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Ability Leadership Project of North Carolina (ALP-NC)

ALP NC LogoLeadership Training and Delivery: The focus of this area is leadership development education for self-advocates, parents, professionals and other stakeholders.

The Ability Leadership Project of North Carolina (ALP-NC) initiative is a partnership between Disability Rights North Carolina and the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) with NC stakeholders that designed an innovative and unique leadership development program for people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities (I/DD), family members and guardians, professionals, and other stakeholders to support advocacy for systems change in North Carolina.

This initiative supports NCCDD's Goal 3 of the Council’s Five-Year Plan: Increase advocacy for individuals with I/DD.

Why is NCCDD funding this initiative?Goal 3 of the new Five Year Plan: Increase advocacy for individuals with I/DD.

Aspects of this initiative are mandated in the Developmental Disabilities and Bill of Rights Act (DD Act) for Councils on Developmental Disabilities, and part of the NCCDD Five-Year State Plan to:

  • Support opportunities for individuals with I/DD who are considered leaders to provide leadership training to individuals with I/DD who may become leaders
  • Support I/DD professionals, other professionals and community leaders to receive leadership development; and
  • Increase individual, family, public and system knowledge and engagement to provide system advocacy for the financial security and community living opportunities of individuals with I/DD.

Also,

  • To increase individual, family, public and systems educational opportunities and engagement to improve the lives of individuals with I/DD and the system.
  • Developmental disabilities policy-based advocacy leadership development training
    programs involve high cost, outcomes tracking challenges, and barriers to long-term participant follow-up.
  • There are no policy-based advocacy leadership development training programs where people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities (I/DD), parents, professionals and other stakeholders train together.
  • Individuals with I/DD are rarely training facilitators or coordinators for policy-based advocacy leadership training initiatives geared towards individuals with I/DD and their families; and nearly never facilitators and coordinators if leadership training program is geared toward professionals.

What are the major goals and objectives?

  • Produce a facilitator’s guide to implement leadership development training.
  • Produce and pilot a Train-the-Trainer curriculum/program for facilitators of the leadership development training.
  • Design and implementation incorporate individuals with I/DD as lead, or minimally, co-lead training facilitators or coordinators.
  • Conduct an impact evaluation for the leadership development training.
  • Conduct a Train-the-Trainer program evaluation.
  • Develop a method for maintaining long-term contact with training graduates.

What has taken place since the start of the program? (Activities)

  • The initiative contract started on July 1, 2018. Year two began January 1, 2020. Year 3 began January 2021 and ends February 2022.
  • The pilot training of the base curriculum concluded November 2020. The pilot training of the Train-the-Trainer curriculum concluded June 2021.
  • Year one included:
    • Establishing a 15-member advisory committee with balanced representation by people with I/DD, family members and guardians, professionals, and other stakeholders.
    • Developing the integrated leadership development training curriculum.
    • Designing the training program delivery tools, materials, and platforms.
  • Year two* included:
    • Designing and implementing program QI evaluations and assessments.
    • Program branding. Marketing and communication mechanisms.
    • Implementing and concluding the pilot training class. 15 participants graduated.
    • 3 pilot trainers including one individual with developmental disabilities.
    • Initiating development of the Train-the-Trainer curriculum and facilitator’s guide.
    • Designing the impact evaluation for graduates.
    • Preliminary discussions for long-term engagement mechanism for graduates.
  • Year three* includes:
    • Design completion of the Train-the-Trainer program and materials.
    • Design completion of the facilitator’s guide.
    • Implementation of the 1st Train the Trainer class. 8 trainers completed the programming July 2021 including 6 individuals with intellectual and other developmental disabilities.
    • Preparation of 6 trainers to deliver the basic curriculum, including 4 individuals with intellectual and other developmental disabilities.

*COVID-19 physical distancing restrictions required virtual/on-line delivery of all pilot training sessions. Future sessions are intended to include two in-person and two-virtual training sessions.

What long-term changes are expected as a result of this initiative?

  • More individuals with I/DD will lead and sustain self-directed lives through self-advocacy, family advocacy and stakeholder leadership.
  • More individuals with I/DD and their families will knowledgeably advocate and take part in decisions that affect their lives, the lives of others and/or systems.
  • More I/DD professionals, other professionals and community leaders will receive leadership development to support collective impact to advance the financial security and community living opportunities of individuals with I/DD.
  • Increase individual, family, public and system knowledge and engagement to provide system advocacy for the financial security and community living opportunities of individuals with I/DD.
  • An accessible network of advocates trained to promote systems change locally and at state and federal levels, equipped with up-to-date information and materials.

Who can I contact for questions?

Coordinator Corye Dunn, Director of Public Policy for Disability Rights of North Carolina, [email protected]

NCCDD: Melissa Swartz, Systems Change Manager, [email protected]

Additional Resources

Website: www.alpnc.org

Click here to download a one pager of this initiative.

A recorded presentation to the NC Council on Developmental Disabilities: Disability Rights North Carolina/Ability Leadership Project North Carolina (ALP-NC) Update and Launch Session Recap - Aug 28, 2020

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North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities

Office Hours: 9AM-4PM Monday-Friday
3109 POPLARWOOD COURT, SUITE 105,
RALEIGH, NC 27604
 
1-800-357-6916 (Toll Free)
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This project was supported, in part by grant number 2001NCSCDD-02, from the U.S. Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C. 20201. Grantees undertaking projects with government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official ACL policy.

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