This week is Direct Support Professional Recognition Week!
Direct Support Professionals are the backbone and foundation of our mission. It is their work that creates inclusive spaces in our communities for people with disabilities. It is also through Direct Support Professionals that communities learn how to sustainably maintain those inclusive spaces while working to create more.
Direct Support Professionals, we greatly appreciate you.
Juaneva Forbush is one of 20 ASN Direct Support Professionals who recently applied for and was accepted to ASN’s pilot training program, the ASN DSP Academy. As a member of the academy, she was given access to the full curriculum of Open Future Learning, access to the NADSP E-badge Academy, and additional ASN-based support, as needed. Juaneva completed all requirements and received the National Alliance of Direct Support Professionals’ certification for DSP-1 on February 24, 2020, making her the first DSP-1 certified through NADSP’s E-badge Academy in Arkansas. Juaneva, who has worked as a DSP at ASN for almost 10 years, received a completion bonus and an hourly raise for completing her DSP-1 certification, and everyone at ASN is extremely proud of her and her accomplishment.
Below, Juaneva shares her experiences pursuing DSP-1 certification through Arkansas Support Network.
Direct support professional. What does that mean to you? To me, the term professional implies that there is a definite skill set and concrete standards that pertain to the position. I am happy to see ASN partnering with NADSP (National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals) to promote a higher level of skill and training for direct support professionals. Setting the bar higher for support staff should improve the quality of services that we provide.
I recently had the opportunity to participate in this partnership by pursuing certification as a DSP 1 through the NADSP ebadge program. This involved 50 hours of additional training and at least 13 essay submissions. The entire process was pretty straightforward. I feel like the entire experience provided valuable knowledge, insight,and perspective that I, as well as everyone providing direct support, can utilize in working with individuals who have disabilities.
With the availability of audio learning modules on the training website, it was pretty easy to complete the required training fairly quickly as these modules can be done while doing other tasks at the same time. The trainings were easy to follow and a real step up from the trainings that we had when I first started working at ASN.
The ebadge program essay submission process was clearly explained on the website. The only thing that I noticed that was a little awkward is that once you have submitted an essay, to check the status of your submission you have to go through multiple steps/multiple web pages to get that information.
For me personally, the hardest part of the entire process was waiting on my submissions to be reviewed and approved or denied. It was also a bit intimidating not knowing exactly how in depth to write for each submission,not knowing for sure how strenuous the criteria really are. I had to resubmit a few because I hadn’t gone into enough detail. Some of my submissions took nearly a week to be reviewed. Others were reviewed in less than 24 hours. How long a submission awaited review did not seem to have anything to do with whether it would be approved either. I actually submitted more than the required 13 because I thought that some of my submissions were probably going to get denied since they had been awaiting review for so long compared to some of the others.
For my fellow support staff who are pursuing this certification, I would suggest that when writing essays you explain the prompts with the presumption that you are addressing someone completely unfamiliar with what we do. Make sure to relate each submission to the code of ethics and emphasize the importance of letting the person/people you support make choices for themselves and the ways that you do so in your own work. Read carefully the comments/feedback if you have a submission rejected as it will tell you why it was denied.
To me this represents both personal growth and development of my skills and growth and development for the future of the entire field of direct support! I look forward to seeing this type of service model become even more of the standard for how we work with the individuals we support!
Written by: Juaneva Forbush
Are you interested in learning more about how to ensure person-centered, community based support for people with disabilities? We’d love for you to join us as we have community dialogues about the direct support profession throughout the year in preparation for the next Arkansas legislative session.
At Arkansas Support Network, the relationships formed between our staff and those we support are invaluable. On November 3rd, Dallas voted for the first time with his support staff, Jim. Jim was so happy for Dallas and his new milestone that he wanted to share the experience with everyone.
Jim: Dallas went to a self advocacy meeting over at the main building back in October. One of the things they talked about there was voting and they passed out voting registration forms. Dallas took a form home. We went over it together, filled it out, and mailed it in. A few weeks later, he received his voter ID card. I went to a voter ID website and pulled up Dallas’s voter information. It told us where he was registered to vote. I was also able to pull up a sample ballot. I printed out the sample ballot along with some candidate and ballot information. Dallas and I went to the library where I gave Dallas that information. I read it to him. He told me who he wanted to vote for and filled out his sample ballot. Then, we used that sample ballot when we went down to the election. When we got to the electronic booth on Voting Day, it looked pretty much the same as the sample ballot we filled out beforehand.
How was Voting Day? Jim: It was good! We went down to the courthouse, got in line. There was about a 15 to 20 minute wait in line but it went by pretty quickly. He was pretty excited when he got done. There was a line of people out the door. On the way out the door, he was shaking hands and pointed at his ‘I Voted’ sticker while giving out high fives. He was really excited about it.
Do you feel like Dallas will want to vote again? Jim: Yes. He was so excited. He will definitely want to vote again.
As his support, how did you feel when Dallas voted? Jim: I was excited for him! When he was going out shaking hands and giving high fives, I thought,
“Anybody who decides that they don’t want to go out and vote for whatever reason needs to see how excited he was and maybe that would change their attitude about voting”.
Dallas: Jim, he is the best friend I have and a good man.
To learn more information about programs offered at ASN, visit our home page at www.supports.org.
As a friend and supporter of Arkansas Support Network, you know that our mission is to recognize and support every person’s right to be included in the life of the community. However, you may not know the impact your support has on your neighbors and community members who rely on ASN’s assistance to live active, meaningful lives in communities all across Arkansas, while experiencing significant disabilities and being overlooked as valuable, contributing citizens.
One amazing person who has benefited from ASN’s support is John. As a man with autism who is non-verbal and relies on his own specially modified form of facilitated communication, John has experienced being overlooked and underestimated most of his life. As a young person, John was believed to have significant intellectual limitations until he taught his high school aids how to support him to communicate. In 2002, John journeyed through the process of purchasing a quaint little home in downtown Bentonville. He observed as the professionals he partnered with to purchase his home assumed he was “stupid” because he didn’t talk, despite him securing property in one of the country’s fastest growing regions. This year, John negotiated an amazing deal to sell his home at four times its value while securing a lifetime, rent-free lease to remain in the home he loves so much. Everyone who knows him was reminded, once again, that John is an amazing person, living an amazing life. Here, at ASN, we are fortunate to be a part of it.
Since John began receiving ASN services in 1989, he has benefited from many donor-funded supports provided through ASN. During the time his fixed monthly income wasn’t enough to cover the costs of home ownership, ASN was able to provide additional financial resources through custodial accounts provided by our Community Living Services program to ensure his needs were met. If holiday seasons added additional costs to a tight budget, ASN’sHoliday Giving program was there to ensure joyful holidays. As John sought to participate in fun and welcoming community events, ASN’s Recreation Program offered a wide variety of inclusive and welcoming activities to participate in.
Just like hundreds of other individuals who receive funding for specific services at ASN, the supports John receives has always stretched beyond available funding to ensure he is able to live the life he desires in the community and home of his choosing.
Today, we invite you to make an end-of-year contribution to Arkansas Support Network. You can make a one-time donation or schedule reoccurring gifts at www.supports.org/donate. With your gift, we will be able to continue providing valuable services that are not possible without generous donor contributions!
We cannot thank you enough for the tremendous love and support you have shown to Arkansas Support Network in 2018! We look forward to another year of supporting choices and opportunities for individuals with disabilities and their families!
Thirty years ago, it began with a dream, a cause that couldn’t be ignored, and remarkable perseverance. Six mothers came together to combat the ideology that individuals with disabilities need to be placed in institutions. These brave women worked tirelessly to teach the opposite; that when people with disabilities are put in the heart of our community, it’s advantageous for everyone. That because an individual has a disability, it doesn’t take away their power of choice.
