Just Give Them What They Want? Service Delivery in the New Millennium

Just Give Them What They Want? Service Delivery in the New Millennium

Tom Merrell-Director, Student Disability Services (SDS)Barbara Zunder- Associate Director, SDSCharlene Lobo Soriano- Part-time FacultyShona Doyle- University Advisor, Dean’s OfficeBrooke Bassett- Alumna, School of Nursing

Overview

• Service delivery process• Identifying and building key alliances• Self-care strategies• Q & A

Who are we?

Service Delivery Process

Intake Procedures

• Building rapport- Everyone has a story- No Assumptions- Meet students where they are

• Maintaining rapport- No one approach

Take away: rapport building, trust, buy in

Eligibility

• New documentation guidelines• Identify needs

Documentation: The “USF Approach”

• Gather what you can – but don’t over-rely on it• We discriminate – in a good way• Consider history of accommodations• Consider giving provisional accommodations when

necessary/appropriate• Follow through/follow up

Take Away: Documentation is one piece of a larger puzzle, Don’t under-rely on clinical judgment

Determining Accommodations

• Gathering & sharing information as needed• Barriers?

• Practical, common sense clinical judgment• Foster full inclusion/getting back “in the game”

Take away: trust yourself as an expert

Why Believe Us?

Good for the student• Mutual respect• Self-advocacy skills

Good for the school• Retention rates

Identifying and Building Key Alliances

• “Intentional Informality”

• Be consistently cheerful and “nice” i.e. the “Nordstrom Way”- Create an atmosphere of helpfulness and

professionalism

• FISH philosophy

Take Away: Begins with YOU. Attitude is everything.

Identifying and Building Key Alliances

• Practical strategies for working with faculty and staff- Divide and conquer/relationship building- Respecting expertise, responsibilities and processes- Interact with them in other environments

Working with Faculty

• Honesty and openness• Respect the process and build the relationship• Have those “difficult conversations”

Faculty Approaches to Student Disability Services

How I Roll• Teach• Program Director• University Advisor

Consultations with Student Disability Services

• Improve the Classroom Experience• Cross Check Concerns• Refer Students

Ease of Services and Seamless Collaboration

• Defines the experience• Provides Context• Models Relationship

Case Studies

• As a teacher• As a Program Director

Return on Investments

Key Collaborative Areas

• Academic Departments• General Counsel• Counseling Center• Housing• Dean’s offices• Financial Aid• Judicial Affairs

Conflict Resolution

• Gathering/sharing information• “Generous Transparency”

Self-care Strategies

• Personal• Within the team (if applicable)• Within the greater community

Self-Care Strategies: Personal

• Stay positive/cheerful (AGAIN??)• Take pride in YOUR successes• Take time for yourself• Leave your work at work

Take away: Be cheerful – or at least fake it until you make it. Get out of the office.

Self-care Strategies: Within the Team

• Weekly check-ins• Group approach to difficult cases• Book club/research/journal articles/case law• Retreats• Happy Hour

Take away: Support each other. And get out of the office.

Self-care Strategies: Within the Greater Community

• Finding “champions and allies”• Realize that we are all on the same team• Look outside the university

Take away: seek support wherever possible

In Conclusion…

• Service delivery and building alliances is an on-going process

• Consistency + Good Habits = successful DS office management

Thank you!

Questions?

Feel free to contact:

Tom Merrell: [email protected] Zunder: [email protected] Lobo Soriano: [email protected] Doyle: [email protected] Bassett: