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Self-Directed Work Teams: An International Learning Experience at Vinfen
by Harry E. Dumay and Elisa Velardo
Leading views in the field of social services suggest that there exists a direct correlation between staff competence, the quality of work life for staff, and the valorization of the social role played by the people that they serve. The less qualified the staff and the less they – and society – value their role, the less valued will be the people who receive their services, and vice versa. As we seek social role valorization for people with disabilities, it becomes evident that one of the ways to proceed may be to promote intrinsic and extrinsic appreciation for the role of direct support practitioners. How do you create a more positive view of the role of the direct support worker both within the staff person and in society at large? Other countries, particularly in Northern Europe, have grappled with that question and are at different levels in their attempt to answer it. Some comparisons across cultures and across social welfare systems seem, therefore, relevant.
ILEX and Social Pedagogy
The International Learning Exchange (ILEX) in Social Pedagogy Program is an organization whose mission is to foster mutually beneficial learning experiences between American social service workers and their European counterparts. Social pedagogy is a professionalized practice of direct support in which reflective teamwork, cross-discipline exchange, and a holistic awareness of the individual’s reality are used in the habilitative/ rehabilitative model. Based in Maine and affiliated with several American and international universities, ILEX operates on the premise that the American social service workforce is professionally lagging behind that of other developed nations. ILEX materializes this exchange by recruiting European social pedagogues and bringing them into American social service agencies for a one-year period. The fellows spend the year as bona fide direct support staff members, learning about the American system and sharing their understanding of support provision.
Vinfen Corporation contracted with ILEX to obtain one such fellow in September 1996. Latifa Chakir Alaoui is an Educatrice Specialisee from Switzerland. She came to work at Vinfen Corporation in the Co-Op Network, a program that provides support for people as they learn to live in their apartments or as they maintain the skills of independent living. In addition to her role as a case manager for three women and one man, Latifa’s special assignment was to critically observe Vinfen’s practices. She was invited to share her observations through one-to-one contacts with her colleagues, through regular supervision, and through the introduction of pertinent brainstorming topics during staff meetings. Through that process, she was able to inquire about aspects of our support provision, share her philosophy of direct support practice, and spark discussions about alternative practices.
As we explored our differences and the rationale for their existence, we realized that our services could be improved in two areas by the introduction of some of the elements of social pedagogy:
- A more holistic approach to support provision. We function with a very result-oriented approach. The Individual Support Plan is constituted of goals or outcomes that are often met in incremental steps. While we focus on obtaining immediate results through the use of behavior modification techniques or planned interventions, we sometimes lose sight of the real causes of the individual’s socially non-adaptive ways. Spending more time on the deeper needs of the individual may create longer lasting results.
- Use of team work. Our need to maintain adequate supervisory support, along with the high staff turnover rate and the limitations on the salary of direct support workers, leads to an organizational structure with multiple layers. The social pedagogy model calls for a team structure in which equally competent staff work side-by-side.
In the remainder of this article, we will share our experience in this latter area of teamwork.
The Self-Directed Work Team
Very soon after Latifa’s arrival, a dialogue began on the merits of the hierarchical structure. Why, we were asked, is there a need for supervisors who supervise managers who supervise staff? And why not eliminate a layer and invest the savings into the direct support staff? The sensitivity of eliminating a position notwithstanding, it became evident that empowering staff and encouraging them to develop professionally could only be beneficial to all. In consultation with the existing staff, the program structure was reorganized.
In February 1997, the self-directed work team model was implemented as an alternative to the hierarchical management structure. The team is responsible for quality support services and makes decisions in regard to task assignments and work methods. The duties formerly performed by the manager were assumed by team members. As the responsibilities of the team members increased, so did their compensation. Team members received an average increase of 10%, and their titles changed from Residential Counselors to Case Worker/Managers. Administrative support is focused on training staff and facilitating the transition process, providing examples of successful implementation of this management style, and clarifying the strategies and focus of the program. Additional support is provided when the team has unresolved issues (e.g., unclear roles, non-team players, lack of skills). The team has autonomy to problem-solve daily decisions without input from upper management. The team also has shared responsibilities and provides each other with constructive feedback. Continuous dialogue and reflection on work quality and on issues faced in the support provision are fundamental to the team spirit. Once the individuals are trained, management empowers staff with the responsibilities of the program.
The advantage of a self-directed team is that everyone’s judgment is utilized in a continuous brainstorming process. Nowhere is it more true that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Every member’s ideas regarding working effectively, increasing consumers’ quality of life, or managing crises is given respectful hearing and discussion. Empowering these individuals gives them ownership, which, in turn, improves the quality of service in very concrete ways. For example, team members feel comfortable assertively advocating for the individuals that they serve. The increased integration and communication have resulted in a team that is able to provide a seamless system of support, and the individuals served benefit from having the back-up of other staff when their primary support staff is away. Finally, the self-directed team model provides each team member with opportunities to develop leadership skills without the need to move away from direct service.
The Co-Op Network is still facing some challenges in being a self-directed team. For example, team members must constantly remind themselves that differences in personalities and styles should not hinder communication. In addition, giving and receiving constructive feedback in a neutral atmosphere is a laborious learning experience. Other challenges which we prepared for, but have not experienced to a great extent, include a lack of time or of will to participate in the exchange process, the fear of exposing one’s work to collective judgment, and ideological as well as professional conflicts. However, given the accomplishments of just a few months, and the tangible overall sense of individual and collective growth, we all agree that it is worth the effort.
Empowering staff, encouraging professional development, equipping them with more sophisticated approaches to direct-support practice, without a doubt, help to create that feeling of intrinsic value. Changing the way society views the role of the direct support staff, however, is not within the control of Vinfen Corporation, even less of the Co-Op Network. It is an endeavor that requires the establishment of a national effort in human services to develop competitive compensation for direct support staff, and professionalization of the practice.
Harry E. Dumay is Divisional Finance Director, and Elisa Velardo is Director of Service with Vinfen Corporation, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Harry may be reached at 617/441-1709 and Elisa at 617/441-1745.
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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/. __________ Hard copies of Impact are available from the Publications Office of the Institute on Community Integration. The first copy of this issue is free; additional copies are $4 each. You can request copies by phone at 612-624-4512 or E-mail at icipub@umn.edu, or you can fax or mail us an order form. See our listing of other issues of Impact for more information. The print design version (PDF, 448K, 28 pp.) of this issue of Impact is also available for free, complete with the color layout and photographs. This version looks the most like the newsletter as it was printed. The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity employer and educator.
