Virginia's Health Competencies for Direct Support Professionals and Supervisors who support individuals with Developmental Disabilities
The Direct Support Professional (DSP) and Supervisor Health Competencies Checklist is designed to ensure a more consistent level of expertise among DSPs and Supervisors who provide health-related intensive supports to individuals (with a Level 5, 6 or 7 based on the completed Supports Intensity Scale) in Virginia's DD services system. The competencies have been developed by professionals with knowledge in best practices and in accordance with established requirements for Virginia's DD waivers. The competencies focus on key areas including the effective collecting and sharing of health information, providing health-related supports, and operating ethically.
This checklist serves as documentation that proficiency has been confirmed in the required competency areas. The focus is on basic DSP and supervisor ability to meet the requirements of the DD waivers and to support individuals to have a life that includes what's important TO each person based on his or her own desires and what's important FOR each person in terms of health, safety and value in the community. Direct Support Professional refers to staff members identified by the provider as having the primary role of assisting an individual on a day-to-day basis with routine personal care needs, social support, and physical assistance in a wide range of daily living activities so that the person can lead a self-directed life in his own community.
Competency must be confirmed within 180 days of hire and re-confirmed annually thereafter.
| Competency Area, Sub-area, and Competency | DSP Initial Competence (Prior to 180 days of hire) |
DSP Proficiency (Annually after 180 days) |
Supervisor Initial Competence (Prior to 180 days of hire) |
Supervisor Proficiency (Annually after 180 days) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Initials/Date | Initials/Date | Initials/Date | Initials/Date | |
| 1. Effectively collects and shares health information | |||||
| 1.1 | The DSP is able to accurately collect health-related information and share it with the appropriate staff members, family, and/or health professionals (e.g., documenting vital signs, recording weights). | ||||
| 1.2 | The DSP is able to recognize and report any changes to the person’s baseline health status (e.g., vital signs, new rash, changes in behavior) in a timely manner. | ||||
| 1.3 | The DSP is able to use an effective communication process to exchange and report health-related information to the appropriate staff members, family, and/or health professionals. | ||||
| 1.4 | The DSP is able to utilize health-related information to update and confirm the accuracy of the individual's Person-Centered Plan (PCP). | ||||
| 2. Provides health-related supports | |||||
| 2.1 | The DSP is able to identify common risk factors (e.g., choking, seizures, infections, injuries) and implement prevention strategies to ensure the individual’s health and safety. | ||||
| 2.2 | The DSP is able to manage emergency situations as needed and contact appropriate emergency personnel when necessary. | ||||
| 2.3 | The DSP is able to support the individual to receive required medical care and follow instructions from health professionals (e.g., attending appointments, completing follow-up tasks). | ||||
| 2.4 | The DSP is able to safely and effectively provide required health-related supports (e.g., tube feeding, catheter care, seizure management, skin care, oral care, positioning, transferring, lifts) in compliance with all medical orders and provider policies. | ||||
| 2.5 | The DSP is able to support the individual in practicing good self-care and hygiene (e.g., bathing, toileting, dental hygiene). | ||||
| 3. Operates Ethically | |||||
| 3.1 | The DSP is able to apply person-centered values to the health-related support provided and respect the individual’s choices and preferences related to their health and wellness (e.g., honoring individual choices for diet, medication, and exercise, as long as they are safe and medically appropriate). | ||||
| 3.2 | The DSP is able to maintain the person’s confidentiality regarding health-related information, including following HIPAA requirements. | ||||
| 3.3 | The DSP is able to report suspected or known abuse, neglect, or exploitation immediately to the Adult Protective Services (APS) or Child Protective Services (CPS) hotline and follows provider policies regarding reporting. | ||||
Note: If the employee does not demonstrate competency in any of the three areas or if the supervisor cannot confirm that the staff member is demonstrating the skills and actions in the three required areas, the employee will review the training information, retesting will be completed, and the employee will have 180 days to demonstrate these competencies. Once the test is passed with a score of 80% or above and competencies are confirmed, sign and date below.
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Printed Name Signature Date |
Printed Name Signature Date |
Printed Name Signature Date |