CDS: Community Inclusion

Lesson Descriptions and Learning Objectives

CDS: Community Inclusion

This is a list of lessons found in this course with their description and learning objectives:

Lesson 1: CDS-I: The DSP Role in Community Inclusion

Lesson Description:

Many people with support needs spend a significant portion of their lives segregated from others in their communities. While things have improved in the last several years, full inclusion for many people is still not achieved. This lesson describes inclusion. It helps the learner understand why integration is critical but is not enough. It reviews the benefits and structure of social roles. Direct support professional roles will need to change in order to achieve more inclusive communities. This lesson briefly reviews some of these changes.

Learning Objectives

After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

  1. Define inclusion and describe its components
  2. Define integration and its role in inclusion
  3. Describe some benefits of inclusion
  4. Define the term social role and why having a variety of social roles is a sign of inclusion
  5. Describe the roles of a direct support professional in supporting inclusion

Lesson 2: CDS-I: Matching Community Resources with Individual Interests

Lesson Description:

Inclusion is more likely when people are connected to community through their interests. This lesson helps the learner identify people's interests and strengths. Learners are guided in how to discriminate between activities that are likely to lead to inclusion and those that are not. They are provided with information on how to overcome barriers to inclusion.

Learning Objectives

After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

  1. Use your resources to encourage inclusion, with awareness of risks and benefits of doing so
  2. Identify the strengths, interests, and desire for community involvement of the people you support
  3. Provide many different opportunities for people to explore community interests
  4. Identifying community resources that are a good match for individuals
  5. Discriminate between activities and events that are likely to lead to inclusion and those that are not
  6. Identify barriers to community access and use strategies that help to minimize these barriers

Lesson 3: CDS-A: Community Bridge Building and Networking

Lesson Description:

Community bridge building is a set of methods for helping the community develop capacity to support people with diverse needs. At the same time, the needs of the individual are being met through enhanced connections to others. This lesson covers strategies such as volunteering, frequenting, joining, and networking.

Learning Objectives

After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

  1. Define the terms community bridge building and networking
  2. Identify why these strategies are important
  3. Act in ways that positively affect the perceptions others have regarding people being supported
  4. Implement community bridge building strategies
  5. Implement strategies of networking

Lesson 4: CDS-A: Natural Supports

Lesson Description:

Natural support is a way of describing a natural state of interdependence that is expected in families, neighborhoods, and communities. Some people have been isolated from others. Some have even been separated from families. In these cases, natural supports can be absent. Helping people connect to natural supports helps them experience better lives. It helps them rely less on expensive and segregated special services. It provides richer family lives and communities for all of us. This lesson describes natural supports. It demonstrated how to implement strategies that help people create lives in which natural supports are present.

Learning Objectives

After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

  1. Define natural supports by identifying key characteristics and its importance
  2. Implement strategies to build upon or develop natural support
  3. Overcome challenges related to building natural support