1. Core Competencies
Please read the PowerPoint in it’s entirety. You will also be required to watch a training video (about 10 minutes) located on the RCIL website. This training video further explains the Core Competencies and the expectations the worker is responsible for in fulfilling their role.
Using your web browser, please log onto . Go to Home Based Services, then scroll down to the end of the page and click on page 2. You will need to scroll down to find the Self-Direction program. Click on explore more and you will find the link to the training video on Core Competencies. Should you have any questions, please contact the HR Self-Direction Liaisons at

2. Our Objectives Today Learn about the 9 Code of Ethics
Learn about the 7 Goals of Core Competencies
Learn about 23 Competencies
Learn about 60 Skills

3. Why Are We Being Trained Today?
Support Workers are the foundation of human services.
Support Workers have one of the hardest jobs to do but one of the most rewarding jobs.
Support Workers are engaged in a specified activity as one's main paid occupation rather than as a pastime.
Support Workers have standards, are competent, skilled and have good decision making skills.
Training on Ethics / Core Competencies and Evaluations will help strengthen the Support Workers’ performance in doing their job.
Promote consistency in the Self-Direction field throughout NYS.

4. What are Ethics? Ethics refers to standards of right and wrong.
Ethics is what directs us to behave and think in a certain way.
Ethics helps direct us how to make decisions.

5. Code of Ethics by the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP)
Respect
Recognize people as being unique and valued.
Relationships
Help support, develop and maintain relationships (family & community).
Self Determination
Help consumer direct their own lives and support people being informed about the risks they want to take.
Advocacy
Support people to speak up for themselves and support their interests, rights and choices to lead a fulfilling and quality of life.
Person Centered Supports
Person leads their own life.
Promoting Physical and Emotional Well Being
Integrity and Responsibility
Be accountable for your performance.
Confidentiality (Privacy/Security)
Justice, Fairness and Equity
Support the rights of people.

6. Core Competencies
It is about being “competent” in delivering services to people.
One of the most basic reason why people do not perform to their expectations are because people are not aware of their job expectations.
Competency is also attained through repetition and experience but the first factor is to have a “road map” or guidelines to help workers perform in their job.

7. Competency Based Performance
Process is inter-related:
Knowledge (knowing what to do)
Skills (able to demonstrate the ability to perform)
Attitudes (based on ethics)
Competency Leads to:
Effective Services and Supports, individual satisfaction, worker confidence, and job retention.

8. 7 Goals of Core Competencies
Putting People First
Building and Maintaining Positive Relationships
Demonstrating Professionalism
Supporting Good Health
Supporting Safety
Having a Home
Being Active and Productive in Society

9. Goal 1: Putting People First
Competency Areas (5)
Supporting a person’s unique capacities, personality and potential.
Skills: Demonstrate respect to the individual, support choice making to encourage confidence/assertiveness.
Getting to Know the Person Through Assessment/discovery
Skills: Evaluate how the environment, experience and events effect the way one acts or reacts to others. Take everything into account when planning activities. Encourage problem solving and coping skills. Informally assess person to find out more about them. Support self direction.

10. Goal 1: Putting People First
Competency Areas (5)
Promote Advocacy with the Individual
Skills: Seek out info on services available to the individual. Provide opportunities for person to be self advocate. Advocate and show respect others. Able to discuss rights and responsibilities of the individual. Able to identify challenges for the individual or when rights are violated.
Facilitate Personal Growth and Development
Skills: Able to teach skills. Recognize when there is a need to teach and the preferred style to learn.

11. Goal 1: Putting People First
Competency Areas (5)
Facilitation of Supports and Services
Skills: Assist in developing the service plans and evaluate it by basing it on the individual’s interested / preferences and needs. Share information to help the individual develop the plan.

12. Goal 2: Building and Maintaining Relationships
Competency Areas (2)
Building and Maintaining Relationships
Skills: Support and overcome barriers/challenges to having relationships and maintaining them. Identify strengths, interests and preferences and supports for community involvement. Develop ways to build confidence.
Creating Meaningful Communication
Skills: Use multiple ways to communicate with the individual and encourage the individual to express one’s self. Communicate in a respectful way and make sure the individual can understand you. Develop trust by communicating empathy. Recognize the communication approach used in relation to the person’s chronological age and mental age.

13. Goal 3: Demonstrating Professionalism
Competency Areas (7)
Developing Professional Relationships
Skills: Demonstrate respect in all professional relationships. Display professional performance through punctuality, good demeanor, following policies, being reliable pleasant and flexible.
Exhibiting Professional Behavior
Skills: Display professional performance through punctuality, good demeanor, following policies, being reliable pleasant and flexible.

14. Goal 3: Demonstrating Professionalism
Competency Areas (7)
Showing Respect for Diversity and Inclusion
Skills: Respect other’s values and treat all as equals. Identify and be aware of discrimination and help stop the discrimination.
Creating Meaningful Documentation Records
Skills: Maintain accurate records and submitting it in a timely manner.
Education, Training and Self Development Activities
Skills: Participate in learning. Have a desire to learn, seek and accept feedback. Apply your knowledge gained to the job.

15. Goal 3: Demonstrating Professionalism
Competency Areas (7)
Organizational Participation
Skills: Follow and promote the mission, culture and practices of the organization. Help solve the problems and find solutions. Follow all corporate compliance policies.
Exhibiting Ethical Behavior on the Job
Skills: Understand and know the Code of Ethics.

16. Goal 4: Supporting Good Health
Competency Areas (3)
Promoting Positive Behavior and Supports
Skills: Help support positive behavioral support strategies and be consistent with current BSPs. Demonstrate ways to teach positive behaviors and support current positive behaviors. Evaluate how environment will impact individual’s behaviors.
Reinforce the good behaviors.
Supporting Health and Wellness
Skills: Support nutritious meals, planning meals, storage of meals and handling food. Be knowledgeable about the individual’s medical, psychological, physical and dental care needs. Know about how to prevent illness and teach preventative methods. Respond to illness in a timely manner. Provide safe and clean environment. Document accurately on health issues. Support good health.

17. Goal 4: Supporting Good Health
Competency Areas (3)
Preventing, Recognizing and Reporting Abuse
Skills: Recognize how to prevent abuse and identify it. Know how to report abuse.

18. Goal 5: Supporting Safety
Competency Areas (3)
Supporting Crisis Prevention, Intervention and Resolution
Skills: Able to apply PROMOTE (Positive Relationships offer More Opportunities To Everyone). Respect safety of others.
Supporting Safety
Skills: Support safety of individuals. Follows safety procedures in transportation.
Ensuring Safety of Individuals During Environmental Emergencies
Skills: Able to carry out plans to environmental emergencies. (e.g., fire drills)

19. Goal 6: Having a Home Competency Areas (1)
Supporting people to live in the home of their choice.
Skills: Support a comfortable home and acknowledge it is not a work site but the individual’s home. Support daily living activities (e.g., household chores, manage household)

20. Goal 7: Being Active and Productive in Society
Competency Areas (2)
Supporting Active Participation in the Community
Skills: Support community participation and contribution.
Supporting Employment, Educational and Career Goal Attainment
Skills: Support individual by being knowledgeable about the career and job goals of the individual. Supports educational goals. Help support the individual to meet productivity goal of the workplace.

21. Thank You This information has been based on the following reference:
Direct Support Professional: Core Competencies (10/14/16) OPWDD. re_competencies