12/21/2011
Seb M. Prohn, UP Program Faculty liaison &
Outreach Coordinator
Goals
• Share Western Carolina University‟s UP Program
model
• Describe the ways we recruit, support and organize,
with natural supports
• Encourage learning and professional development
through direct contact
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12/21/2011
Natural Supports
• Are “resources inherent in community environments
that can be used for habilitative and supportive
services”
• West, Kregel, Hernandez & Hock (1997)
Why „Natural‟ Support for
college students with ID?
• Identification as a college student
• Social network expansion / reducing isolation
• Reduce stereotypes
• Step to independence
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12/21/2011
UP Program Overview
• Started as a pilot program in 2007
• Provides a two year, on-campus living and learning
experience for college-aged individuals with
intellectual disabilities
• Funded as only model demonstration site in NC
and one of 27 national TPSID projects
Year
# of Participants
2008
2
2010
4
2011
8
Five UP Program
Components
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Personal Development
Skills
Community Participation
Skills
Vocational Preparation
Skills
Social Participation and
Learning
Course Auditing
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12/21/2011
UP Certificate Requirements
Completion of 1800 hours of learning activities (450
hrs per semester)
Achievement of at least 80% of the objectives per
semester within each component of the Individual
Plan for College Participation (IPCP)
Recommendation for a UP Certificate of
Accomplishment by the UP coordinator and the UP
Program Steering Committee
Systems for Functioning
• Specific criteria for admission
• Consistent application of values (inclusion & selfdetermination)
• Inclusive opportunities in all of campus life
• Integration of work-based learning and transition to
employment
• Administrative support of program development
• Support from student volunteers
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12/21/2011
Meet the UP Program‟s
Supports
• VIDEO!
Natural Support: UP Definition
• Paid and unpaid WCU
students of
approximately the same
age as participants who
intervene as necessary
to facilitate inclusive
participation in dormlife, course work, and
social & recreational
activities.
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12/21/2011
Duties & Impact
Academic
•Attending and supporting participants in classes
•Support/tutoring with projects and homework
Social
•Attending sporting events
•Campus social events (e.g., religious groups, cheerleading,
swimming, clubs, movies, plays, ballgames)
Vocational
•Serving as a job coach
Personal
Development
•Suitemate: morning and night routines
•Personal care goals
•Attendance and input at person centered planning meetings
•Help collecting data on IPCP goals
What We Have
https://whentowork.com/logins.htm
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12/21/2011
Optimal States & Needs
• Ratio is 20 volunteers to 1 participant (per week) depending
on levels of support needed
• Had at least 80 active volunteers with 4 participants; Need at
least 160 active volunteers for 8 participants
Week Of
Shifts Needed
Hours Needed
Sept. 12th
246
440.75
Sept. 19th
238
448.08
Sept. 26th
221
416.00
Oct. 3rd
235
428.75
Oct. 10th and 17th
275
505.17
*Equals one week
Oct. 24th
234
412.58
Averages
241.5
441.89
Recruitment
Community
Resources
University Resources
•
Intro to Special Education
•
•
Whee Teach & Teaching
Fellows
Developmental
therapy/CAP funding
•
AmeriCorps scholarships
•
Internal and external grant
funds
•
Psychology service-learning
courses
•
Participants‟ classes
•
Federal work study
positions
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Bidirectional Exchange:
Supports Benefit
• Short term outcomes
• improvement in „states‟
• Middle term outcomes
• Interweave class theory/research with practice
• Occupational „trial run‟
• Long term outcomes
• Networking
• Professional training
• Behavior plans, Wilson Reading System & Edmark Reading
Program, individualized lesson plans, Problem solving,
organization
Other Benefits
• Research opportunities
• Teachable moments
• Measuring dispositions
• Involvement in a national movement
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12/21/2011
Increased Comfort & Efficacy
“I will be honest, before SPED 240 I tried to avoid people
with disabilities. It‟s not that I felt any different about them.
I knew they were human just like everyone else in the
world. I wasn‟t scared or disgusted by them. I just wasn’t
sure how to act. I didn’t want to say or do the wrong
thing. Taking this class has made me realize that I can be
myself around people with disabilities.”
Choice & Voice
•
Assist in establishing
participant goals
•
Co-create professional goals
•
Co-create schedule
•
Plan and organize social
events
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12/21/2011
Supporting Support
• Training
• Training sessions: assignment modification; homework
assistance; reading, math & social skill instruction; data
collection
• Other: volunteer manual, shadowing, instructional
approaches/practice lessons, reflective journaling, summative
and formative feedback
• Co-evaluation
• Criteria: dependability; engagement/initiative; decision
making & professionalism; communication/teamwork;
professional development; problem solving;
Organization & Logistics
• Weekly schedules detail when, where and what type
of activity has been designated
• When to Work online scheduling program: shift
trade boards, notifications, volunteer availability
• Blackboard: participant goals, schedules, learning
profiles and HW assignments; support journal
deposit
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12/21/2011
Organized Yet Individualized
Increased Independence
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UP Program Resources
• WCU UP Program Blackboard site
• UP Program website at http://up.wcu.edu
• UP Volunteers http://www.wcu.edu/29298.asp
• Volunteer FAQ
http://www.wcu.edu/29321.asp#FAQs_from_Volunte
ers
• Contact Us http://www.wcu.edu/29294.asp
Questions?
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12/21/2011
Contact Information
Seb Prohn, Faculty Liaison/Outreach Coordinator
smprohn@email.wcu.edu
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