DSP Individual Rights and Advocacy 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A person tells their DSP they want to vote in the upcoming election but has never voted before. The DSP should:
- Assess whether the person understands the candidates before helping
- Assist the person in registering to vote and navigating the voting process (Correct answer)
- Advise them to skip voting since it may be confusing
- Ask the guardian for permission before taking any steps
Correct answer: Assist the person in registering to vote and navigating the voting process
Voting is a fundamental civil right, and DSPs should support individuals in exercising that right without filtering or assessing their political decisions.
Question 2: Which document outlines the specific rights of individuals receiving services from an agency and must typically be reviewed with them upon enrollment?
- The ISP (Individual Support Plan)
- The Rights Statement or Bill of Rights (Correct answer)
- The agency employee handbook
- The state Medicaid waiver agreement
Correct answer: The Rights Statement or Bill of Rights
A Rights Statement or Bill of Rights informs individuals of their legal and agency-specific rights and is required to be reviewed with each person at intake and regularly thereafter.
Question 3: An individual asks their DSP to help write a complaint letter about a service they are unhappy with. The DSP should:
- Discourage the complaint to avoid conflict with the agency
- Help draft the letter in the individual's own words and ensure it is sent (Correct answer)
- Rewrite the letter in a more professional tone without the individual's input
- Forward the concern to a supervisor instead of supporting the letter
Correct answer: Help draft the letter in the individual's own words and ensure it is sent
DSPs have a duty to support individuals in exercising their right to file grievances and advocate for themselves or changes in their services.
Question 4: Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, 'reasonable accommodation' means:
- Any modification requested by an individual regardless of cost
- Modifications or adjustments that enable equal participation without causing undue hardship (Correct answer)
- Accommodations that fully restore a person to non-disabled function
- Changes to services that all individuals in a program must receive equally
Correct answer: Modifications or adjustments that enable equal participation without causing undue hardship
Reasonable accommodation under the ADA refers to feasible modifications that enable equal access, balanced against the burden they would place on the entity providing them.
Question 5: A person supported by a DSP has a court-appointed guardian. Regarding daily choices like what to wear or what to eat, the DSP should:
- Always defer these choices to the guardian
- Honor the individual's own preferences for everyday personal decisions (Correct answer)
- Require written guardian approval before acting on any preference
- Rotate choices between the individual and guardian equally
Correct answer: Honor the individual's own preferences for everyday personal decisions
Guardianship typically covers major legal, financial, or medical decisions; everyday personal preferences remain the individual's right unless the guardianship order specifies otherwise.
Question 6: What is the purpose of a 'person-centered plan' in disability services?
- To document the agency's service capacity and staffing needs
- To build supports around the individual's own goals, strengths, and preferences (Correct answer)
- To satisfy state regulatory requirements for Medicaid billing
- To create a uniform care protocol for people with similar diagnoses
Correct answer: To build supports around the individual's own goals, strengths, and preferences
Person-centered planning places the individual at the center of planning, ensuring that supports reflect their unique vision, values, and aspirations rather than a generic protocol.
Question 7: An individual with a disability discloses to their DSP that they are in a romantic relationship. The DSP's appropriate response is to:
- Report this to supervisors as a safety concern
- Respect the individual's privacy and provide support if requested (Correct answer)
- Notify the guardian immediately regardless of the individual's wishes
- Create a behavior support plan to monitor the relationship
Correct answer: Respect the individual's privacy and provide support if requested
Adults with disabilities have the right to intimate relationships, and DSPs should respect their privacy while remaining available to provide requested support.
DSP Individual Rights and Advocacy 3
A person tells their DSP they want to vote in the upcoming election but has never voted before.
The DSP should: