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Research and Training Center on Community Living Staff Member
Sheryl A. Larson, Ph.D.Research Director, Research AssociateSheryl A. Larson, Ph.D. Dr. Larson began providing services to persons with disabilities in 1981. She has been a residential counselor, behavior analyst, program evaluator, consultant, personal advocate and researcher. She earned an M.A. and Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of Minnesota. She is the Research Director at the Research and Training Center on Community Living (U of MN) where she has worked since 1988 directing projects involving evaluation, survey and intervention research, secondary analysis of large data sets and research synthesis on access to health care, disability statistics, and disability services. She has authored or coauthored more than 100 publications on those topics. Dr. Larson is an American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) Fellow and a consulting editor of Mental Retardation and Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability. She received a Presidential Award from AAIDD for workforce research. She serves on the Minnesota Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities, the Minnesota Stakeholders Advisory Committee on Managed Care, and the Board of Directors of The Arc of Minnesota. Organization: Research and Training Center on Community Living E-mail: ( larso072@umn.edu)
Current Projects- CMS Direct Support Worker Technical Assistance
RTC staff will work with the Lewin Group to deliver technical assistance to the 10 grantees who received direct support workforce ... (More)
- College of Direct Support: National Online Training Program for Direct Support Professionals
The College of Direct Support (CDS) is a computer-assisted, competency-based, interactive multimedia training curriculum for direc... (More)
- Consumer Directed Community Supports (CDCS) – Trends and Workforce Outcomes
This activity will study access people with ID/DD and their families have to consumer directed community supports (CDCS). It will... (More)
- Effective Interventions to Improve DSP Recruitment, Retention and Training Outcomes
This series of studies will document effective strategies to reduce turnover and improve recruitment of DSPs who support people wi... (More)
- Formative and Summative Evaluation of the College of Direct Support: The RTC/CL’s Web-Based Training System for DSPs and Frontline Supervisors
This study will provide both summative and formative research to measure the benefits, guide the development and inform the revisi... (More)
- Hennepin County Case Management Evaluation
The report to be completed for this project is an evaluation of the newly implemented model for case management services for perso... (More)
- The Illinois Direct Support Professional Workforce Initiative
This project is a three year workforce systems change initiative funded by The Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities (ICD... (More)
- Mobilizing for Change: Supporting the Frontline Workforce
This project is developing a national web-based training program for frontline supervisors in human service agencies to address is... (More)
- National Residential Information Systems Project and Policy Studies
For over 20 years, the National Residential Information Systems Project has been collecting and disseminating annually, national a... (More)
- National Training Institute for Frontline Supervisors
The National Training Institute For Frontline Supervisors and Technical Assistance Project (NTIFFS) is a three year grant program ... (More)
- Qualitative Case Study of Best Practices in Direct Support Staff Workforce Development
This project conducts two in-depth case studies of best practices in DSP workforce development in the United States each year. Cas... (More)
- Refining and Establishing Benchmarks for Workforce Instruments
This project will identify, refine, and establish benchmarks for tools that organizations can use to measure or improve DSP and FL... (More)
- Report to Congress on the Supply of Direct Support Professionals Serving Individuals with Intellectual and Other Developmental Disabilities
This project developed a draft of a Report to Congress on the supply and demand of direct support professionals needed to serve pe... (More)
- Status, Trends, and Innovations in Medicaid Support for Community Services
This project integrates Medicaid HCBS (“waiver”), ICF/MR, and Nursing Facility data collection and national data systems of the RT... (More)
- Studies of Persons with Developmental Disabilities in the National Health Interview Survey Supplement on Disability
This project undertakes various analyses of the National Health Interview Survey on Disability Supplement (NHIS-D) to further know... (More)
- Kansans Mobilizing for Direct Support Workforce Change
Funded by the Kansas Council on Developmental Disabilities, this project i... (More)
- Minnesota Quality Assurance Panel
The Minnesota State Legislature convened a committee,
the Quality Assurance Panel, to study the efficacy of establishing regional... (More)
- The Experiences of Direct Support Professionals during Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and Aftermath
In 2006, the University of Minnesota was asked to conduct a series of interviews and focus groups with staff from two programs of ... (More)
- Job analysis and validation of direct support professional and frontline supervisor competencies and training needs
This national study was conducted by the Research and Training Center on Community Living in collaboration with state agencies and... (More)
- Active Support Interventions and Their Effect on Increased Participation of Persons with Severe Impairments
Active Support (AS) is an organizational intervention to enable direct support professionals (DSPs) in community settings to effec... (More)
Author, Contributor or Editor for the following Publications & Products
| • | Analysis of the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) Minimum Data Set (MDS) Characteristics of Nursing Home Residents in 2000 -
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| • | NHIS-D Fact Sheets - These Fact Sheets are based on the preliminary analysis of the characteristics and needs of people with mental retardation or developmental disabilities (MR/DD) from the National Health Interview Survey-Disability Supplement (NHIS-D). They are updated regularly as additional analyses are done.
