Going from Paper to Practice: Teaching Ethics to DSPs. (Ethics)

Chrisco, David, The Exceptional Parent

Translating the Code of Ethics to the daily routine of caring for people with special needs is a combination of creative training skills and a receptive workforce. Both are required to morph the Code into a living document, which indeed was the original intention of the National Alliance of Direct Support Professionals (NADSP) collaborators. I found that before "ethics" could be presented to them, DSPs needed a firm grasp of the meaning of "values," "morals," "law," and just plain "doing good." Trainers should never assume that these words are understood and part of the consciousness of workers, even in the field of human service. I have found that the analogy of ethics as the axle that connects the wheels of rules and laws to the adjoining wheels of intentions and expectations seems to evoke head nods and expressions of agreement.

In order for members of the workforce to embrace ethics, they must appreciate the three tiers of endorsement, the foundations: cognition, emotion, and application (of skills). A clear understanding of each ethical domain and its place in service provision is vital. An appreciation for how each ethical statement is related to desired outcomes is emphasized to the class. I think it is imperative that each DSP see that the ethics code is nothing more than her own personal code of conduct and behavior. Indeed, we teach that ethics is merely the …

Questia, a part of Gale, Cengage Learning. www.questia.com
Publication information: Article title: Going from Paper to Practice: Teaching Ethics to DSPs. (Ethics). Contributors: Chrisco, David - Author. Magazine title: The Exceptional Parent. Volume: 31. Issue: 8 Publication date: August 2001. Page number: 67+. © 1999 EP Global Communications, Inc. COPYRIGHT 2001 Gale Group.

This material is protected by copyright and, with the exception of fair use, may not be further copied, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means.