The members of the “Value Their Work – Value Their Lives” Campaign have developed these materials to use at the Regional Meetings. These materials are also meant to be used with legislators, the media, public officials, families, individuals with disabilities and other advocates in our quest to increase wages for DSPs. Feel free to share these materials with other providers and advocates.

I want to thank Art Dykstra, Ann Irving and Kim Zoller for their contributions to these important resource materials. It was a pleasure to work with them.

Below is information I have so far on regional meetings:

Please let me know if a Regional meeting is being scheduled in your area.

The “Value Their Work – Value Their Lives” Booklet is a comprehensive booklet outlining all you need to know about the DSP Crisis in Illinois. This document is meant to be the core information document in our Campaign and a leave behind after your advocacy meetings with legislators and the media.

Its contents include:

  1. Executive Summary
  2. Who are Direct Support Professionals?
  3. DSPs Require Skills and Compassion
  4. DSPs are Highly Trained
  5. DSPs Manage Challenging Situations
  6. Difficult to Recruit and Retain DPSs
  7. Solving the Workforce Crisis
  8. Letter to Governor Rauner Regarding Crisis
  9. Court Monitor Finds Non-Compliance
  10. State Must Provide Adequate Funding
  11. More Problems Ahead for Illinois
  12. Responsibility of State Government Take Action Now!
  13. DSP Code of Ethics

The “Value Their Work – Value Their Lives” Resource Guide is packed with fact sheets and sample materials to assist you in this campaign. The Guide is a dynamic resource that will continue to grow as the Campaign moves forward.

Included in this Resource Guide are:

  1. About this toolkit
  2. Why should you care?
  3. DSP Crisis…Summary of Critical Issues
  4. Your Elected State Legislators
  5. Senate Bill 2952 Flyer
  6. House Bill 5931 Flyer
  7. Sample letter to the editor from a CEO
  8. Some Key Facts for Advocacy
  9. Provider Comments to Court Monitor on DSP Crisis
  10. Problematic Trends Identified by Court Monitor
  11. Sample Telephone Scripts
  12. Sample Engagement Letters
  13. Sample family letter to Legislator
  14. Sample DSP letter to Legislator
  15. Letter Template for Agency Staff (non-DSP)
  16. Letter Template for Self-Advocates
  17. Witness Slips
  18. Contact Information
  19. Campaign Infograph

 

tony signature

Tony Paulauski
Executive Director
The Arc of Illinois
20901 S. LaGrange Rd. Suite 209
Frankfort, IL 60423
815-464-1832 (OFFICE)
815-464-1832 (CELL)
Tony@thearcofil.org