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 | DD Data Brief - A series summarizing analyses of the 1994/1995 National Health Interview Survey-Disability Supplement.
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| • | Minnesota Waiver Report - An independent evaluation of the quality of services and system performance of Minnesota's Medicaid home and community based services for persons with mental retardation and related conditions. (2000)
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| • | National Residential Information Systems Project (RISP) - For over 20 years, the National Residential Information Systems Project has been collecting and disseminating annually, national and state statistics on public and private residential services, Medicaid program utilization, expenditures, etc.
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| • | National Validation Study of Competencies For Frontline Supervisors and Direct Support Professionals - This study examined organizational workforce outcomes; characteristics of and differences between managers, Frontline Supervisors (FLS) and Direct Support Professionals (DSPs); and workplace competencies, training needs, and timing of training for FLS and DSPs. Using survey methodologies, the study validated nationally the results of two comprehensive Minnesota analyses of competencies needed by DSPs and FLS, extending the existing analyses by sampling direct support professionals (DSPs), first-line supervisors (FLS) and managers in 77 agencies in five states. (2007)
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| • | Diversity Workgroup Environmental Scan (PDF) - The purpose of this environmental scan is to find out what local (Minneapolis/St. Paul ) metro area organizations and selected state agencies are doing around the topic of diversity, both inside and outside their respective organizations. (2009); File Size: 1.75 MB
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| • | Redesigning Case Management Services for People With Disabilities in Minnesota (PDF) - The Minnesota Legislature requested a proposal for reforming the case management system for all persons with disabilities under age 65. The Institute on Community Integration, University of Minnesota, conducted a review of current practices in Minnesota. The report also contains a review of best practices and innovative models in case management throughout
the country. (2007); File Size: 1.47 MB
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| • | Final Report: National Training Institute For Frontline Supervisors and Technical Assistance Project (PDF) - This project was designed to refine, test and deliver a National Training Institute for Frontline Supervisors using a "Train-the-Trainer" model and a distributed learning, technical assistance and consulting model to assist community human service employers, families and consumers from across the country to recruit, retain, and train direct support professionals and Frontline Supervisors. (2007); File Size: 97 KB
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| • | Evaluation Of Case Management Model Hennepin County Developmental Disabilities Program (PDF) - This report is an evaluation of the newly implemented model for case management services for persons with developmental disabilities. It addresses the following issues, and includes a comparison of the newly implemented model with previous practices and best or alternative practice from literature reviews: 1. How does the new case management model support and encourage client choice and control? 2. How does the new model address county responsibilities? 3. Does the county have any exposures or vulnerabilities under the new model? 4. How does the new model address responsiveness to clients? 5. Will the new model allow the county to meet the needs of growing numbers of clients with fixed case management resources? 6. Will the new model be effective in assuring client health and safety considerations? The report is based in part on information gathered through focus groups with all case managers and supervisors, a survey of all case managers and supervisors, and interviews with a selected number of consumers. (2005); File Size: 361 KB
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| • | Assessing Retention Outcomes (PDF) - This document and form will help you to determine your turnover and vacancy rates to choose strategies for retention, identify reasons your agency experiences turnover, and provide a benchmark for how well current interventions are working. (2000); File Size: 14 KB
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| • | Exit Survey (PDF) - This is an adaptation of the staff satisfaction survey specifically designed to learn the opinions of staff who are leaving. Because the questions are parallel, scores can be compared to those for staff who are current employees.; File Size: 12 KB
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| • | Agency Plan Hints and Sample (PDF) - Agency Plan Hints and Sample is a tool to use when completing your agency plans. We have also included a sample plan in this docment for review. It will help you think about many of the things you need to include or at least think about when preparing your specific agency plan.; File Size: 40 KB
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| • | New Staff Survey (PDF) - This survey assesses the extent to which a new employee's experiences matched his or her expectations. Averages scores of less than 4 on the five point scales identify areas in which better information should be provided during the hiring process.; File Size: 8 KB
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| • | Market Analysis Survey (PDF) - This survey can be used to learn about the demographic and work characteristics of employees in an organization, county, or state. It was devleoped for use in Ohio for a recruitment campaign.; File Size: 22 KB
