Topic: Staff Training

Being in a leadership role is an important responsibility. Staff are following your words and your actions. Counter intuitively, one trait of a successful leader is being a good listener. Staff will perform at a higher level if they believe that their ideas are being heard, acknowledged and ultimately utilized.

Becoming a Better Listener is an essential training program examines the importance and practice of listening skills from the managerial perspective. Key components covered are:
      - Why excellent listening skills will improve your managerial performance
      - Key traits of excellent listeners
      - Focusing on the emotional content, not just the words
      - Avoiding interrupting
      - Avoiding giving unsolicited advice
      - Being as objective as possible
      - Be aware of your filters and stereotypes, and keeping both in check

This one hour training is appropriate for all levels of managerial staff.

This one simple activity is more effective than hours of training for introducing effective communication and gossip avoidance. 

All you need to play are some tubes of toothpaste and a little competition. Engaging, thoughtful and fun!

The “Community Experience” is here to help you develop a community-based volunteer program for people with ID/DD.  Use this training to help your team to build new community partners, to become strong mentors and to better prepare the adults they work with for work and play in the community.

The training covers the philosophy of community inclusion, how to build community networks and how to implement successful community based activities.

In this resource Betsy addresses the challenge of teaching society that all individuals with a profound intellectual disability have the ability to communicate and do so just as often as anyone of us.

She describes tips to help staff meet this challenge in their clinical work of translating the behaviors exhibited by individuals who are non verbal into a language that society can understand.

Want a list that will make you smile, make you think, make you stop and smell the roses? This handout and review sheet is an engaging way to help ourselves and help our staff reduce stress. The group activity, originally designed for college students can easily be adapted to the workplace.

This Jeopardy style game is a fun and interactive way to review abuse prevention training with your staff.  Use “Got Questions?” to review the Six Forms of Abuse, to promote debate, discussion and learning.

How do I safely and effectively prepare for and assist an individual in the community who uses a wheelchair?  This presentation describes how to plan for weather, wheelchair access and wheelchair maneuvers and locking.

The training also helps the learner plan how to find appropriate volunteer work for a person who uses a wheelchair.

Basic human rights for all people, regardless of race, religion, nationality, creed, age, gender, ethnic background or disability, are guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States of America. Unfortunately, individuals with ID/DD are often viewed as not having the same rights as others and may not be given the opportunities and supports to exercise their rights. 
This inservice will review the constitutional, clinical and environmental rights of the people with whom we work.  It will also discuss our role in supporting these rights.

This training provides a user friendly view of ADHD as a break down in the brain’s four “executive” functions.  Humorous examples demonstrate how the executive functions operate in the general population and in atypical individuals.

A worksheet for small group activity teaches attendees how to apply the lessons in this workshop to supporting the brains of the children they work with.

Are you looking for ways to bring some creativity to your program?  Would you like to teach others how to plan fun and engaging activities for people with ID? 

This lesson plan is a how-to guide for planning activities. It includes detailed project samples and planning guides for use with any group.

HIPAA stands for the federal law entitled the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, which was passed in 1996. Regulations issued under HIPAA that protect the privacy of health information for all Americans went into effect in 2003.

As professionals in the ID/DD fields, we are legally responsible to protect the health information of the consumers we work with.  Special laws mandate the ways in which we store and share this information.

How does HIPAA affect professionals in the ID/DD field? This training gives an overview of frequently asked questions and answers.  It was developed by the YAI Day Service Department and is used as a annual mandatory training.

People with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) sometimes have emotional difficulties and have trouble coping with life’s daily problems. They carry the additional burden of being stigmatized by society as “less than normal” which often leads to a negative self image.

When they do experience problems with the accompanying anxieties, staff are the people they seek out for support. This unit is designed to be used with the video of the same name. The video shows actual footage of staff discussing problems with people with IDD.

The beginning part of the training covers background information needed to provide the proper type of support including understanding how the individual has handled similar problems in the past and what support they might currently require. Highlighted are the following:

• The importance of being empathic.

• Focusing first on the emotional content, which might be sufficient. Only offer help with problem solving if needed.

• How to actively listen by reflecting, probing and making supportive statements.

• How to avoid power struggles by fostering adult to adult instead of parent to child interactions.

This BINGO idea puts the zip in paying attention during training.  Participants can create and use the game during ANY training activity to keep focus and learning strong. 

Easy to use, fun to make!

Are you looking for ways to make training more accessible, more hip?!

This Slogan Wars activity incorporates group poster design into training to help participants display their “take” on training topics.  Sharing the posters, music and laughter add to the fun and the learning.

This Therapeutic Relationships training guides staff through developing an awareness of the relationships they currently have with the people that they work with. It describes the characteristics of a therapeutic relationship and explains how to build these relationships.  This training also discusses the struggles and challenges that threaten therapeutic relationships.

This practical, user-friendly guide is an excellent training and treatment model for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.  It covers the different facets of this disorder, how to recognize the disorder from behavior and how to differentiate OCD from ritual behaviors associated with Autism.

Treatment options using cognitive behavior therapy and medication are discussed along with additional effective treatments for people with ID in particular. Teamwork needed to support both the individual with OCD and the staff is highlighted.

This workbook is an excellent resource to use as an annual refresher training.  It contains many scenarios for practicing decision making skills as well as promoting discussion regarding why staff sometimes don’t report abuse immediately.  A pretest will give the trainer an opportunity to see how much staff remembered from the previous year.

Direct service professionals often have the responsibility of recognizing changes in a person’s functioning and being the first to report it These changes may be Signs and Symptoms of illness or disease.  Once a deviation from a person’s “normal” behavior is identified, there are several areas to consider when assessing the situation and deciding on a plan of action. This In-Service training will help staff in their abilities to both assess these situations as well as carry out the appropriate plan of action.

When working with people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, it is vitally important that we understand and respect their rights. We sometimes find ourselves getting into power struggles and setting up a parent - child dynamic with the people we work with. This Consumer Rights are Human Rights workbook and accompanying video tape, teach us how to be cognizant and respectful of the rights of the individuals to whom we provide service.

This workbook can be used in conjunction with the video of the same title or on its own to start a discussion on the topic.

Tired of the same old incident reporting training? Then use the Get a Clue incident Reporting Game!

This is a fun way to teach the essentials of incident reporting to your staff. Use our content cards or create your own!

This training explores the characteristics of the 3 stages of Alzheimer’s Disease, how AD differs from normal memory loss and the difficulties of diagnosis in people with intellectual disabilities.  Principles for effective treatment include minimizing stress, promoting positive emotions, optimizing function and enriching the individuals’ lives.

The training covers many strategies for working with individuals with AD and developmental disabilities including communication techniques, environmental changes and behavioral supports.

The Key Principles handout sets the standard for interactions. All personnel at YAI are expected to follow these Key Principles when interacting with the people we serve.  Use this handout to start a discussion at a staff meeting, as part of new staff orientation, or as an annual refresher.

When working with seniors, environmental design is very important. We need to think about the specific needs of seniors when designing a functional environment for them. What level of accessibility does the environment provide to seniors who may have mobility impairments? What other impairments of people who are seniors may be highlighted in the environment? This How to Design a Senior Room Environment training teaches staff strategies for design and implementation to adhere to seniors’ specific needs.

This interactive training gives staff the opportunity to take a “walk in the shoes” of the families for whom they provide services.

The lesson highlights the unique challenges of raising a child with a disability which often include social isolation, additional fears for the child’s well-being and exhaustion from caregiving demands.  It examines what parents are looking for from professionals, including careful listening, understanding and good communication. 

The Ten Performance Standards for Staff were developed by persons with intellectual disabilities who expressed how they would like to be treated by staff and others. The purpose of these standards is to teach staff how to interact appropriately, respectfully and effectively with individuals who have intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Individuals with intellectual disabilities historically have not been given the opportunity to experience the natural process of grieving. It was believed that they did not have the cognitive ability to understand what death means, that they did not form attachments or understand the behavior required at a funeral.

People with ID, of course, do have the same feelings and go through the same stages of grief that everyone does.  This guide will help staff support grieving adults in their program in a number of significant ways:

1) Assessing the person’s ability to understand his/her loss
2) Incorporating cultural rituals
3) Communication tips; what to say, what not to say
4) Preparing the individual for a funeral
5) Grieving/healing activities

Developing relationships with people who have profound mental retardation can be a challenge.  This training examines the key principles for building positive interactions:
*ways to show respect
*tips for showing you care
*guidelines for personalizing interactions

How do I respond to a crisis in the program?  How do I keep from overreacting and committing an abusive act?

