Discussing Disability

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Discussing Disability is a podcast by Arkansas Support Network, a statewide home- and community-based disability service provider. As a part of their work, the organization comes across a lot of discussions about life and disability and the intersection o

Arkansas Support Network


    • Apr 21, 2024 LATEST EPISODE
    • monthly NEW EPISODES
    • 33m AVG DURATION
    • 21 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Discussing Disability

    Arkansas DSP of the Year Award

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 21, 2024 36:13


    In this episode, ASN's Syard Evans talks with Yohannes Seifu, who received ANCOR's 2024 Arkansas Direct Support Professional of the Year award.  The discussion emphasizes the importance of person-centered support, building relationships, developing skills, and promoting career paths in the disability service industry.

    ASN Family Conversations 4

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 24, 2024 33:07


    In this episode, ASN's CEO Syard Evans taps into the world of disability support through the eyes of Johnniesue and her support system at ASN. We'll hear Arlene, a direct support professional, share her connection with Johnniesue, and gain insights from Syard on building positive relationships. Together, they'll unveil the power of person-centered care, emphasizing open communication and respect in supporting individuals with disabilities. 

    Navigating Work with a Disability

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 20, 2023 31:23


    This episode of Discussing Disability, hosted by ASN's CEO, Dr. Syard Evans, tackles the challenges and opportunities for people with disabilities in the workplace. Guests Autumn, an individual ASN supports, and Cynthia Pegues, the Director of Vocational Services, share their firsthand experiences and insights. Autumn details the joys and hurdles she faces in her career. Meanwhile, Cynthia sheds light on her role in helping individuals with disabilities through obstacles that they encounter in job finding and various work settings. The episode offers essential knowledge and guidance for individuals with disabilities, employers, and anyone interested in fostering a more inclusive work environment.

    ASN Family Conversations 3

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 6, 2023 42:54


    This ASN Family Conversation, conducted by ASN CEO Syard Evans, looks at the ever-growing relationship between people with disabilities and their support staff. She is joined by three people who receive services, Andrew, Jared, and Michael, along with a direct support professional named Yohannes. They each share their own experiences, providing valuable insight into the challenges they face and the importance of having a strong support system. Yohannes also discusses the importance of learning and respecting individual needs as a DSP, along with recognizing that he benefits from the relationship as well.

    ASN Family Conversations 2

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 14, 2023 45:46


    In this episode, ASN's CEO Dr. Syard Evans sits down with Dr. Angie Bassett and discusses her integral roles as a former board member, an educator, and a mother.

    ASN Family Conversations 1

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 15, 2023 42:24


    To start off the ASN Family Conversations miniseries, CEO Syard Evans sits down with Assistant Director of Quality and Programming Anastasia Litrell and Board Member Cash Acrey to discuss their respective roles within the organization, how they got there, and what motivates them.

    Relationships

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 6, 2023 48:28


    In this episode, ASN's CEO, Syard Evans, talks with John Peters, an individual ASN supports, one of his direct support professionals, Chibu Dilibe, and Lindsey Parker, the organization's Director of Behavioral Health, about relationships. They cover what makes a good relationship dealing with problems in a relationship, and relationships with family.

    Supported Living

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 22, 2022 31:19


    In this episode, ASN's CEO, Syard Evans, sits down with the organization's Chief Program Officer, Harold Watts, and the Co-director of Quality and Programming, James Wilks, and talks about providing supported living services.

    Grief, Loss, and End of Life

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 11, 2022 46:49


    In this episode, ASN's CEO, Syard Evans, talks with the organization's Director of Behavioral Health about supporting people during grief, loss, and end-of-life experiences.

    Direct Support Professionals

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 16, 2022 61:24


    In this episode, ASN's CEO, Syard Evans, talks with two of her employees, Devonna and Reade, and Roy, an individual served by ASN, about the role of direct support professionals (DSPs).in the lives of people with disabilities.

    Health and Wellness

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 18, 2022 54:17


    In this episode, ASN's CEO, Syard Evans, sits down with ASN's nurses, Jane and Melissa, to discuss health and wellness for folks with disabilities and as a part of disability services. The conversation extends to mental health challenges created by COVID-19 and the way people reacted to potentially receiving the vaccines.

    Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 23, 2022 57:08


    In this episode of Discussing Disability, ASN's CEO, Syard Evans, talks with Lindsey and Jasmine from the organization's behavioral health department about the abuse, neglect, maltreatment, and exploitation (ANME) of people with disabilities. Together, they explore the dynamics of ANME seen in disability services, what it means to provide trauma-informed support, and the importance of informed consent. Lindsey and Jasmine reflect on their own experiences acting as a "translator" or "mediator" to help direct support professionals understand what kind of support someone needs from them. This conversation reinforces the importance of truly supporting people to develop protective factors instead of merely trying to "protect them."

