DSP Individual Rights and Advocacy 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A person with a disability tells their DSP they want to move to a less supervised apartment. The DSP disagrees with this choice. What is the BEST response?
- Explain why the move is a bad idea and discourage it
- Support the person in exploring their options and planning the transition (Correct answer)
- Contact the guardian to override the request
- Document the request and take no further action
Correct answer: Support the person in exploring their options and planning the transition
DSPs must support self-determination by helping individuals explore and pursue their own goals, even when the DSP personally disagrees.
Question 2: Which federal law prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in programs receiving federal financial assistance?
- The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504 (Correct answer)
- The Fair Housing Act of 1968
- The Social Security Act of 1935
- The Mental Health Parity Act of 2008
Correct answer: The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 was the first major federal civil rights law protecting people with disabilities from discrimination in federally funded programs.
Question 3: An individual expresses that they do not want their family members informed about their medical appointments. The DSP should:
- Notify family anyway as a safety precaution
- Honor the individual's confidentiality request (Correct answer)
- Ask a supervisor to decide for the individual
- Tell the family but ask them to keep it secret
Correct answer: Honor the individual's confidentiality request
Adults with disabilities have the right to confidentiality, and DSPs must respect their decisions about who receives their personal information.
Question 4: What does 'least restrictive environment' mean in the context of supporting people with disabilities?
- Placing individuals in settings with the fewest physical barriers
- Providing supports in settings that allow the greatest integration and independence possible (Correct answer)
- Limiting access to only the safest community locations
- Restricting activities to those the team has approved in advance
Correct answer: Providing supports in settings that allow the greatest integration and independence possible
Least restrictive environment means individuals should receive supports in settings that maximize their independence, integration, and participation in community life.
Question 5: A DSP witnesses a colleague verbally belittling an individual they support. The DSP's obligation is to:
- Wait to see if the behavior continues before acting
- Report the incident through proper channels immediately (Correct answer)
- Confront the colleague privately and let them self-correct
- Document it in a personal notebook and monitor the situation
Correct answer: Report the incident through proper channels immediately
DSPs are mandated reporters and have an ethical duty to report observed abuse or mistreatment immediately through proper agency and legal channels.
Question 6: When an individual with intellectual disability is also a victim of a crime, the DSP should:
- Discourage reporting because the legal system is too complex for them
- Support the individual's right to report the crime and connect them with appropriate resources (Correct answer)
- Handle the situation within the agency without involving law enforcement
- Inform the individual's guardian and let the guardian decide whether to report
Correct answer: Support the individual's right to report the crime and connect them with appropriate resources
People with disabilities have the same right to justice as anyone else, and DSPs should support them in accessing the legal system and victim services.
Question 7: The principle of 'dignity of risk' means:
- Agencies must eliminate all risks from an individual's life
- Individuals have the right to take reasonable risks as part of living a full life (Correct answer)
- DSPs must prevent any activity that could result in harm
- Risk decisions must always be made by the support team, not the individual
Correct answer: Individuals have the right to take reasonable risks as part of living a full life
Dignity of risk recognizes that experiencing challenges, making mistakes, and taking reasonable risks are essential to personal growth and a meaningful life.
DSP Individual Rights and Advocacy 2
A person with a disability tells their DSP they want to move to a less supervised apartment.
The DSP disagrees with this choice.
What is the BEST response?