Dealing with recurrent crisis situations requires a strong, coordinated team plan. This training will help the team to develop preventative and reactive strategies for dealing with crises. It includes information to help staff understand themselves and their own reactions to crises, strategies for maintaining balance when staff feel upset, empathy training and adult-to-adult interaction.  Through the many exercises in this training, staff will lean to recognize and prevent potentially abusive situations and to seize opportunities for positive interactions with consumers.

Communication, Coordination, Cooperation - These are the principles that keep a team working well. Learn how to develop and maintain an effective team at work with this presentation.

This resource is an in-depth look at how teams are built, the stages they progress through, how to set goals and resolve conflicts.

This activity makes a great jumping off point for discussing information sharing, a key component of HIPAA regulations.  Through this Getting to Know You HIPAA game, participants will discover what information they are comfortable sharing vs. information they would prefer to keep private.

Makes a good icebreaker as well!

This easy-to-follow training gives an overview of communication styles and professional expectations.

It provides clear examples of effective communication language and strategies

Training presents many challenges.  Staff can be resistant to learning if they feel the material isn’t relevant, challenging or engaging.  Long time master educator Perry Samowitz, Director of Education and Training at YAI/NIPD, provides some of his successful strategies for making training effective.  Tips include making training directly applicable to the learner’s job, taking staff out of their comfort zone, showing the difficulty before the solution and using a special follow-up tool to get participants thinking ahead.

This one page review sheet is an excellent reminder of safety procedures before taking people with ID/DD on an excursion. 

Keep it posted on your program doors and teach staff to check off and coordinate each item before going into the community.

When people with ID/DD experience a significant loss, it is critical to provide opportunities for them to go through the natural process of grieving. Many times participants are not given the opportunity to attend normal grieving rituals. 

This guide helps the program prepare for and hold a memorial service including ideas for how to prepare participants for sharing thoughts and memories, music and healing.

Moving People Who are Non-Ambulatory can be an overwhelming task for staff.  It is very important that staff are well trained before attempting these techniques not only for their own safety but also for the safety of the people to whom they are providing care. These observation and evaluation forms give clear, step-by-step instructions on how to move people safely, and provide confidence to staff who are trusted to perform this careful task. 

Learning about different generations helps us to form a more cohesive team.  It is important to understand the values and communication styles of various generations.  This training makes learning this information fun and interactive!

This comprehensive 2-day training helps all staff build understanding, skills and empathy for working with aging adults with intellectual disabilities.
 
Over the course of the training, attendees learn how to best support physical, medical, emotional and social needs of seniors. Hands-on activities include powerful empathy exercises, learning and practice transferring and positioning adults who are non-ambulatory and testing a number of movement activities that are slower paced and engaging. Common medical issues are discussed and include tips for prevention as well as treatment.

A section on activity development helps staff tailor program activities to senior needs and interests. Our staff at YAI find this training very practical and lots of fun.

We spend a lot of time and expend a great deal of energy trying to meet goals, so why not make sure those goals are worth the effort? This one-page handout reviews the key strategies and resources for creating SMART goals.

We created an initiative to look at Physical Activity and Exercise among our staff and consumers.

We formed a committee of motivated staff, willing to take on this cause. Staff who were interested and motivated in improving the health and well-being of our consumers through physical activity and exercise. Most of the staff who volunteered were generally physically active themselves. They believed in the value of exercise and many participated in structured exercise programs. Others were interested in becoming more physically active themselves and saw this as an opportunity to do so.

Think OSHA is dull?  Well, think again!  This First Aid/OSHA Survivor game combines drama and competition to make learning and problem solving practical and fun. 

The activity includes directions, materials, set up and supplemental activities. 

People who live in YAI residences are entitled to participate as fully as possible in decisions that effect their lives. The residence is the consumers’ home as well as a program to teach skills towards greater independence. The Self Government / Empowerment handout lists forums at YAI where consumers have an opportunity to voice concerns and ideas.  The handout also contains many excellent ideas for establishing house rules and for planning and supporting effective meetings with consumers.

What are the critical challenges facing professionals working in the ID/DD field today?

This comprehensive training packet explores the nature of personality and the disorders that may occur. 

Designed to train Direct Service Professionals, the training covers in depth narcissistic, histrionic, antisocial, and borderline disorders. It reviews symptoms, treatment options and teamwork strategies for support in the program

Non-verbal language is the primary mode of communication for many of the people we work with. 

The Shipmates game places participants on a “raft” with communication challenges that build empathy and observational skills.  Engaging, thoughtful and fun!

Are you finding it a challenge to get support from community stores, programs and agencies for volunteer and recreational activities?