On July 18th, the Arkansas Support Network was proud to hold its 25th Honor’s Luncheon on our 30th anniversary. We were grateful for the opportunity to honor our staff and local community members who may not always get the amount of recognition they deserve. These amazing people work tirelessly not for themselves, but for a cause bigger than any one person. We were able to share memories we will always cherish, celebrate one another, laugh about our experiences, and cry together.
Because providing support for individuals doesn’t always allow for days off, many of our honorees weren’t able to make it to the banquet. However, we don’t want anyone to miss out on some of the memories shared and great people celebrated. Take a look below at a few of our most memorable moments during our annual honors luncheon.
-Written by: Brent Barker
KEITH VIRE THROWING STARFISH AWARD
Recipients:ASN Founding Mothers- Lynn Carver, Brenda Gooch, Pam Biesiot, Debbie Lutke, Kerry George, and Julie Stroud
COMMUNITY DISTINCTION AWARD
Recipients: Tim Womack, Hal Capps
REAGAN EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION AWARD
Recipients: Amanda McCaslin, Sharon Michaels
CHAMPION OF SOCIAL JUSTICE AWARD
Recipients: Disability Rights Arkansas, Arkansas Advocates for Children & Families
EMPLOYER RECOGNIITION AWARD
Recipients: The Egg and I (Fort Smith) Rockin’ Baker Academy
PAM BIESIOT MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
Recipients: Destanee Applewhite, Veronica Jones
VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION AWARDS
Recipients: Donna Bell The Barker Family
SERVICE RECOGNITION AWARD
Recipient: Don Johnson
LINDA ANDREWS ABOVE AND BEYOND AWARD
Recipients: Laura Carr, Kenny Brewer
JEFF NOLTE OUTSTANDING PARENT ADVOCATE AWARD
Recipients: Teresa McChristian, Maribel Elizalde
RYAN SUTTON/MARTIN LOVELACE-CHANDLER OUTSTANDING SELF-ADVOCATE AWARD
Recipients: Eunice Curtis, John Miller
OUTSTANDING PHILANTRHROPIST AWARD
Recipients: Lynn and Joel Carver
5 Year Award Honorees
Max Miller
Anthony McCool
Robert Bell
Teri Shumate
Richard Dugan
Kelly Cudmore
Tammy Easter
Byron Morgan
Gwendolyn Campbell
Trichia Cudmore
Dylan Watson
Dawn Farris
David Ames
Lashawna Wise
Jason Carlson
Caitlin Randall
Aaron Richardson
Katherine Mosby
Christopher Collins
Isis Trautman
Erica Harvey Hill
Mario Trecanao
Jonathan Hawkins
Autumn Castro
Oscar Vasquez
Rebecca Tuck
Katrina Cooks
Saxony McDaniel
Brandi Cole
Viviana Hernandez
Janet O’Neal
Christopher Brace
Bobby Lee
Arnell Gibson
Carmen Gonzalez
Lucinda Wilson
Tammie Rogers
The Jeff Nolte Outstanding Parent Award is presented to a parent who regularly and effectively advocates for inclusive supports, both in the educational system and in the community. Check out what ASN employees and friends had to say about this year’s nominees below.
The Ryan Sutton/Martin Lovelace-Chandler award is presented to a self-advocate who exemplifies the determination and hard work that Ryan Sutton and Martin Lovelace-Chandler displayed throughout their lives. Check out what ASN friends and staff had to say about this year’s honorees below.
Ten Year Awards Honorees
Fifteen Year Awards Honorees
Twenty Year Award Honorees
Twenty-Five Year Award Honorees
Randall Robinson
Patricia White
Dextric Miller
Charles Means
Maria Newgent
Keith Curry
Billy Perkins
Cheryl Walker-Robley
Christopher Michaels
Kevin Warren
David Garmoe
Alina Kelley
Lorraine Stuthers
Steve Taylor
Eric Thomas
Mark White
This year, we had the pleasure of honoring the fantastic careers of Charles Means and Billy Perkins. Check out our ASN tribute to them below.
We are grateful for every person in our ASN family. We look forward to celebrating you again next year.
