DSP Certified Direct Support Professional Training 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A person you support begins showing signs of a seizure. What should you do FIRST?
- Restrain the person to prevent injury
- Put something in the person's mouth to prevent biting
- Clear the area of hard objects and position the person safely on their side if possible (Correct answer)
- Leave to call 911 immediately
Correct answer: Clear the area of hard objects and position the person safely on their side if possible
During a seizure, the priority is ensuring the person's safety by clearing the area and positioning them to prevent aspiration — never restrain or place objects in the mouth.
Question 2: What is the purpose of a Behavior Support Plan (BSP)?
- To punish individuals for inappropriate behavior
- To provide proactive strategies that teach new skills and reduce challenging behaviors (Correct answer)
- To document incidents for legal purposes only
- To restrict the individual's activities as a consequence
Correct answer: To provide proactive strategies that teach new skills and reduce challenging behaviors
A BSP provides positive, proactive strategies to understand the function of behavior and teach replacement skills rather than using punishment.
Question 3: HIPAA regulations require DSPs to:
- Share health information with any staff member who asks
- Protect the confidentiality of the individuals they support (Correct answer)
- Post medical records in common areas for easy staff access
- Discuss medical conditions openly with the person's community contacts
Correct answer: Protect the confidentiality of the individuals they support
HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) mandates that all protected health information be kept confidential and shared only on a need-to-know basis.
Question 4: When completing progress notes, DSPs should record:
- Personal opinions about the individual's character
- Objective observations using factual, behavioral language (Correct answer)
- Speculation about why a person behaved a certain way
- Only positive events to maintain a supportive tone
Correct answer: Objective observations using factual, behavioral language
Documentation must be objective, factual, and behavioral — describing what was observed without interpretation or personal opinion.
Question 5: The 'least restrictive environment' principle means that supports should:
- Provide maximum supervision at all times
- Limit the individual to activities within the group home
- Use the minimum level of intervention needed to ensure safety while promoting independence (Correct answer)
- Restrict community access to reduce risk
Correct answer: Use the minimum level of intervention needed to ensure safety while promoting independence
Least restrictive environment means using only the level of support and restriction necessary, maximizing individual freedom and self-determination.
Question 6: A person you support tells you they want to end a romantic relationship but are afraid their partner will react badly. As a DSP, you should:
- Advise the person not to end the relationship to avoid conflict
- Support the person's right to make this decision and help them develop a safety plan if needed (Correct answer)
- Contact the partner directly to mediate the situation
- Inform the family and let them handle it
Correct answer: Support the person's right to make this decision and help them develop a safety plan if needed
DSPs must support individual autonomy in personal relationships and assist with safety planning when potential risks are identified.
Question 7: When a new person moves into a residential home, a DSP should FIRST:
- Introduce house rules and expectations immediately
- Review all existing support plans, preferences, and goals before providing care (Correct answer)
- Ask coworkers how to support the person based on their experience
- Observe the person for a week before reading any documentation
Correct answer: Review all existing support plans, preferences, and goals before providing care
Reviewing the individual's support plans, preferences, and documentation before providing care ensures person-centered, safe, and appropriate support from day one.
DSP Certified Direct Support Professional Training 3
A person you support begins showing signs of a seizure.
What should you do FIRST?