1. A technique used to become fully involved in the communication process in which the listener works to understand the message, feeling and meaning of the other person communicating.
2. It involves sensing, understanding, evaluating and responding. An active listener has an open mind and hears out the speaker, making a point of trying to understand the position of the speaker. Active listening includes verbal (saying things like mm-hmm," and okay" ) and nonverbal cues (such as nodding, appropriate eye contact, and attentive posture).

1. A person who speaks up and is active in working toward equal rights, opportunities, and respect for another person or groups of people. Advocates can be paid or unpaid. Also see Arc National and Self-advocacy.
2. To suggest and support change in policies, programs and practices.

1. This is a plan between companies about how they will help each other during an emergency. For example, an organization may use a certain supplier of goods. That supplier may not be able to deliver the goods due to an emergency. The organization has an agreement with an alternate company to supply similar goods.
2. For purposes of emergency preparedness, this is a formal agreement between two parties such as two service provider organizations or between a provider and a government agency that describes how each entity will help the other out during times of emergency. This document should be prepared and signed during non-emergency times.

• A written document that, when completed, provides authorization for confidential information to be released or given to another person or entity outside of an organization for an expressed reason.
• This is a document that gives permission for information to be shared with others OUTSIDE of the service provider organization. For example when an individual is being referred for another service or when the agency or individual is part of a research project. To document authorization, you would use an authorization form.

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1. The starting point by which progress will be judged. In behavioral support plans or individual support plans there should be a baseline of behavioral activity or daily living skills so that, once teaching methods and other interventions are put into place, it is easy to tell if the person is learning new skills or decreasing the number and severity of challenging behaviors.
2. A beginning measure against which progress can be compared

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The purposes include:

1. determining eligibility for services,
2. authorizing different types of services,
3. authorizing different amounts of services, or
4. assigning people to different programs.

• The identified skills and behaviors the Direct Support Professionals needs to demonstrate on the job at a specific level of performance in order to meet job expectations.
• The essential skills needed by workers to be able to do their jobs satisfactorily, often a combination of attitudes, knowledge, and skills needed to be effective in their day-to-day assignments.

Work in the competitive labor market that is performed on a full-time or part-time basis in an integrated setting (with individuals who are not disabled) and for which the individual is compensated at or above minimum wage, but not less than the customary wage and levels of benefits paid by the employer for the same or similar work performed by others without as disability.

• The legal obligation of health care workers – including community mental health practitioners – not to share information about service recipients with others without their explicit permission.
• A concept that means information about a person that is receiving support cannot be released to others without the consent or permission of that person or the person's guardian or legal representative.

A disease that spreads to others easily.

1. Having to do with culture.
2. A person being knowledgeable, appreciative, and sensitive to a group's beliefs, values, traditions, expressions, ethnicity, culture, and race.

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• Type 1 Diabetes - In type 1 diabetes, the body fails to produce the hormone insulin needed by the cells to convert sugar and starches into energy.
• Type 2 Diabetes - A condition where the body does not produce enough or does not use insulin properly. People diagnosed with type 2 diabetes can control it with proper diet, exercise and oral medications.
• Pre-diabetes is a condition where someone's blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes.
• Gestational Diabetes - Occurs in some pregnant women and is caused by excessive pregnancy-related hormone production in the body. Gestational Diabetes usually goes away after the pregnancy but these women remain at risk for type 2 diabetes in the future.

1. Treating someone differently or worse because of a certain trait or characteristic they present.
2. Three categories of employer behavior or practice may violate federal and state fair employment practice: disparate treatment (when an employer treats some people less favorably than others because of their race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability or other protected characteristic; the use of policies or practices that have disparate impacts (the use of test, policies, selection criteria or oher practices that have an adverse impoace on employment opportunities of a protected group); and failure to make mandated reasonable accomodations (discriminating against applicants or employees based on disabilities, or religious beliefs or practices; Definition from Roehling, M.V., Campion, J.E., & Arvey, R.D. (1999). Unfair discrimination issues. In R.W. Eder and M.M. Harris (Eds.). The employment interview handbook. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, pp. 49-67).

