For many of our employees, a job as a Direct Support Professional (DSP) is their first job in social work. We often train people from outside the field, spending weeks familiarizing them with the job, getting certifications, and making sure they understand the world of social services. So, it makes sense that, on most days, I spend some time talking to team members about social services strategies and techniques.
CIS is an agency committed to offering compassion, providing support, documenting incremental progress, and creating hope for a better future. If you’re not in human services, that last sentence probably sounded cliché. But it rings true for the people who spend their days working on some of society’s biggest challenges.
Helping new employees see the value in this kind of work isn’t always easy, but what they do matters. And we want to help them succeed. So when things get tough, we often recommend one of these powerful strategies.
1. Stop Looking for a “One-Size-Fits-All” Answer
We deal with people. Our clients come to us with a combination of developmental disabilities, a history of abuse, health issues, and behavioral problems. Each client is very different.
That means there is rarely one right way to approach any given task. There might be the best way for now or the best course given your time and resources, but no one-size-fits-all answer. That’s why we sometimes pursue exceptions to our policies, treatments, or approaches. When you’re a DSP, the best strategy is to treat each client as a genuine individual and stay flexible.
2. Meet People Where They Are
Social workers love this phrase, and it’s kind of my own professional mantra. Meeting people where they are is all about acceptance without judgment.
All of our clients come to us with challenging personal histories. Many have been abused or neglected and have a history of unstable housing opportunities. They can struggle with serious health issues. Often, a client doesn’t yet have a clear understanding of boundaries or expectations.
Meeting people where they are requires us to let go of personal histories and expectations. Instead, we focus on the client’s reality, ability, and needs right now. This philosophy requires me to accept that life made them as they are. I try to let go of labels like “good” or “bad.” Instead, we focus on creating plans to help and support each client to grow into their next stage.
3. Generalizations Can Be Counter Productive
Even when employees have accepted that there is no “one-size-fits-all” answer, they are still tempted to generalize. The danger in generalizations is that DSPs may want to categorize based on past client history instead of taking the time to do careful evaluations. The employee may think, “They are the same as the client who came in a few months ago. We’ll apply the same treatment plan.”
But the combination of disabilities, disorders, and traumas constantly changes, which means that people are rarely “the same.” So instead of generalizing, our DSPs must spend time observing, analyzing, and understanding each client before we can create a plan to help them thrive.
4. It Takes Time to Trust
CIS clients often come to us with their guards up. And while we provide compassionate, predictable environments, it’s rarely enough to generate client trust. Instead, each client needs months, even years, to feel safe.
Our DSPs can become impatient during this process. But we remind them that our clients are moving as fast as they are able. They have built up emotional armor over the years, and a failure to trust is not intentional or even controllable.
5. There is no Trust Without Consistency
One way our DSPs can build trust is to be reliable. That means they make extra efforts to show up consistently. They don’t make promises they can’t keep and tell a reasonably polite version of the truth. Once the client sees that the DSP is reliable, trust begins, and everything else becomes more manageable.
6. Don’t Underestimate the Power of Small Victories
When it comes to clients with developmental disabilities, accomplishments happen in inches, not yards. Each small change or minor shift should be considered a cause to celebrate
7. Never Give up. Progress Can Take Years.
The hard truth is that some of our clients may never truly recover. Perhaps we’ve tried ten different approaches, and the client hasn’t responded to any. Unfortunately, in social services (and in life), progress is not guaranteed.
But that doesn’t mean we give up. Maybe we can’t help everyone, but we can never stop trying. At CIS, our teams understand that even if a person seems beyond our help, we don’t stop searching for a more effective approach.
Do You Know Someone Who Would Make a Great DSP?
If you know someone interested in starting a social services career and looking for a company that trains new employees and pays for certification, visit our career page and check out our current listings in South King County and Spokane, Washington.