In less than a week, Arkansas Support Network (ASN) is celebrating its 30th Anniversary during our 25th Annual Honors Luncheon. For 30 years, we have partnered with hundreds of families to ensure access to quality of life for those who have developmental disabilities. Our mission has involved educating Arkansas communities about the value of cultivating inclusive environments for the individuals and families we have supported over the years. These efforts would not be possible without the hard work and dedication of ASN staff and supporters.
This summer, Tyson Foods and United Way of Northwest Arkansas collaborated to create an internship program that provides young adults the experience of working in nonprofits across Northwest Arkansas. Their collaboration has given us the wonderful opportunity to meet our summer marketing intern, Brent Barker. Through a series of interviews and meetings with longtime ASN staff and supporters, Brent is collecting stories that demonstrate the journey of our mission during the past 30 years. After gathering these stories, Brent works to create new video and social media content. By doing so, Brent is developing an easier way for our supporters to access the experiences of our ASN family. We look forward to sharing these stories with you in the upcoming months.
In the meantime, let’s get to know Brent!
Tell us a little bit about yourself. My name is Brent Barker and I’m going to be a Senior Marketing major at the University of Central Arkansas! I’m from the small town of Gentry where I was proud to call myself a Pioneer and represent maroon and white on the basketball court and baseball diamond. After high school, I decided to attend the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith, but decided that home for me was a little further South East in Conway, the rapidly growing “city of colleges.” I transferred down for my sophomore year and haven’t looked back. From the moment I arrived, I knew I had made the right choose in joining “Bear Nation.” I joined the Kappa Sigma Fraternity, where I was able to cultivate and grow in my leadership skills and meet people who I’ll have relationships with for the remainder of my life. I currently hold the Recruitment chair position, and have previously managed all Public Relations aspects of the fraternity as the PR chair. I am currently enjoying getting to make a difference here in my local community working as a Marketing Intern at ASN, and am proud to help other students as the Program Marketing Assistant for Career Services during the school year at UCA.
How are you liking Northwest Arkansas? I was raised my entire life in Northwest Arkansas in Gentry, so this will always be my home. As much as I love Central Arkansas and appreciate all of the unforgettable memories, I always knew I would end up right back where it all began – In the beautiful Ozark mountains.
How did you first learn about Arkansas Support Network? My sister had previously worked at ASN so I knew a little bit about the company and it’s mission and goals, and I thought it would be a great place to gain experience while also getting a chance to try making a difference in the community!
What is a typical day like for you at Arkansas Support Network? My days can be very different depending on the project I’m working on. I’ve recently been creating different videos and content for our 30th Anniversary Luncheon. So I’ve been all around Northwest Arkansas capturing footage and interviewing different people. I recently was fortunate enough to go to the Amazeum in Bentonville (near Crystal Bridges) with our Kid’s Club Program. I had an awesome time hanging out with the kids and getting footage of them having a blast!
What led you to the field of marketing? I have always been interested in business. My dad has been a business owner and my mother is in HR. I think being around them sparked an interest at a young age for me, so I started out as a business administration major. I knew I really enjoyed my business courses and that I wanted to do something in that field, but it wasn’t until I went into my junior year where I realized marketing was a great fit for me. I love people, the psychology behind how and why people think a certain way, and really enjoy the technological side of it as well. Making videos, promoting a service, event, or product, and being able to tell a story through videos and a variety of mediums, I felt very passionate about the work I was doing. I also started working for Career Services in a Marketing role which helped me gain invaluable Marketing experience early on.
What has been your favorite moment so far during your time with ASN? One thing that immediately stood out to me was the morning of my second day of work I had a meeting at our home office with my supervisor, Kisha Snell, and Syard Evans, the CEO of ASN. I remember walking into the office wondering how many interns even get the opportunity to meet the CEO of their company, let alone discuss different ideas and projects. One of my favorite parts of the job has been getting to meet and develop relationships with so many different people – coworkers and the people who ASN supports.
