Funding Sources: Telecommunications Tax funded through
legislation and managed by Louisiana Commission for the Deaf Eligibility: The Louisiana Commission for the Deaf (LCD)
provides SSP services to Louisiana residents who are DeafBlind as defined
by US legislature. Eligible participants will have:
Central visual acuity of 20/200
or less in their better eye with corrective lenses or a visual field
defect (such as Usher syndrome)
Chronic hearing loss so severe
that most speech cannot be understood.
Extreme difficulty in doing
daily life activities, participating in social activities, or getting a
job on their own.
If an individual cannot
have their hearing and vision properly measured, but they have severe hearing
and visual disabilities that make it extremely difficult to be independent,
they may still be eligible for the program.
Number of Individuals Served: 82
Preferred Terminology: SSP
Certification/Endorsement: No certification or training CEUs
are offered at the time
Types of Service Requests: A Service Support Provider (SSP) is a trained guide who works one-on-one with a person
who is DeafBlind to communicate information. They act as a human guide to help
their client perform everyday activities. SSPs provide information about a
person's physical and social environment via tactile sign language or other
methods of communication. This empowers DeafBlind individuals to fully
participate in activities in their community and live with more
self-confidence.
Here are a few examples of the types
of services an SSP can provide:
·
Driving
to and from the grocery store with you and helping you purchase items;
·
Providing
information about your physical surroundings, such as where you are;
·
Providing
social information, such as describing the mood of people around you;
·
Communicating
with people using the DeafBlind person’s preferred mode of communication (sign
language, tactile communication, speech, etc); and
·
Additional
support such as shopping, visiting friends/family, eating at restaurants,
looking around, mail reading, paying bills, phone calls, any medical/legal
appointments, and/or exercising.
Training Requirements: SSP will engage in at least one
8-hour orientation to receive Deaf-Blindness training, which includes:
policies/procedures, topics of DeafBlind related information, and SSP code of
ethics. New hires will have an opportunity to observe approved DeafBlind Instructor
classes and volunteer with three different DeafBlind individuals prior to
starting employment. Individual training for DB clients can be provided by DB
teachers upon request.
Program Coordination: Full-Time coordinator and
assistance – scheduling, payroll, files, advocacy, etc.
Transportation: SSPs are allowed to provide
transportation as part of the assignment but may not provide transportation as
the only service.
SSP Pay Rate: SSP starting pay is $18/hour.
Other: All
qualified and registered DeafBlind residents are allocated 25 hours per month
to use as they choose. However, we have developed and are implementing
DeafBlind assessments to determine additional hours as hours vary among each
DeafBlind individual.