The Arc Central Chesapeake Region, a nonprofit committed to transforming lives for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, today announced that it had been awarded a $10,000 grant from The Arc Maryland. The Arc Central Chesapeake Region, in collaboration with Dr. Karyn Harvey, will create and implement a training program for Direct Support Professionals to learn how to facilitate authentic relationships, with a focus on friendships, for people with a disability.
“We are thrilled to receive the grant, which will help us empower dedicated Direct Support Professionals who provide the supports and expertise that help people with a disability live, work, play, and thrive in the community,” said Jonathon Rondeau, CEO, The Arc Central Chesapeake Region. “Many people with intellectual and developmental disabilities are limited to relationships with family and paid staff, and while those relationships are important, they do not always extend into the broader community. Our goal is to transform how Direct Support Professionals approach identifying and creating opportunities for connection and authentic friendships for people with a disability. This training will be the first of its kind in our area, and we could not develop this program without the expertise of Dr. Harvey. We look forward to bringing this new model to Maryland.”
The Arc Central Chesapeake Region, in partnership with Dr. Karyn Harvey, will create and implement a training program for Direct Support Professionals around facilitating the development and sustainment of authentic relationships, with a focus on friendships, for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The initiative will utilize a Train-the-Trainer model for sustainability, and The Arc Central Chesapeake Region will continue to invest in future trainee cohorts with the goal of all Arc team Direct Support Professionals receiving this training. Technology will be leveraged to expand the reach and impact of the training. Lessons learned and best practices of this pilot training will serve the broader disability community in Maryland by providing a practical model for advancing our common vision of equity and access for people with intellectual and development disabilities.
About The Arc Central Chesapeake Region
www.thearcccr.org
The Arc Central Chesapeake Region provides services and supports to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities through living options, workforce development and fiscal management services. Serving Anne Arundel County and the Eastern Shore of Maryland, The Arc provides an innovative, person-directed approach across the arc of a person’s life with a focus on equity and self-determination.
About Dr. Karyn Harvey
https://karynharvey.org/index.html
Dr. Harvey has worked as a clinician in the field of intellectual disabilities for over 25 years. She has a master’s degree in Clinical Psychology and a Ph.D. in Applied Developmental Psychology from the University of Maryland. She has published articles about therapeutic interventions with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), workbooks for individuals with IDD and two books; Positive Identity Development, and Trauma-Informed Behavioral Interventions. In 2016 she received the Earl Loschen Award from NADD for Excellence in Clinical Practice.
About The Arc Maryland
http://www.thearcmd.org/
The Arc Maryland works to create a world where children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities have and enjoy equal rights and opportunities. The Arc Maryland is the largest statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to the rights and quality of life of persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families.