Now that you have spent time with both employees and people who are supported by ASN, what is something you would want your community to know about Arkansas Support Network? I would want everyone to know how much effort and pride employees of ASN put into their jobs. Driven by a cause much bigger than themselves, ASN employees aren’t here for just a pay check. They are here to make a difference. Our direct support and in home staff might not get all the recognition and glory they deserve, but they don’t mind. They are here to create a more inclusive community for everyone and support independence, and as long as there are people who need support, ASN will continue to be a leader in the community.
Arkansas Support Network will host its 25th annual Honors Luncheon along with celebrating ASN’s 30th anniversary on Wednesday, July 18, 2018, at 11:30am at Mermaids in Fayetteville. The event will celebrate community leaders, dedicated employees, inclusive communities, and 30 years of providing choices and opportunities for individuals with disabilities and their families.
In addition to tenure awards for ASN employees, community awards will be given. Do you know someone deserving of one of the awards listed below? Use the link below send in your nomination. Nominations close on May 31st.
Linda Andrews Above and Beyond
Presented annually to honor those individuals who put service to others above service to self and dedicate their lives to building a world of acceptance and inclusiveness. Linda Andrews has dedicated her life to making that world a reality.
Community Distinction
Given to an individual or business for their continuing efforts to help create a caring and inclusive community.
Jeff Nolte Outstanding Parent Advocate Award
Presented annually to honor those parents who spare no expense and cut no corners in their continuing efforts to ensure that their children have the opportunity to live in an inclusive and welcoming community.
Ryan Sutton/Martin Lovelace-Chandler Outstanding Self-Advocate Award
Presented annually to honor a self-advocate who exemplifies the grit, determination, and hard work required of those who would change the world. Ryan Sutton was a fighter who would accept nothing less than excellence of himself and of those around him.
The Pam Biesiot Memorial Scholarship honors the life and work of Pam Biesiot who dedicated her life to assisting individuals with disabilities. Pam was one of the “founding mothers” of Arkansas Support Network, and without her hard work and dedication, we would not be here today. Our goal is to find others who believe passionately that no one should live in an institution.
We will award at least one annual scholarship to assist with any eligible educational endeavor.
Lawrence, KS – The University of Kansas has invited our very own, Dr. Syard Evans, to be a keynote speaker on April 9th, 2018, at an event titled “Embrace Your Voice.” This event is part of Sexual Assault Awareness Month at the campus. Dr. Evans will join Ms. Sara Li, founder of Project Consent and Mr. Tony Porter, founder of A Call To Men and TED Speaker.
Each activist will speak for 20 minutes to the entire audience in a keynote-style presentation. The audience will then self-select a 40-minute breakout workshop with the presenter whose voice most reflects their own, to cultivate their future activism goals.
Jen Brockman, Director of the Sexual Assault Prevention and Education Center at the University of Kansas said she is “thrilled to partner with Dr. Evans. We believe the partnership of these three speakers at this event would galvanize students from many identities towards real change and activism at the University of Kansas.”
Dr.Evans is excited and honored to have this opportunity.
“Being an effective ally and advocate requires us to invest in the work of disarming our personal privileges and power so as to not bring further harm to those we wish to support. I’m excited and honored to be able to share my own, on-going, journey to effective allyship and strategies necessary to avoid harming when we intend to help at the University of Kansas as they recognize and commemorate Sexual Assault Awareness Month.”
Justin Zielke becomes first Heritage High School Student receiving special education services to be inducted into National Honor Society (NHS).
There are no limits for those with developmental disabilities when provided the right amount of support.
Justin Zielke is a student at Heritage High School in Rogers, who receives special education services. In 2016, he was nominated for National Honor Society but was not chosen. He was nominated once again this year. His direct support staff professional, Jason Dowd, was determined to support Justin in becoming more competitive for this honor. Jason is an employee of Arkansas Support Network and has worked with Justin for about seven years.