This training will guide you through the steps for approaching and recruiting your neighbors. Learn scripts and tips for timing approaches, what to say, how long to speak, how to energize without scaring people away and when to let things ride.

Open the door to a positive working relationship now!

This annual refresher on growth and development contains an overview of the role of atypical human development in ID/DD.

It focuses on how arrested areas of social and cognitive growth may lead to the inability to adapt to the environment. 

Learn the ABC’s of applied behavior analysis in this clear and comprehensive training.  Geared for direct service professionals, the training covers all the bases, from investigating the causes of behavior (functional assessment) to the many methods of building positive behaviors.

The training includes activities and assignments that support staff learning.  Finally, a training on behavior that is simple to teach and to understand!

People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (ID/DD) are especially vulnerable to being abused by staff who provide services and support. Abuse usually signifies cruelty and intent to cause injury or harm. However, most abuse is unwittingly perpetrated by well intentioned staff who don’t fully understand how their actions impact people with IDD.

This stimulating and interactive training program is designed to be used in conjunction with the corresponding DVD of the same name. The DVD depicts numerous scenarios that raise the question, “Is This Abuse?” Staff will be challenged to identify types of interactions that they might be doing on a regular basis that are abusive. An acting troupe of individuals with IDD perform in each scene to add realism and poignancy.

This comprehensive 2-3-hour training program covers the following areas:

• Psychological Abuse
• Physical Abuse
• Neglect
• Seclusion
• Sexual Abuse
• Mistreatment

Teach your team the skills they need to communicate effectively with one another. Resolve conflicts and don’t let them hold you back!

This training covers what causes certain communication behaviors, and shows how to communicate appropriately and assertively at work.

Almost everyone has their ups and downs, but Bi-Polar Disorder is an extreme emotional roller coaster, reaching the height of mania and diving to the lowest depths of depression. 

This training will give staff an overview of the disorder and the strategies for supporting individuals diagnosed with it.

We all know that in order to appreciate someone’s present, it is critical to understand her past.  The same is true for understanding the field of development disabilities; by understanding it’s past struggles, we can appreciate the distance we have gone and still need to travel in order to best serve people with intellectual disabilities. 

This training uses the news footage of Geraldo Rivera’s reporting on Willowbrook to examine the ground zero for our modern field of ID/DD .  Accompanying worksheets help staff examine the current model of
3 I’s and a P (Independence, Individuality, Inclusion and Productivity), the role of Power in our relationships with adults with ID/DD and many other considerations.

The Active Listening and Observing Review Sheet is a “must have!”  It is an easy to use review of some very important concepts.  As staff, we need to learn the skill of active listening as well as learning to be keen observers. This two page review sheet should be used with your newest team member as well as your most veteran staff person.

This comprehensive training outlines relevant information in an easy to understand format. It reviews the symptoms of numerous psychotic disorders, explains how this information is applicable to the population we serve, and discusses effective treatment.

This Day Service program New Employee Orientation packet is designed to meet the unique needs of people who are aging with a developmental disability. 

The teaching materials and workbook pages cover information and activities related to the cognitive, social, physical and emotional needs of seniors.

Making personal choices is a basic right that is important to all of us.  Having choices gives us more control of our lives which leads to greater satisfaction and happiness. Traditionally, individuals with ID/DD have had choices made for them. However, like all of us, people with ID/DD have preferences about every facet of their lives. 
This training teaches staff how to help the people they work with to make real choices, become empowered and in doing so, experience a better quality of life.

This is a quick, one-page document with tips for how to effectively counsel individuals in an employment program. Reflect, probe, support, model, role play and more.

This is a perfect tool to keep posted by your desk as a quick reference and reminder!

Are you or your staff struggling with a maladaptive behavior?  This easy-to-follow flow chart structures your search for supports. 

Use this tool to determine when and how to determine solutions.

Ever wish you could stand out from the crowd?  Do you want to get ahead?  This training shows you how!  A fun, dynamic training that gets staff pumped up to give their full 100%!

We all have work relationships that we would like to make stronger and more productive. This one-page handout provides helpful guidelines for establishing and improving our work interactions. 

Add a creative twist by having staff take turns picking guidelines out of a hat to role play the wrong and right way to interact.

Understanding anxiety disorders is often difficult for our staff.  This comprehensive Anxiety Disorders packet gives relevant information in an easy to understand format.  It not only explains several types of anxiety disorders but tells how this information is applicable to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and discusses strategies for intervention.