fulfill THEIR dreams and enjoy lives that are happy, healthy and safe when they are supported by well-trained, experienced and motivated people at their side in long-term, stable, compatible support relationships.  Today’s DSP makes all the difference!

It would be difficult to find another profession where a group of workers, all under one heading, perform so many different jobs.  DSP job titles include:

Ryals Receives Award
  • Teacher
  • Dietician & Cook
  • Activity Director
  • Therapist
  • Nurse
  • Secretary
  • Recreation Aide
  • Personal Assistant
  • Chauffeur


Now add in:

+Mentor +Cheerleader
+Counselor +Creative genius
+Financial wizard +Referee
+Motivator +Family
+Public Relations Specialist +Friend!
+Advocate  

Today’s effective DSP must have skills of many professionals…rolled into one. Plus perseverance, a resilient spirit, dedication, and a belief that one person, the DSP can make a difference in the life of a person with an intellectual or developmental disability.  And in our world!

We salute and thank each and every Direct Support Professional!

Read Governor Haslam’s 2011 DSP Proclamation HERE.

The Arc Action Alert! Innovative Advocacy! New ways to be heard!

The Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction is entering a crucial stage in its efforts to identify $1.2 trillion in deficit reduction before its Nov. 23 deadline. Cuts to important disability-related programs, like Medicaid, could be proposed by the Committee and enacted by Congress.  This would severely harm people with disabilities and many others who are reliant on Medicaid services in your community.
As the Committee continues to deliberate we need to find innovative ways to get the “Don’t Cut Our Lifeline!” message across. In the time it takes you to read this email, you can reach out to your Members of Congress and let them know that Medicaid is an essential lifeline to you and your family.
While making calls and writing letters is a great way to reach out, there also are other ways to get your message across quickly and effectively. New media is playing a large and growing role in political communications, campaigns, and current events worldwide. If you have a Twitter and/or  Facebook account and 2 minutes to spare, you can get your message to your legislators.
Visit your Representative’s and Senators’ homepage and see if they have a Facebook or Twitter link. You can also use this online tool to find your legislators’ Twitter page. Once you find their page write on their wall or tweet to them about why Medicaid is important to you. You can also ask them a question about Medicaid (for example, “Do you know that Medicaid provides critical supports to people with disabilities and is a major source of jobs in our state?”).
Here are some suggestions for using Twitter and Facebook to reach out to elected officials:
Facebook

  • Keep your content concise and on subject. 75 words or less, with a link is a good rule of thumb.
  • Ask a question. It's the quickest way to involve your audience and make your content interactive.
  • Make sure you are on the legislator’s official page; this will be the one they link to from their congressional website.
  • For examples, check out our Facebook page

Twitter

  • Share in 140 characters or less. Links should almost always be posted with content on Twitter.
  • Try to leave about 20 characters to spare, so people have a chance to retweet (repost) your content and add an optional comment.
  • When appropriate, add a hash tag. Hash tags are a way to group tweets into a larger conversion. For more on hash tags, visit this page on Twitter.
  • Suggested hash tags for messages about Medicaid: #Medicaid, #Don’tCutOurLifeline, and #SaveMedicaid
  • For examples of tweets, check out our Twitter page.

Please share any feedback you get on Facebook or Twitter with The Arc. We will be happy to share any buzz the Don’t Cut Our Lifeline! campaign is creating online.
Let’s think outside of the box and reach out to Congress in new ways. Your story and your voice can make a difference, so be heard!


Is DSPAT a Union?

The Direct Support Professionals Association of Tennessee’s (DSPAT) is NOT a union.  It is a professional organization, supported by industry members.  DSPAT’s position on labor union organization, as well as the position of the National Alliance of Direct Support Professionals (NADSP) is one of neutrality.  DSPAT neither recommends nor discourages DSPs from joining a union.

The purpose and activity of DSPAT is to improve the quality of human services and supports through an ethical, credentialed and respected DSP workforce.  DSPAT is a professional association by and for DSPs promoting service excellence through a comprehensive code of ethics, movement towards a portable, national credential for quality DSP workforce, and a unified voice of advocacy on issues of importance to the field.  Although organized labor may share one or another aspect of our national agenda (e.g. staff opportunity or compensation), DSPAT is neither represented by a union nor engaged in union-like activities.

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