Nicole was recently nominated for the Alliance (a nonprofit, Colorado-wide association of Community Centered Boards (CCBs) and Program Approved Service Agencies (PASAs) that is dedicated to strengthening services and supports for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities) Direct Support Professional (DSP) of the Year Award.
Nicole’s supervisor shared the following information for her nomination:
My main reason for nominating Nicole is because of a recent project she undertook that has been wildly successful. She is currently rejuvenating our Photography and Scrapbooking class and turning it into more of an internal newsletter class. The class focuses on teaching individuals to conduct interviews and to practice interviews.
People accepting services from Imagine!’s CORE/Labor Source (CLS) program have applied these skills to real life interviews; one person specifically thanked Nicole for helping teach her how to interview, as it helped her achieve an independent job!
The newsletter focuses on one specific person in Supported Employment each month. The community-based class will go to a CLS job site and the participants will interview the managers of the facility, as well as one person who CORE/Labor Source supports and is employed at the business. Participants in the course then work together to create an article that highlights the individual accepting services and their job, which they share with the people at CLS.
After receiving a copy of the newsletter that focused on their family member, one guardian sent us an email in response saying: "It is incredible to see her progress the past 2+ years... Thank you for everything you do with her and her housemates. Imagine! has made her world a much better place. If you speak with her employer, please thank them from the bottom of my heart for giving her the opportunity to come out of her shell and shine."
The winners of the Alliance DSP of the Year Awards will be announced next week (February 15) at their annual I/DD Awareness Day at the State Capitol. We don’t know yet if she’ll be selected, but I know that Imagine! has already won by having her on our staff!
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