PATHS News…
PATHS Featured in Pipeline Newsletter
Excerpt of article from ODMRDD publication Pipeline Newsletter on June 13, 2007 - Volume 1 Issue 11: [ PDF Version ]
Professional Advancement through Training and Education in Human Services (PATHS) Boasts Statewide Framework, Coordinated Curriculum, Qualified Graduates
PATHS, a program of the Ohio Association of Direct Support Professionals, is an award-winning voluntary credentialing program for direct support professionals who work with individuals with MRDD in Ohio. According to PATHS project manager, Amy Gerowitz, approximately 40 people will graduate, statewide, during the next few months, and in total there have been about 300 graduates earning the PATHS Certificate of Initial Proficiency.
Gerowitz also noted that at a recent event in Dayton, twelve students were graduated, and congratulated by ODMRDD Director, John L. Martin. Director Martin provided the keynote address, and the luncheon was catered by the Montgomery County Board of MRDD Food Service Division employees. Attending the graduation ceremony were more than 50 self-advocates, parents, staff, families, administrators and agency board members.
PATHS graduates are very enthusiastic about this training. As Dayton graduate Beverly Bradsher commented,
"PATHS is an excellent training program, as it gives an extensive overview of this field.
It has given me a new perspective on how to provide the best care for the people I support."
Graduate Nafeesa Huff stated,
"PATHS helped me gain confidence to pursue a management position, and it is helping me succeed in that position."
And, Stacey Krohn (BitterSweet Farms) shared these thoughts:
"First off, I just want to tell you that this program has completely changed the way I do my job.
I have learned new skills that have made me a better direct care staff person.
I have found a voice that I thought I lost."
PATHS began in 2001 as a result of a grant from the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council that continued through 2006. PATHS also received financial support from the ODMRDD in 2001, and again in 2006-07, along with support from the Department of Labor in 2004. Significant in-kind support also has been received from agencies and individuals.
Gerowitz explains that PATHS, " ... provides an opportunity for direct support professionals to participate in a credentialing program that offers state of the art, person-focused knowledge to help support people with disabilities wherever they live and work. It also provides a career ladder so that direct support professionals will be more likely to stay in this field, gain professional knowledge and stability, and have a long lasting career with advancement opportunities, rather than 'just a job.' In addition, staff turnover may be reduced and funds allocated to creating a competent career force, rather than on turnover and recruitment activities."
PATHS provides an opportunity for direct support professionals to participate in a credentialing program that gives them state of the art, person-focused knowledge so that they can help support people with disabilities wherever they live and work.
Summer News
Class Schedules Posted
Schedules for both Certificate of Initial Proficiency and Certificate of Advanced Proficiency classes have been posted on the respective regional pages. Please check there for exact dates and contact information.
ODMR/DD Supports PATHS
Excerpted from ODMRDD Visions Newsletter dated 5/19/06:
An award winning program to develop a voluntary credentialing program for direct support professionals in Ohio
As director of the Ohio Department of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (ODMR/DD), Kenneth Ritchey recognizes the importance of a well-trained staff. That is why he recently awarded grant funding to the Ohio Association of Direct Support Professional's (OADSP) to ensure permanence and sustainability in its workforce development program. Known as PATHS (Professional Advancement Through Training and Education in Human Services), this credentialing program provides direct-support professionals in Ohio with high quality training.
The department funding will be used to develop the curriculum into easily accessible kits, create new courses for PATHS instructors and front line supervisors, and provide technical assistance to new areas of the state or organizations that wish to participate. In addition, and most significantly, it is an opportunity for independent providers and others wishing to participate in PATHS to receive stipends to help with the cost of tuition.
In January 2001, a collaborative group of people with disabilities, family members, private providers, local and state government officials, and policy makers, initiated PATHS to develop a quality direct-support professional credentialing program in Ohio. Financial support has been provided by the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council each year since it began. Additional financial support also has been provided by the Ohio Department of MRDD, the Ohio Department of Labor, and by individual county boards of mental retardation. Significant in-kind and volunteer support also has been received from individuals and organizations throughout Ohio.
Fatica Ayers, Policy Analyst at the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council, spoke of their support of PATHS. She states, "Council recognizes that the statewide impact of PATHS is vital to quality supports and choice. Through its continued and ongoing support of PATHS, Council urges all stakeholders to help make direct support professional credentialing a permanent way we do business in Ohio."
In 2004, PATHS was awarded the Moving Mountains Award. The National Association of Direct Support Professionals and the Research and Training Center on Community Living at the University of Minnesota base this prestigious recognition on both a nomination process and a site evaluation.
The premise is based on the belief that a well-trained direct-support professional workforce will see itself as being on a career path, rather than as an easily replaceable commodity. This focus will significantly add to the quality of life of people with disabilities.
Other added benefits to be derived from PATHS include a reduction in staff turnover, and an increase in dollars spent to increase quality, rather than a revolving door of new staff. In addition, it creates improved choice for people who need and want the support of direct support professionals who have been awarded the PATHS credential.
Around the state of Ohio, the support for PATHS is growing, Cheryl Phipps, Superintendent of the Hamilton County Board of MRDD noted, "PATHS is bringing a new sense of professionalism to direct service staff members in the MRDD arena. We support it fully and with enthusiasm in Hamilton County, and encourage other county boards and provider agencies to do so."