NSSPPP Facts

What is it?

The National Support Service Provider Pilot Project (NSSPPP) is a project to develop curriculum to train Support Service Providers (SSP) and deaf-blind people that use SSPs. The project will last for one year, from July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009. Funding for this program, $335,043, is provided by the United States Department of Education, Award #H235K080014. The Deaf-Blind Service Center sincerely thanks Senator Patty Murray for her efforts to secure this award.

Goal

The goal of NSSPPP is to research, write, and develop a curriculum that will train Support Service Providers (SSP) to provide assistance to deaf-blind persons to maximize their independence. The curriculum will also include information to train deaf-blind persons on how best to utilize SSPs.

What the Project Will Do

The Deaf-Blind Service Center (DBSC) will develop a curriculum to improve the skills and knowledge of persons who desire to become SSPs, and to increase the knowledge of deaf-blind persons who want to use SSPs efficiently to increase their independent living skills. This will be done by:

Research on best practices nationally

Interviewing persons, individually and within focus groups, who currently are SSPs or wish to become one

Interviewing deaf-blind persons, individually and within focus groups, who have experience using or wish to use SSPs

Gather information on availability and use of SSPs in both urban and rural regions of Washington State

Develop a draft curriculum for training SSPs and deaf-blind persons

Pilot test the draft curriculum

Include the feedback received from pilot testing to finalize the curriculum

Submit project continuation grant proposals to develop training materials and publish the curriculum

What the Project Will NOT Do

DBSC seeks to maximize the funding award from the Department of Education for the NSSPPP project. However, due to funding limitations, this project cannot:

Train SSPs on an ongoing basis without additional funding

Train SSPs in states other than Washington without additional funding

Provide assistance in paying SSPs (other than for project-related services)

DBSC

The Deaf-Blind Service Center is a social service agency that was established to provide services to deaf-blind persons living in the greater Seattle and Puget Sound area. Its mission is stated as, "The Deaf-Blind Service Center is committed to assisting deaf-blind people in reaching and maintaining their highest possible quality of life and degree of personal autonomy."

Project Director

Jelica Nuccio is the Executive Director of the Deaf-Blind ServiceCenter. She is originally from Croatia, and moved to Seattle from Atlanta, GA in 1997; since that time she has been actively involved in the deaf-blind community. Previously, she was an employment placement specialist for the Washington State Division of Vocational Rehabilitation and the Helen Keller National Center, and program coordinator in fiscal management and research at the University of Washington. She received her Masters degree in Public Health from Emory University in Atlanta and a Bachelors degree in Biology from Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, NY. Jelica was the former president of Washington State Deaf-Blind Citizens and served as a board member of the American Association of the Deaf-Blind.

Curriculum Developer

Theresa B. Smith is a pioneer in training persons to provide interpreting services to deaf-blind individuals, and has over thirty years of experience writing curricula, conducting classes and supervising educational programs. She has been an active participant in the deaf-blind community locally and nationally since 1976 and authored "Guidelines for Working and Socializing with Deaf-Blind People," published by Sign Media in Maryland. Ms. Smith has a Ph.D. in socio-cultural anthropology from the University of Washington.

Project Coordinator

Robert Roth has over twenty-nine years of experience coordinating programs, supervising budgets, and managing projects, primarily in the provision of services to the deaf and hard of hearing communities, including as Executive Director for over 12 years to two agencies serving these communities, in Seattle and in the San Francisco Bay area.

			SEATTLE DEAF-BLIND SERVICE CENTER
Home Page DBSC Services Curriculum About DBSC DBSC Board Donate Staff Bios Staff Contacts Photo Gallery Visual Version			NATIONAL SUPPORT SERVICE PROVIDER PILOT PROJECT FACTS What is it? The National Support Service Provider Pilot Project (NSSPPP) is a project to develop curriculum to train Support Service Providers (SSP) and deaf-blind people that use SSPs. The project will last for one year, from July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009. Funding for this program, $335,043, is provided by the United States Department of Education, Award #H235K080014. The Deaf-Blind Service Center sincerely thanks Senator Patty Murray for her efforts to secure this award. Goal The goal of NSSPPP is to research, write, and develop a curriculum that will train Support Service Providers (SSP) to provide assistance to deaf-blind persons to maximize their independence. The curriculum will also include information to train deaf-blind persons on how best to utilize SSPs. What the Project Will Do The Deaf-Blind Service Center (DBSC) will develop a curriculum to improve the skills and knowledge of persons who desire to become SSPs, and to increase the knowledge of deaf-blind persons who want to use SSPs efficiently to increase their independent living skills. This will be done by: Research on best practices nationally Interviewing persons, individually and within focus groups, who currently are SSPs or wish to become one Interviewing deaf-blind persons, individually and within focus groups, who have experience using or wish to use SSPs Gather information on availability and use of SSPs in both urban and rural regions of Washington State Develop a draft curriculum for training SSPs and deaf-blind persons Pilot test the draft curriculum Include the feedback received from pilot testing to finalize the curriculum Submit project continuation grant proposals to develop training materials and publish the curriculum What the Project Will NOT Do DBSC seeks to maximize the funding award from the Department of Education for the NSSPPP project. However, due to funding limitations, this project cannot: Train SSPs on an ongoing basis without additional funding Train SSPs in states other than Washington without additional funding Provide assistance in paying SSPs (other than for project-related services) DBSC The Deaf-Blind Service Center is a social service agency that was established to provide services to deaf-blind persons living in the greater Seattle and Puget Sound area. Its mission is stated as, "The Deaf-Blind Service Center is committed to assisting deaf-blind people in reaching and maintaining their highest possible quality of life and degree of personal autonomy." Project Director Jelica Nuccio is the Executive Director of the Deaf-Blind ServiceCenter. She is originally from Croatia, and moved to Seattle from Atlanta, GA in 1997; since that time she has been actively involved in the deaf-blind community. Previously, she was an employment placement specialist for the Washington State Division of Vocational Rehabilitation and the Helen Keller National Center, and program coordinator in fiscal management and research at the University of Washington. She received her Masters degree in Public Health from Emory University in Atlanta and a Bachelors degree in Biology from Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, NY. Jelica was the former president of Washington State Deaf-Blind Citizens and served as a board member of the American Association of the Deaf-Blind. Curriculum Developer Theresa B. Smith is a pioneer in training persons to provide interpreting services to deaf-blind individuals, and has over thirty years of experience writing curricula, conducting classes and supervising educational programs. She has been an active participant in the deaf-blind community locally and nationally since 1976 and authored "Guidelines for Working and Socializing with Deaf-Blind People," published by Sign Media in Maryland. Ms. Smith has a Ph.D. in socio-cultural anthropology from the University of Washington. Project Coordinator Robert Roth has over twenty-nine years of experience coordinating programs, supervising budgets, and managing projects, primarily in the provision of services to the deaf and hard of hearing communities, including as Executive Director for over 12 years to two agencies serving these communities, in Seattle and in the San Francisco Bay area. Project Period July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009 For More Information Contact Jelica Nuccio, Executive Director, Deaf-Blind Service Center, at jnuccio@seattledbsc.org, or go to www.seattledbsc.org.

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NATIONAL SUPPORT SERVICE PROVIDER PILOT PROJECT FACTS