Jason contacted Justin’s NHS sponsor and asked how Justin could improve his chances of being chosen this year. The reply was that Justin lacked leadership skills. Jason got together with Justin’s, family, and support team at school to brainstorm ideas about how to demonstrate Justin’s leadership skills. Justin’s mom contacted his counselor at Camp Barnabas. The Camp Barnabas counselor said Justin was absolutely a leader. He served as a Cabin Leader, lead the songs at nighttime, was always encouraging of his peers, and kept everyone on schedule. Justin’s Camp Barnabas counselor was such a believer in his leadership skills, she volunteered to be a reference on the application.
The team then began to talk to people in Justin’s community. They learned that Justin recruits others to join him in various charity walks. Numerous individuals said he was always cheering for and uplifting others, and he is the first one on the dance floor at dances. Justin even asked a girl he didn’t know to dance with him at homecoming. Justin is indeed a leader!
Justin hand wrote an essay as part of the application process. The school had never had a student who received special education services become a National Honor Student, so they had many questions for Justin’s team. They wondered if he could sit still in meetings and the ceremony, participate in community service, and be safe during all of the activities associated with the honor. After Justin’s parents, Jason, and the school team answered all questions and came up with a plan to provide proper support to Justin throughout the activities, Justin became the first student receiving special education services in Heritage High School history to be inducted into National Honor Society!
Congratulations Justin! Your Arkansas Support Network family is incredibly proud of you.
Thank you, Jason and all of Justin’s support team for exemplifying the mission and values of ASN and providing the right amount of support to help Justin achieve his goal.
As we come to the end of our five days of recognizing outstanding Direct Support Professionals at ASN, we cannot say “Thank You” enough to all of the exceptional support staff who make a difference for the people we support every day. Arkansas Support Network and the mission of our organization would not exist without these wonderful people, and, more importantly, hundreds of individuals with disabilities would not be able to live active lives in their communities without the support of this incredible group.
Here are a few more examples of the exceptional group of direct support professionals at ASN. Make sure to read all of this week’s posts to meet other ASN DSPs.
Maria Newgenthas worked for ASN for approximately seven years. She has provided supports to the same person throughout her entire tenure at ASN. The individual Maria supports had a significant reputation for being difficult to support. The person is non-verbal and relied primarily on negative behavior to communicate her wants, needs, and emotions. The individual also was not able to tend to the basic daily living tasks of maintaining her health, hygiene, and living environment. Maria committed to providing consistency, stability, care, and compassion to this person from the very first day she worked with her. Maria worked hard to establish a functional communication method to alleviate the individual’s need to rely on negative behavior, and Maria has worked tirelessly to assist the individual she supports to increase her independence and take control of her personal routines. Today, the person Maria supports lives a comfortable, stable life in her own home. Many people never believed this life was possible for this young lady. Maria not only believed, she went above and beyond to do whatever was necessary to support the person to get here. Maria has truly made a life-changing difference for this individual, and we are so grateful for her dedication.
Felicitas Vega has provided supports through ASN for over nine years. During that time she has provided supports to a number of individuals and has developed respectful and endearing relationships with every person she supports. Felicitas is always willing to go above and behavior and is flexible in meeting the needs of the individuals she supports. She works hard to include the individuals she supports in their communities and supports their participation in the activities that bring them joy.
Gordon Ochieng has worked for ASN for over nine years as well, and in that time he’s benefited many individuals receiving services from ASN and their support teams with his patient and comforting support. He works well with every, including a wide variety of individuals receiving services, families, professionals, his support team, and any other players involved in the lives of the people he supports. Gordon is great and assisting individuals to access their communities and is always willing to put in extra time, effort, and energy to support individuals and teams. He not only improves the quality of life for the people he supports, he makes ASN and his teams better.
We have thoroughly enjoyed introducing you to a small sampling of some of the great people who work at ASN to recognize Direct Support Professionals Week. Thank you for reading and learning about these important employees. We can never recognize and appreciate these folks enough for the valuable roles they play in individuals’ lives.
If you have an opportunity, please make sure to thank the DSPs you come across and let you political representatives know how important Direct Support Professionals are for individuals with disabilities, their families, and all of our communities.