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| • | Training Needs Assessment - FLS version (PDF) - This survey lists each of the competency areas and specific skills from the Minnesota Frontline Supervisor Competencies and Performance Indicators and asks frontline supervisors to prioritize their most important training needs.; File Size: 18 KB
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| • | Training Needs Assessment - DSP Version (PDF) - This survey lists each of the competency areas and specific skills from the Residential Version of the Community Supports Skill Standards and asks DSPs to prioritize their most important training needs.; File Size: 15 KB
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 | The Minnesota Frontline Supervisor Competencies and Performance Indicators (PDF) - The purpose of the Frontline Supervisor Competencies and Performance
Indicators project was to identify those competencies required of frontline
supervisors providing community support services to people with developmental
disabilities in order to foster the development and implementation of excellence
in service provision. (1998); File Size: 328 KB
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| • | Realistic Job Preview Overview (PDF) - Realistic Job Previews (RJP) are any method an agency or business uses to help prospective employees get a balanced picture of the positive and negative aspects of the work they will be doing and the organizational climate, prior to the offer of a position. This overview compares various RJP methods.; File Size: 28 KB
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| • | Removing the Revolving Door: Strategies to Address Recruitment and Retention Challenges - A curriculum targeting frontline supervisors and managers regarding the use of effective recruitment, retention, and training strategies. (2001)
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| • | The Peer Empowerment Program (PEP): A Complete Toolkit for Planning and Implementing Mentoring Programs Within Community-Based Human Services Organizations - A curriculum designed to create a mentoring program in community-based human service organizations. (2001)
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| • | The Power of Diversity: Supporting the Immigrant Workforce - A curriculum to assist supervisors and other agency staff find, support, and retain immigrant workers which includes a Facilitator Guide and a Learner Guide. (2001)
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 | College of Direct Support - The College of Direct Support (CDS) is a computer-assisted, competency-based, interactive multimedia training curriculum for direct support professionals in community settings.
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| • | Quality Mall - Quality Mall is a web site that gathers and disseminates information related to or useful in promoting the quality of life for persons with developmental disabilities. It especially focuses on promising person-centered practices and innovations.
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| • | College of Frontline Supervision and Management - The College of Frontline Supervision (CFS) is an online multimedia training resource focusing on the topics of how to recruit, train, and retain high quality direct support professionals.
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Offline Publications
Books and MonographsBarnartt, S., Altman, B., Hendershot, G., & Larson, S.A. (Eds.). (In Press). Disability research within the NHIS-D: The results of a users conference. Research in Social Sciences and Disability, (Whole Volume 3). Stanford, CT: JAI Press, Inc
Larson, S.A., & Hewitt, A. (in preparation). (in preparation). Staff recruitment, retention and training: Strategies for community human service agencies. Baltimore, MD: Brookes Publishing.
Larson, S.A., Lakin, K.C., & Bruininks, R.H. (1998). Staff recruitment and retention: Study results and intervention strategies. Washington, DC: American Association on Mental Retardation.
Journal ArticlesHewitt, A., Larson, S., Lakin, C., Sauer, J., & Sedlezky, L. (submitted). The Roles and Essential Competencies of the Frontline Supervisors of Direct Support Professionals in Community Services. Mental Retardation.
Kim, S., Larson, S. A., & Lakin, K. C. (2001). Behavioral outcomes of deinstitutionalization for people with intellectual disability: A review of US studies conducted between 1980 and 1999. Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability, 26 (1), 35-50.
Larson, S. A., & Lakin, K. C. (1999). A longitudinal study of recruitment and retention in small community homes supporting people with developmental disabilities. Mental Retardation, 37(4), 267-280.
Larson, S. A., & Lakin, K. C. (1999). A longitudinal study of recruitment and retention in small community homes supporting persons with developmental disabilities. Mental Retardation, 37, 36-46.
Larson, S. A., Hewitt, A., & Anderson, L. L. (1999). Staff recruitment challenges and interventions in agencies supporting people with developmental disabilities. Mental Retardation, 37, 36-46.
Larson, S. A., Lakin, K. C., Anderson, L., Kwak, N., Lee, J. H., & Anderson, D. (2001). Prevalence of mental retardation and developmental disabilities: Estimates from the 1994/1995 National Health Interview Survey Disability Supplements. American Journal on Mental Retardation, 106, 231-252.
Stancliffe, R., Hayden, M.F., Larson, S.A., & Lakin, K.C. (2002). Longitudinal study on the adaptive and challenging behaviors of deinstitutionalized adults with mental retardation. American Journal on Mental Retardation, 107, 302-320.
Book ChaptersLakin, K. C., & Larson, S. A. (2002). The social and policy context of community-centered behavioral supports and crisis response. In R. Hanson, N. Wheeler, & K. C. Lakin (Eds.), Crisis: Prevention and Response in the Community. Washington, DC: American Association on Mental Retardation.
