The Virginia Sponsored Residential Provider Group (VaSRPG) is a collaboration of 30 agencies throughout Virginia who provide Sponsored Residential Services with an active membership of 73 participants.  VaSRGP is grateful for the opportunity to respond as a group to recent guidance documents for Direct Support Professional and Direct Support Professional Supervisor competencies and appreciates the consideration of our feedback.  For any questions related to this document, you may contact either of the following members: 

Meneika Chandler, Family Sharing, Inc., familysharingmlc@gmail.com, 540-414-4561

John Weatherspoon, Wall Residences, JWeatherspoon@wallresidences.com, 540-250-8928

VaSRPG would like to put for the following comments on guidance documents related to Proposed Changes for Rules and Regulations For Licensing Providers by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services

Generally VaSRPG is in support of language changes and clarification that has been made to processes and appreciates the time invested in the revision and development of the regulations.  The group collectively wishes to make note of the following items:

320 Fire code

Inclusion of SR services to have fire marshals inspection and documentation has been historically excluded from this requirement because was not an institutional setting but the private residence of a host family.  VaSRPG requests SR services to continue to be excluded from this change.

20 – Direct Care Position

This definition reads vaguely and seems to include all positions as direct care positions including supervisors who may or may not provide direct care.