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Collaborative Training: The MATC Program

by Susan O’Nell and John Westerman

The Metro Area Training Consortium’s (MATC) Direct Support Professional Training Program is an innovative example of how collaboration between organizations can be mutually beneficial and deal with a variety of pressing issues in direct service employment. This partnership between industry, social services, and education was developed as one solution to a number of problems facing Minnesota and the nation today.

In Minnesota, there are well over 32,000 direct care positions providing support to people with disabilities and/or mental illness (Larson, 1997). Agencies that hire people to fill these positions report difficulties in recruiting qualified personnel and maintain a consistent 9% vacancy rate on average (Larson, 1997). In addition, these agencies report high turnover (45% annually) among direct support professionals (DSPs). Of those DSPs who remain in positions, many face burnout because of inadequate training and support, which in turn decreases their ability to provide quality services.

There are a variety of reasons for the issues in recruitment and retention in this field. Some of these include:

• A lack of visibility and respect for the direct service workforce.
• Low wage in comparison to the job duties.
• Demographics shifts.
• Lack of peer and supervisory support.
• Lack of training and career ladder.

As the disabilities field is struggling with staffing problems, there is an increasing need for entry level job training that also provides opportunities for professional development. To design and deliver training to the population of prospective DSPs the training program needs to include the following:

• Practical job experience. Worksite placement is essential to give students practical information and experience to complement their classroom curriculum, as well as an opportunity to address other workplace issues such as attendance, punctuality, working as a part of a team, etc.
• Little or no cost. Many students cannot afford to pay for tuition and related education costs. Programs with fees will often be inaccessible.
• Appropriate location. Many students will rely on public transportation to get to classes. Classes and worksites must be in areas where public transportation is available.
• Support. Outside issues like securing childcare, reliable transportation, and housing can affect the student’s ability to complete the program and maintain employment. Support needs to be built into the program to assure the highest level of success.
• Teaching style. Instructors must use a variety of teaching methods in order to reach students who have not typically had success in traditional classroom settings. Instructors need the knowledge and credibility that comes from having practical work experience in the field and must be aware of techniques useful in teaching adult learners.

MATC has developed the Direct Support Professional Training Program as one model for trying to tackle many of these concerns to the benefit of all those involved. Collaborators include:

• Anoka-Hennepin Technical College. A Minnesota state college whose customized training department has provided the flexibility needed to transport the classroom portion of the DSP training program off campus to a location more accessible for program participants.
• Bristol Place Corporation. A private provider of residential and other mental health services that gave the initial impetus to development of the training program and which has continued to lend staffing support, instructors, student worksites, and other resources for planning and implementation of the program.
• Loring Nicollet-Bethlehem Community Center. A private non-profit social service agency offering employment and education services that aids with student recruitment and support and coordinates communication with student worksites.
• The Institute on Community Integration, University of Minnesota. A developmental disability research and training center that provides technical assistance on workshop development and training issues.
• Seven other human service providers. Contributors of worksites and financial sponsorship for program students. They are: Community Connections Partnership; Dungarvin Minnesota; Lutheran Social Services; Mary T, Inc.; REM Minnesota; St. Ann’s Residential Services; and Workabilities, Inc.

Briefly, the DSP training program recruits, educates, and supports people interested in working in the field of community-based supports for people with developmental disabilities and/or mental illness. The model is an 11-week program in which the participants are active 40 hours per week. After a one-week orientation, which includes all the required training necessary to be employed as a direct support worker in Minnesota, the participants spend the next 10 weeks splitting the 40 hours between classroom activities and on-site work experience.

This program offers advantages to both employers and program participants. For the employer, the advantages include the following:

• Well-trained potential employees.
• An opportunity to establish a relationship with the participant before hiring.
• Training and recruitment handled by others.
• Potential employees with a high level of commitment to the field.
• Two hundred hours of work by a trained person for the duration of the program at or below typical cost.

For the participant, the benefits are:

• Fifteen credits of college training with an opportunity to continue education after the initial certificate.
• A career pathway.
• Training that is completed over time and supplemented with experience so that learning is more efficient.
• Peer support and networking.
• A chance to “try out” an agency and a type of work (e.g. residential vs. vocational) before committing.
• More knowledge about employment choices/opportunities and the field in general.
• Support services and job placement assistance.

Some additional and unique components of the program are these:

• Education is from Anoka-Hennepin Technical College’s Community Supports Program (CSP), which is competency-based, field-initiated, and credit-bearing.
• Instructors in the CSP program have recent community work experience in the field. The content of the courses is very specific to the work, and consumers of services and their family members participate in the teaching.
• The coursework offered is part of a career path that could lead people to jobs that pay in the range of $24,000-$36,000 annual salary in a relatively short time.
• Recruitment yields much needed diversity among direct service staff.
• Financing for the program comes primarily through employer contributions.
• Student support is offered both during and after the program in areas such as childcare, transportation, workplace success strategies, etc.

Thus far, though development continues and many challenges still lie ahead, the training program has met many of its goals. MATC recently completed presentation of the program for the second time. Of the 27 students who have begun the training, 20 successfully completed the program. Of the eight graduates from the first round, seven were placed in direct service jobs and remain employed after six months. At the time of this article, 6 of the 12 most recent graduates were working permanently in the field, with most of the rest of the students expecting to be employed in the near future. These rates exceed state and national averages.

A look at the student make-up thus far demonstrates that the program is also delivering on the goal of increasing the diversity of the direct service work-force in Minnesota. Of students in the first two rounds of the program:

• 63% are people of color
• 52% receive public assistance
• 44% are single parents
• 30% are male
• 22% self-identified as having a disability
• 7% are non-native English speakers

As the Direct Support Professional Training Program grows, the MATC is constantly changing to meet the needs of its consumers (i.e. students, agencies). Complete funding for the program continues to be an area of needed development. Hopefully, the continuing success of the program will enable its expansion to serve greater numbers of people and agencies across the state of Minnesota.

Reference:

Larson, S.A. (1997). Recruitment issues for Minnesota agencies serving persons with developmental disabilities or severe and persistent mental illness. Final report. Minneapolis: Research and Training Center on Community Living, University of Minnesota.

Susan O’Nell is a Program Coordinator with the Research and Training Center on Community Living at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. She may be reached at 612/624-0386. John Westerman is Senior Employment Counselor with Loring Nicollet-Bethlehem, Minneapolis.

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Resources: Web Sites Related to Direct Support Workforce Development

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Citation: Gaylord, V., Hewitt, A., & Larson, S. (1998). Impact: Feature Issue on Direct Support Workforce Development, 10(4) [online]. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota, Institute on Community Integration. Available from http://ici.umn.edu/products/impact/104/.

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