“Meeting so many other direct support professionals who are passionate about making changes that are necessary to benefit the DSP workforce, and getting to know them over the course of the week, was very inspiring for me,” says Bridget Siljander of the Voices Institute. “And I learned so much about community organizing, coalition building, fundraising, issue campaigns. A very concentrated, organized, very focused training - basically, a boot camp in organizational development — is just what I needed at this point. I feel like I came away with an excellent toolkit for taking the next steps to develop my professional association.”
Siljander, a home health aide from Plymouth, Minnesota, and president of the Direct Support Professional Association of Minnesota, was one of 25 direct-care workers from 12 states who attended the Institute from May 18-23. The goal of the five-day intensive training, which was hosted by the Direct Care Alliance (DCA), was to help direct-care worker advocates develop their leadership skills.
“I think people came away with a lot more confidence in their abilities to tackle the goals to meet their mission,” Siljander says. “I saw people grow and blossom and say: ‘I can do this.’ It was a very powerful experience; we’re all still emailing each other. I don’t think it’s going to die down any time soon - not with this group!”
In her blog post about the institute, DCA Executive Director Leonila Vega wrote: “The events I witnessed at the Voices Institute Inaugural class reminded me of the gracious, generous and powerful nature of direct care workers and their ability to meet any challenge and thrive: flexibility, ability to solve problems, address crisis situations, balance challenging schedules are the stuff that the daily care-giving experience is made of.”
The instructors included long-term care consultant and personal coach Vera Salter, PHI’s MariaElena Del Valle, and Vega, John Booker, Roy Gedat and Bob Hudek of the DCA. “The attendees at the Direct Care Alliance were amazing: all highly motivated, powerful individuals who will surely create a grass-roots movement to change long-term care as we know it,” Salter says.
Elise Nakhnikian, Senior Online Editor
enakhnikian@phinational.org
I also was one of the lucky caregivers to participate in the Voices Institute training. I can tell you this training has changed my life. I feel empowered and believe that great thing will happen because DCA had a dream and made it a reality. THANK YOU DCA!! I feel like I have a new family. I would recommend this training to any caregiver who wants to become a leader.
I too am a member of the DCA’s inaugural class of the Voices Institute. I can’t thank the DCA and Roy Gedat enough for giving me the opportunity to participate. I had a wonderful experience.
I got to meet fellow direct care workers from across the country and learn of the challenges they face in their home states.
Iowa has come a long way and they won a tough battle! Direct care workers there will have health care insurance starting in 2010! That is fantastic! Go Vicki and Ray!
The training was very intense, but I came away with a feeling of empowerment I have never felt before. I find myself stating my affirmations over and over.
I am a direct care worker in Maine. I am also president of Maine’s Direct Care Worker Local, Chapter 771 of MSEA-SEIU 1989. Through my union affiliation, I am active with the Kennebec Valley Organization in Central Maine.
I too recommend this training to any direct care worker who wants to work towards change and is feeling a little overwhelmed at how to go about doing it.
The Voices Institute gives you power!
I was quite interested in becoming a “DSP - Registered”, but I feel the fee was a bit too expensive for someone who makes as little as I do in this field. It sounds as if there is quite a bit of useful knowledge in these classes, but again, when a direct support staff has to struggle just pay the basic rent, gas, insurance bills - this is kind of a luxury.
The caregivers who attended this training were lucky enough to receive a stipend for atending. I also have a very supportive workplace which helps alot. I guess if there is a will there is a way.
I understand the cost issue and that can be a barrier to pursuing one’s goals, but like Tracy said, there is a stipend to offset lost wages and costs of attending. Airfare, transportation, lodging, and meals were all covered by the Voices Institute on top of the stipend. I could not have attended without the stipend and expenses being covered. That is why this training is so accessible to Direct Care Workers; the cost factor is all but taken out of the equation. I would love to see every motivated DCW be able to take advantage of this incredible growth opportunity!
I am a direct support professional who was privilaged enough to be able to attend this wonderful workshop. Not only were we able to stay at the most beautiful place in Wisconsin we were able to focus on what we were sent here to do. We learned alot about how to build boards, how to get along with your supervisors, how to campaign and recruit members. This was a very enlightening week for me. And I have built friendships with people that I never would have with out this wonderful experience.
Thank you to the DCA and the Voices Institue for giving us the POWER to do what we need to do to make the direct care work force a huge success.
I look forward to the up coming challenges I face as a DSP and will face them head on.
Thank you again!!
I was also given the opportunity to attend the Voices Institute. I’m an employment specialist working with adults with disabilties and also the Vice Chair of the Direct Support Professional Association of Minnesota (DSPAM). It was an amazing and life changing experience. I read that many people worry about the cost and how it will take away from work, but in the end, I think everyone can benefit from this experience. Going to the training I wasn’t sure what I was getting myself into, but coming out I realized what power and abilities I do possess.
The staff were amazing to all of us and helped us all see the potential we all have. Thank you to all!
Lindsay
Thanks to everyone. YOU ALL WERE GREAT…..Each and everyone of you. A big thank you to the DCA..
My toolkit is now overloaded, it’s time to start the “BIG JOB” lets all work together, and remember “BE FOCUSED” we are and have the POWER!!!!
Again your all great.
Dear National Leadership Trainers,
I would like to thank the DCA training staff foe all the work you did. It was a long week of sessions, but you all were great. We all walked away with a lot of new knowledge for us to take back to our home states. I hope you enjoy the gifts that Ray and I made for you. I know we didnt have to do what we did, but I enjoy doing small things like that. I saw everybody grow together as a team during that week.
Bob, you did a great job getting 24 people together to sit and listen to you for five days.
Vera, you did a really good job. I enjoyed the walks w/ you in the mornings before class. You taught us a lot of new knowledge that we could use.
Roy, you did a great job pulling all these people together. The webinars were great. I enjoyed taking walks w/ you before class. I can’t wait for Bridget and I tho help you to get ready for the next webinar.
John, you sre really great b/c you lifted my spirits up. You did a great job also. I liked listening to youspeak and telling us that we ahave a voice. I also want to tell you and MariaElena are my inpiratin to keep my hopes up. Again, congradulation on being the new president of the DCA.
MariaElena, you did a really great job during the training sessions. You taught me more new things that I didn’t know. So thank you very much.I wish we were closer so we could talk to each other more. I will just have to email you more. I feel we have been growing w/ each other when we started in DC for the first DCA conference for the ICA.
Leonila, I thank you for all the hard work you did getting this retreat together for all of us. This retreat has made me look at things a different way than I have in the past. Remember, if you have any tasks that needs done, please call me. I can do it from home.
I know all of you pushed us hard, but it was all worth it. I hope we can get together again soon. Liek I said, thank you for all the hard work you did.
Take care:
Vicki Erickson CNA/AC/ CNA Mentor
Iowa
Thank you again Voices Institute for giving me a push that has energized me even more in my work for my Minnesota chapter, Direct Support Professional Association of Minnesota. We are a chapter of the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP). I submitted a blog on June 3rd to the NADSP website about my experience in the Voices Institute. Check it out at http://nadsp.org/blog/.