CDS: Maltreatment: Prevention and Response
Lesson Descriptions and Learning Objectives
Lesson Descriptions and Learning Objectives
CDS: Maltreatment: Prevention and Response
This is a list of lessons found in this course with their description and learning objectives:
Lesson 1: CDS-E: The Direct Support Professional Role
Lesson Description
Each direct support professional (DSP) has a personal responsibility to avoid maltreatment of the people they support. The attitudes and beliefs of individuals and communities can make this situation more or less likely. DSPs have a role in preventing, identifying, and reporting these situations. In doing so, they can influence community and organizational attitudes. This begins when they start to examine their own attitudes and beliefs.
Learning Objective
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:
- Describe four aspects that define the DSP’s role in preventing and responding to maltreatment. This includes:
- Know your professional responsibilities
- Recognize the signs of risk
- Prevent and reduce risk
- Take action when needed
Lesson 2: CDS-E: What is Maltreatment?
Lesson Description
This lesson will help you to gain a basic understanding of what maltreatment is and is not. It will help you to understand how to identify local laws and policies. You will learn about local definitions of maltreatment and the role of the direct support professional (DSP). This lesson will also help you to learn about the basics of who to contact and how to have the contact information organized.
Learning Objective
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:
- Describe potential maltreatment and your role as defined by your state and employer
Lesson 3: CDS-E: What is Abuse?
Lesson Description
Abuse can be physical. It can be emotional. It can also be sexual or verbal. Even people who communicate well can be vulnerable to abuse. Being observant and taking action when concerned is a critical part of the direct support professional (DSP) role. In this lesson you will learn more about what defines abuse and how to define abuse as required by your state and employer. You will also learn how to recognize signs of potential abuse.
Learning Objective
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:
- Define abuse as required by your state and employer and to recognize signs of potential abuse
Lesson 4: CDS-E: What is Neglect?
Lesson Description
Neglect can be intentional. It can also be unintentional. It can be extremely harmful and even deadly. Direct support professionals (DSPs) must be alert to signs of neglect. They must also prevent neglect by knowing the expectations and limits of their role. DSPs must provide proper supervision and follow protocols directly. This lesson will define neglect and the DSP’s responsibility in preventing neglect.
Learning Objective
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:
- Define neglect as required in your state and by your employer and recognize signs of neglect
Lesson 5: CDS-E: What is Exploitation?
Lesson Description
Exploitation is a type of maltreatment where a caregiver misuses their power to take advantage of a person they support. Exploitation can include financial, sexual, and other forms. Some forms of exploitation are deliberate. Others are unintentional. This lesson will help you understand the definition of exploitation. It will also help you learn how to recognize signs of exploitation.
Learning Objective
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:
- Describe exploitation as defined by state law and policy and recognize signs of exploitation
Lesson 6: CDS-I: Balancing Rights with Protection
Lesson Description
Safety is important. But a person’s rights must also be protected. A pattern of rights violations may even meet the criteria for maltreatment. As a direct support professional (DSP), you must have the proper approval for any restrictions. This lesson will teach you how to balance a person’s rights and protect the person from harm at the same time.
Learning Objective
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:
- Explain how to protect the rights of people you support as well as how to monitor for safety as needed
Lesson 7: CDS-I: Ethical Issues in Maltreatment
Lesson Description
People in helping professions need to have a good method to manage ethical dilemmas. As a direct support professional (DSP), you have a code of ethics that can guide you. All codes encourage person-centered, culturally appropriate support. This lesson will cover how to apply the code of ethics in your work with those you support.
Learning Objective
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:
- Apply ethical standards when recognizing and reporting maltreatment
Lesson 8: CDS-I: An Overview of Risks for Maltreatment
Lesson Description
There are risk factors that increase the likelihood of maltreatment. There are also protective factors that reduce the risk. Direct support professionals (DSPs) want to manage risk factors. They also want to nourish protective factors. Social attitudes as well as individual circumstances have an impact. This lesson will provide an overview of the risks for maltreatment for a person who receives support.
Learning Objective
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:
- Identify factors that affect the risk of maltreatment for a person who receives support
Lesson 9: CDS-I: Characteristics of Caregivers That Affect Risk
Lesson Description
Some caregivers have traits that can cause an increased likelihood to commit maltreatment. Some of these traits include apathy and low tolerance for frustration. Poor stress and anger management skills increase this risk. Incompetent caregivers also increase this risk. This lesson will help you to know what signs to watch for that put you and those you support at increased risk of maltreatment. It will also help you to learn about the steps to take to reduce these risks.
