ERIC Number: ED295355
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1987-Mar
Pages: 18
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Volunteer Skills Data System.
Frame, Ron
To assist persons with developmental disabilities in South Dakota to become more independent, productive, and integrated into the community, the South Dakota Advocacy Project, Inc. implemented the Volunteer Skills Data System (VSDS). As South Dakota is primarily rural, accessibility to services and programs is a particular concern. Community volunteers can provide individualized assistance, help build self-esteem in the developmentally disabled, and provide a supplemental source of cost-effective manpower for professional services. To implement the project, a taxonomy of 12 volunteer roles was created, to address needs of personal/emotional support, practical problem-solving, family member support, supplemental instruction, advocacy, and community participation. Volunteer applicants acknowledge their level of proficiency for each volunteer role selected, and a microcomputer system is used to match developmentally disabled individuals with appropriate volunteers. A special focus of the VSDS has been intergenerational activities where senior volunteers assist children and youth in need of special or prolonged assistance. (JDD)
Publication Type: Speeches/Meeting Papers; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: South Dakota
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A