Lakin, K. C., Larson, S. A., Anderson, L. L., & Kwak, N. (In press). Definitions and findings on developmental disabilities within the disability supplement to the National Health Interview Survey. In S. Barnartt, B. Altman, G. Hendershot, and S.A. Larson (Eds.), Disability research within the NHIS-D: The results of a users conference. Research in Social Sciences and Disability, (Vol. 3, whole issue). Stanford, CT: JAI Press.
Larson, S. A., Anderson, L., Prouty, R., Polister, B., & Clayton, C. (1999). Staffing patterns, characteristics and outcomes in large state-operated residential facilities in 1998. In R.W. Prouty & K.C. Lakin (Eds.). Residential services for persons with developmental disabilities: Status and trends through 1998. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota, Institute on Community Integration, Research and Training Center on Community Living.
Larson, S. A., Lakin, K. C., & Hewitt, A. (2002). Embarking on a new century for direct care professionals: 1975 to 2000 and beyond. In D. Croser, P. Baker, & R. Schalock (Ed.), A century of concern (rev. ed.). Washington, DC: American association on Mental Retardation.
Larson, S. A., Lakin, K. C., & Hewitt, A. (In Press). Direct support professionals: 1975-2000. In D. Croser, P. Paker, & R. Schalock (Eds.), Embarking on a New Century. Washington, DC: American Association on Mental Retardation.
Larson, S. A., O’Nell, S., & Sauer, J. (Submitted). What is this job all about? Using realistic job previews in the hiring process. In S. A. Larson & A. S. Hewitt (Eds.). Staff recruitment, retention and training: Removing the revolving door. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing, Co.
Larson, S., Prouty, R.W., & Polister, B. (2001). Staffing patterns, characteristics and outcomes in large state-operated residential facilities in 2000. In R W. Prouty, G. Smith, & K. C. Lakin (Eds.), Residential services for persons with developmental disabilities: Status and trends through 2000. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota, Institute on Community Integration, Research and Training Center on Community Living.
Larson, S.A., & Hewitt, A. S. (Submitted). Recruiting direct support professionals. In S. A. Larson & A. S. Hewitt (Eds.). Staff recruitment, retention and training: Removing the revolving door. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.
Technical ReportsHewitt, A., & Larson, S. (2000). Recruitment, retention and training: a resource for supervisors and managers of community support agencies. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota, Research and Training Center on Community Living/Institute on Community Integration.
Hewitt, A., Larson, S., Sauer, J., & O'Nell, S. (1998). Values and visions for Minnesotans with disabilities. University of Minnesota, Research and Training Center on Community Living/Institute on Community Integration.
Hewitt, A., Larson, S., Sauer, J., & O'Nell, S. (1998). Training trainers towards excellence. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota, Research and Training Center on Community Living/Institute on Community Integration.
Hewitt, A., Larson, S., Sauer, J., Anderson, L., & O’Nell, S. (2001). Partnerships for Success: Retaining Incumbent Community Support Human Service Workers by Upgrading their Skills and Strengthening Partnerships among Workforce Centers, Educational Programs, and Private Businesses. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota: Research and Training Center, Institute on Community Integration.
Hewitt, A., O'Nell, S., Lei, N., Sauer, J., & Larson, S. (2000). Supporting an immigrant workforce: a resource for supervisors and managers of community support services for people with disabilities. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota, Research and Training Center on Community Living/Institute on Community Integration.
Hewitt, A., O'Nell, S., Smith, J., Bast, J., Larson, S., & Lakin, K. C. (1998). An evaluation of alternative methods to assure and enhance the quality of long-term care services for persons with developmental disabilities through performance based contracts. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota, Research and Training Center on Community Living/Institute on Community Integration.
Larson, S. A., Sauer, J., Hewitt, A., O’Nell, S., & Sedlezky, L. (1998). SOS training and technical assistance project for direct support professionals, trainers and frontline supervisors: Final Report. Minneapolis: Research and Training Center on Community Living, Institute on Community Integration, University of Minnesota.
Larson, S., Hewitt, A., Anderson, L., Sauer, J., and O’Nell, S. (2000). Minnesota review and Analysis of Trends in Agency Maltreatment Reports. Minneapolis: Institute on Community Integration, University of Minnesota, College of Education and Human Development.
RTC PeriodicalsLarson, S. A., Lakin, K. C., Anderson, L., & Kwak, N. (1999). 1994 National Health Interview Survey: Disability Supplement — Identifying people with mental retardation or developmental disabilities. MR/DD Data Brief, 1 (1). Minneapolis: University of Minnesota, Research and Training Center on Community Living.
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