Learning Objective
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:
- Describe and recognize characteristics of caregivers that affect the risk of maltreatment
Lesson 10: CDS-I: Characteristics of Situations That Increase Risk
Lesson Description
The expectations and situations that affect an environment can influence the risk of maltreatment. Overworked, unappreciated caregivers are at a higher risk. This is also true of caregivers who haven’t been properly trained. Tolerance for punishment increases a caregiver’s risk. Social and physical isolation make maltreatment more likely and easier to hide. This lesson will help you to learn more about situations where maltreatment is an increased risk.
Learning Objective
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:
- Recognize situations that may increase the risk of maltreatment
Lesson 11: CDS-I: Characteristics of People Supported That Affect Risk
Lesson Description
Certain attributes can increase a person’s vulnerability to maltreatment. Attributes that increase caregiver frustration and decrease the caregiver’s ability to connect and bond can increase a person’s risk. Caregivers sometimes shelter people from information. They encourage supported people to comply with others. This also leaves a person more vulnerable to maltreatment. Direct support professionals (DSPs) need to do their part to overcome these challenges. This lesson will help you to learn more about these risks and what you can do.
Learning Objective
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:
- Recognize and describe the characteristics of those you support that affect their risk of maltreatment.
Lesson 12: CDS-I: Reducing Caregiver Risk of Maltreatment
Lesson Description
Caregivers who have an increased risk of maltreatment often lack basic caregiving skills. They may also struggle with empathy, emotional regulation, and the need to control. This lesson will help you learn more about recognizing and managing these risks in yourself and others.
Learning Objective
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:
- Take steps to reduce the risk of maltreatment in yourself and others.
Lesson 13: CDS-I: Engaging and Supporting Protective Factors in Individuals
Lesson Description
Overprotection and control of people with support needs is common. It’s especially detrimental to people with intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD). This is because they often miss so many experiences and are taught only to comply. Direct support professionals (DSPs) who support choice, control, and self-determination can help people to be safer. Taking steps to reduce social and physical isolation is important. So is learning to truly listen to people. This lesson will teach you how to engage protective factors for those you support.
Learning Objective
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:
- Support people in ways that encourage protective factors to reduce risk of maltreatment
Lesson 14: CDS-E: The Role of Documentation and Systems in Prevention
Lesson Description
Documentation and use of systems can help prevent maltreatment. They can also help to more quickly identify problems and help substantiate facts. Keeping good information both at work and privately may help a direct support professional (DSP) stop maltreatment. This lesson will cover the basics of the DSP role in documentation and systems in prevention.
Learning Objective
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:
- Document effectively and use systems to reduce the likelihood of maltreatment
Lesson 15: CDS-I: Engaging and Supporting Protective Factors in Organizations and Communities
Lesson Description
Attitudes in our homes, neighborhoods, and communities influence maltreatment. Organizational culture influences maltreatment. Direct support professionals (DSPs) can participate in activities that decrease the likelihood that maltreatment will happen or be accepted. This lesson will cover how to engage and support protective factors in organizations and communities.
Learning Objective
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:
- Engage in activities in organizations and communities that encourage protective factors regarding maltreatment
Lesson 16: CDS-E: Responding to Potential Maltreatment
Lesson Description
Some people will still be subject to maltreatment even with prevention in place. As a direct support professional (DSP), you must be able to recognize these situations. You must be prepared to report. This lesson reviews how to respond to these situations.
Learning Objective
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:
- Respond effectively to potential maltreatment
Lesson 17: CDS-E: Where to Report Potential Maltreatment
Lesson Description
Reporting maltreatment depends on the situation. The person’s age and where they live may affect where the report is made. Each direct support professional (DSP) must know where to report. They need to be ready to work with law enforcement to make a report as needed. They need to know about other organizations that may need to be informed. They also need to know who can offer more support in certain situations. This lesson will cover the basics of where to report potential maltreatment.
Learning Objective
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:
- Report potential maltreatment to the correct contacts and agencies
Lesson 18: CDS-E: How to Report Potential Maltreatment
Lesson Description
It’s important to be organized and prepared when you need to make a report. Objective and factual information can help the investigator. Evidence and documentation also help. A direct support professional (DSP) that needs to make a verbal or written report will need to have the important details. This includes who, what, when, where, and how. They need to provide enough details so that a person who isn’t familiar with the situation can understand it.
Learning Objective
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:
- Report potential maltreatment in a timely and comprehensive way
Lesson 19: CDS-E: Follow-Up to Potential Maltreatment Reports
Lesson Description
Sometimes a direct support professional (DSP) is not allowed access to the final ruling on a reported incident. But you can work with employers and the person you support to prevent future incidents. You can help a person to recognize and resolve trauma and monitor the situation. You can be willing to make a second or third report. You can help a person to engage other forms of advocacy and protection. This lesson will help you to learn about these topics. It will address how to follow-up to potential maltreatment reports.
Learning Objective
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:
- Identify and attend to critical issues after a report of potential maltreatment is made