This article examines the current role of direct-care staff, and their significance to individuals with disabilities living in the community. The role of staff will be redefined with respect to client normalization within the community. Finally, a framework for training staff is provided.
Direct-care staff often have the greatest influence in the lives of individuals with disabilities living in the community. Their impact, however, is frequently underestimated. It is the direct-care staff who are responsible for the daily selfcare and behavioral or instructional programing activities that clients pursue. Their continuous presence and involvement in the clients' lives fosters a relationship that would be difficult for others to establish and the effects of this relationship are often long lasting.
The direct-care staff are central to the success or failure of the client in the community. It is important to note that successful or unsuccessful behavior does not occur by itself, but is a function of the client's environment and other individuals interacting with the client in that environment. The attitudes and behavior of staff influence the clients' behavior. Whether this influence occurs through intentional instruction or daily interaction, a large part of a client's behavioral repertoire develops in response to staff behavior.
Direct-care staff play multiple roles within the home environment, including parent, friend, nurse, or counselor. Yet their primary role-that of teacher-is poorly defined and rarely emphasized. The role of staff should be to teach behaviors that are normalized and that are conducive to successful community integration. The community living environment sets the occasion for normalization, and if the environment is not designed to achieve this end, it will not occur. As staff are a central feature of the community residential facility, they are central to the normalization and integration of the client into the community.