Power Self Assessment

Because you’re more competent (able) legally, physically, emotionally, intellectually, and developmentally, you are in an unequal advantage in exchanges with most people receiving support services. Use the following self-assessment to help you determine if you are at risk for misusing your skills and authority.

1. Do people receiving support do what you want because your relationship with them is built on trust or because they are frightened of you?

2. Do you feel you need to win in situations where you and a person you support disagree?

3. Do you apologize when you are wrong and seek to find common ground when there is a difference of opinion between you and people receiving support?

4. Do you expect people receiving support to ask for your permission unnecessarily? For example, do people ask permission from you before they  Get a snack, take a second helping, or get another cup of coffee?  Go outside to sit in the yard?  Change the channel on the television?  Make a phone call?  Use personal belongings or materials provided for everyone who lives in the residence (i.e., games)?

5. If someone asked, “Who’s in charge?” how would you answer? Are you able to let yourself not be in charge?

6. Do you make choices for people who could learn to make these decisions themselves?

7. How do you feel when someone protests or acts out? Do you take it personally or try to find the source of the problem?

8. Do you treat people who disagree, protest, or fail to obey the same way you would want to be treated in like situations?

9. Are you concerned when a person receiving support never questions what others decide or tell them to do?

10. Do you help people develop self-advocacy, self-determination, and assertiveness skills so they can gain more power and control in their lives?

11. How could you interact with people with disabilities to reduce the differences in power and authority between the two of you?

12. Do you find yourself using the following phrases to describe people receiving support?  “disobedient”  “uncooperative”  “difficult”

13. Do you find yourself using the following phrases to describe people receiving support, indicating these qualities make your job easier?  “compliant”  “cooperative”  “easy”

14. Do you ever find yourself telling a person receiving support that he or she can’t use something or do something he or she values unless s/he will do what you ask?

15. Do you find yourself thinking,  “I need to teach her a lesson.”  “That’s not going to happen on my shift.”

16. Have you heard your self say,  “Because I said so.”  “I said, ‘Right Now!’”  “I don’t have time for this.”

17. Do you try to get people to do things by tricking them or scaring them?

18. Do you use peer pressure or anger to get people to do what you want?

19. When you ask a person with a disability a question, do you give them time to process your question and prepare an answer?

20. Do you plan ahead for situations that you know may be difficult for the person (going to the doctor) to make sure the person will be comfortable and successful.

21. Do you expect people receiving support to do tasks exactly the way you do them, or do you allow differences as long as the job gets done?

22. When discussing incidents that involve violent behavior, do you consider that the source of the problem might be misuse of power by staff or lack of power on the part of the person receiving support?

23. Do you take time to think about your interactions and ask yourself and coworkers if your behavior shows mutual respect?