    Self-advocacy

    Play Episode Listen Later May 11, 2022 37:49


    In this episode of Discussing Disability, ASN's CEO, Syard Evans, visits with two individuals who receive supports from ASN, Larry and Ricky, and discusses their experiences receiving support services and learning to be effective advocates for themselves and for others.

    Supported Employment

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 7, 2022 28:25


    In this episode of Discussing Disability, ASN's CEO, Syard Evans, visits with two workers who receive supports from ASN, Justin and Shay, and two members of ASN's Vocational Services team who support and assist them, Steve and Laramie. Both Justin and Shay share their experiences and provide important insights into the value of work roles and effective support strategies. Justin reminds us all that important conversations and discussions don't always follow a traditional cadence but remain valuable and vital to our collective understanding, and both individuals reinforce the necessity of learning effective ways to ask for help in order to be successful.

    COVID - Jim's Experience

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 28, 2022 7:51


    Approximately a year or so into the pandemic, CEO Syard Evans, sat down with ASN's Director of Operations, Elaine Lawson, one of ASN's Directors of Quality & Programming, and one of ASN's Division Quality Specialists, Jim Mears to talk about the pandemic and how it had impacted ASN. Jim Mears stepped up in amazing ways in the early days of the pandemic in a way that provided leadership and hope for all of us. Jim shares his experience here.

    COVID - Terri's Experience

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 27, 2022 5:38


    Approximately a year or so into the pandemic, CEO Syard Evans, sat down with ASN's Director of Operations, Elaine Lawson, one of ASN's Directors of Quality & Programming, and one of ASN's Division Quality Specialists, Jim Mears to talk about the pandemic and how it had impacted ASN. In this section of the conversation, Terri shares her family's experience with COVID-19.

    COVID - Difficult Conversations

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 27, 2022 1:44


    Approximately a year or so into the pandemic, CEO Syard Evans, sat down with ASN's Director of Operations, Elaine Lawson, one of ASN's Directors of Quality & Programming, and one of ASN's Division Quality Specialists, Jim Mears to talk about the pandemic and how it had impacted ASN. Elaine, along with ASN's Chief Operations Officer, Ginnie Trammell, immediately stepped in and assumed the overwhelming task of contact tracing within ASN, and their tireless efforts are a key factor in ASN being able to keep people as safe as possible while continuing to operate at full speed. Elaine shares one of the more challenging aspects of taking on the role of contact tracing.

    COVID - Our Response

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 27, 2022 9:10


    Approximately a year or so into the pandemic, CEO, Syard Evans, sat down with ASN's Director of Operations, Elaine Lawson, one of ASN's Directors of Quality & Programming, and one of ASN's Division Quality Specialists, Jim Mears to talk about the pandemic and how it had impacted ASN. Here's a piece of that conversation focused on ASN's response to the global pandemic.

    Building a New Future

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 18, 2022 3:37


    Sometimes there are important conversations that occur in-between podcast episodes that we're lucky enough to get recorded. We'll always try to share those when they occur to supplement the important monthly podcast conversations we are having at ASN. In this clip, ASN's CEO, Syard Evans, provides thoughts and insights for fellow providers on the challenges and opportunities we currently face in the disability services system at the Arc of Indiana's recent virtual conference as a part of Quillo's founder, John Dickerson's, keynote address.

    Enabling Technology

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 23, 2022 48:39


    The term "Enabling Technology" is showing up more and more in the disability services field, but Enabling Technology isn't as much about gadgets and technological advances as it is about truly person-centered supports that empower people and legitimately support their pursuits of living good lives. Recently, ASN invited some friends from Core Services of NE Tennessee (www.coreservicestn.com) to travel to NW Arkansas and spend some time helping us learn more about Enabling Technology. While they were in town, Dr. Syard Evans sat down with Nick Filarelli and Adam Gothard to talk about what Nick and Adam have learned in the process of Core becoming a leading Tech First provider.

    Supports, Supported, and Supporting - A Conversation on an Evolving Support Relationship

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 28, 2022 24:20


    Dr. Syard Evans engages in a conversation with Kasey Hodges about the evolution of providing supports, her journey to becoming Arkansas Support Network's new Ethics and Mission Integration Director, and what she hopes to accomplish in that role.

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