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1. Partial seizures occur in a specific part of the brain. That is why they are called partial. The seizure varies greatly based on what part of the brain is affected.
   1. Simple partial - called a focal or Jacksonian seizure and usually affects one side of the body or a particular limb. It is characterized by a tingling, stiffening and or jerking movement of that part of the body. There is no loss of consciousness and the individual usually can resume the activity they were doing before the seizure began.
   2. Complex partial - often referred to as a temporal lobe or psychomotor seizure. The individual suddenly stops an activity, appears dazed, and engages in some type of motor activity like smacking their lips or pulling on their clothing. When the seizure activity ends, they appear confused and are often irritable without any memory of the seizure activity.
2. Generalized seizures - affect the entire brain and are classified as Tonic-Clonic or Absence seizures. This is the most familiar and recognizable type of seizure.
   1. Tonic-Clonic seizures - once referred to as "grand mal" seizures, they affect the whole brain. These are characterized by a loss of consciousness followed by a stiffening and then jerking of the body. Breathing may be affected, urine or bowel accidents may occur and confusion and tiredness are common after having this type of seizure.
   2. Absence seizures - once called "petit mal" and are characterized by brief loss of consciousness along with a facial tic, oral movements, or eye fluttering. The individual usually resumes activities as if nothing has happened when the seizure activity is over. It is common for these types of seizures to go unnoticed because they are so subtle and brief.
3. Status Epileptuicus - when a person has repeated seizures one right after another that do not stop or respond to usual medical treatments. Although this condition is rare it can be life threatening due to possible loss of oxygen to the brain. Consider contacting medical emergency personnel for this type of seizure.

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1. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requires that you maintain the privacy of each person's personal health information.
2. This is a federal act that defines a person's right to privacy for health related information. Individual health information must be kept private. PHI is health information transmitted or maintained in any form or medium that: identifies or could be used to identify an individual; is created or received by a healthcare provider, health plan, employer or healthcare clearinghouse; and relates to the past, present or future physical or mental health or condition of an individual; the provision of health care to an individual; or the past, present or future payment for the provision of healthcare to an individual.
3. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) is a federal law that covered entities must follow, due the type of health information they use and how they use it. The law presents national standards to protect privacy and security of protected health information (PHI). It does this by defining boundaries to how people can share PHI verbally and in writing, as well as how they can share it electronically. If this law is not followed, civil and criminal punishments can be incurred. These punishments can include up to 10 years in prison and/or fines up to $1.5 million for a single agency.

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• Making a choice with accurate and thorough knowledge of options and potential consequences.
• This means that the person who is receiving services understands all of the implications of agreeing to participate in services at the agency.

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• Refers to the increasing number of people who use mental health services and peer-run mental health programs that advocate for policy, program, and practice changes that promote consumer empowerment, recovery, and community inclusion. (The word “consumer” is no longer preferred language to refer to a person receiving services. However, it is still used by some agencies.)
• The collective action, beginning in the 1970s and continuing today, of individuals with a history of mental health conditions seeking to speak for themselves with regard to the services and supports they need and to act collectively for changes in both public policy and public attitudes.

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1. Identify the problem;
2. Think solutions;
3. Evaluate options;
4. Create a plan;
5. Implement the plan;
6. Assess outcome;
7. Modify plan as needed.

• Being a qualified individual in a field that requires considerable training, experiences, and specialization. Having the qualities that are connect with trained and skilled people, such as effectiveness, knowledge, organization, competence, and ethical understanding and practice.
• The guidelines to professional conduct established by professional organizations, often a prerequisite for professional licensing, but increasingly being developed by organizations for non-licensed human services workers to guide their on-the-job behavior.

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• Staff information.
• Daily updates.
• Agency information.
• Consumer information.

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• Persistent Tardive Dyskinesia (TD) is when symptoms have been noticeable for at least three months or longer
• Masked Tardive Dyskinesia (TD) is when the symptoms are masked or covered up by the use of prescribed medication. This can be confusing because you really can't see these symptoms and must look for other signs or clues.
• Withdrawal Tardive Dyskinesia (TD) is witnessed during the reduction or discontinuation of anti psychotic medication and the movements dissipate within three months.

Tenure of leavers can be described as the proportion of people who remained in their jobs for a certain amount of time before leaving (for example the percent who leave before completing 6 months of employment).