Direct Support Professional of the Year Award
Linnet Shover, 2005 DSP of the year
Linnet Shover who works as a Direct Support Professional for Community Options and Resources (COR) in Sherburn , Minnesota has been awarded the 2005 DSP of the Year Award.
From left to right: Judi Liebbrand SCOPE representative, W.C. Sanders Community Supports Program representative and Linnet Shover 2005 DSP of the year Award winner.
Linnet has been employed as A DSP with COR for almost 13 years. Earlier this year, she was recognized and nominated by her co-workers for her excellent team work and support of the consumers and received the Employee of the Quarter award. Annually in May the COR Board of Directors recognized Linnet with the Loren and Lil Peterson Award for her extraordinary dedication to COR and her work exemplifying the mission by which COR was founded and sustained today in its commitment to improve the lives of people who have disabilities. Linnet also received statewide recognition by being a recipient of the 2005 ARRM CARES AWARD for her professional integrity, interdependent work, creativity, innovation, and proactive approaches to services.
Linnet is the DSP representative for two COR committees. She serves on the Continuous Quality Improvement committee that has a goal to promote staff retention through staff recognition and teamwork. She is a member of the Infection Control Committee that strives to implement methods to reduce the number of infections that affect our consumers and staff. She is also an alternate member of the Staff Retention and Well Being Committee that has a goal to develop and implement techniques to attract and keep good employees, and build present staff professionally.
Linnet is currently an active member Our Redeemer Lutheran Church. She has taught Sunday school and led the youth group for 20 years.
Linnet has maintained high standards to benefit consumers, co- workers, and the organization; and supports individuals while maintaining professionally appropriate boundaries. Linnet works with consumer's advocates and others to expand consumer's support network.
Linnet was instrumental in reuniting one of COR's consumers with his family who had lost contact with him. Linnet became devoted to enriching this family's unity.
Annually she arranges the long-distant trip and accompanies this consumer to spend an entire day with his family. During his visits, this consumer's dad has an opportunity to share in his son's greatest love - walking in the out-of-doors. Hand in hand they explore the park together allowing dad to share memories with his son and allowing the consumer to reward his dad with laughter and smiles.
This consumer's brother drives a semi and visits this consumer when his route brings him to the area. The consumer delights in not only seeing his brother, but being able to sit in the cab of the big semi.
This consumer's family made Linnet aware of any important family reunion they really wanted him to attend so all of their children could be together. Linnet made all the arrangements for the long- distance trip and she helped this family create lasting memories with many photos of their times together.
In a letter to Linnet's supervisor, a mother to one of the consumers at COR wrote "You can not know what it meant to me the eve Linnet brought my son to my home to deliver my pretty Mother's Day gift. As he handed me the gift he was smiling broadly and his eyes were twinkling and he seemed so proud. It was as if he was saying "I brought this to you, Mom." We are so blessed to have wonderful caregivers like Linnet. It gives me such peace of mind to know that although he can not speak, he is in a safe environment being treated with dignity."
Representatives from the Community Supports Program and SCOPE traveled to Sherburn Minnesota to present Linnet with the DSP of the Year Award for 2005. In recognition of this great honor Linnet will receive complimentary registration to the spring SCOPE conference in Mankato and the state wide ARRM conference in the twin cities. Linnet also received a placque from the Community Supports Program at South Central College . Please join us in congratulating Linnet as the 2005 DSP of the Year.
Way to go Linnet, Congratulations!!!
As many of you know the DSP of the Year Award is in its third year of being awarded to deserving DSP's from across the state. Articles of the 2003 and 2004 winners can be read in the CSP Newsletters.