PHI and Pittsburgh’s United Cerebral Palsy/Community Living and Support Services (UCP/CLASS) this week kicked off a Southwestern Pennsylvania demonstration program to promote relationship-centered care for elders and people living with disabilities in need of home and community-based services and supports.
Staff educators from nearly 40 home care agencies, adult day service centers, personal care/assisted living communities, and disability service agencies (including consumer-directed employers) are participating.
“This demonstration is a milestone in developing a robust employer-based training system for personal care workers,” says PHI PA State Director Joe Angelelli, Ph.D. “It’s an investment that keeps on giving, as it fosters relationship-centered care skills at multiple levels within these organizations.”
Train-the-Trainer Programs
The series of five three-day train-the-trainer programs is based on the state-funded, model 77-hour curriculum for personal care aides (PCAs) developed by PHI for the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry. The model personal care services curriculum, which uses a competency-based approach, is free and is available for all to use.
The innovative train-the trainer workshops explore adult learner-centered approaches to leading entry-level PCAs through the curriculum’s engaging role plays, interactive group exercises, and case scenarios.
“The training provides entry-level staff with the core clinical, relational, and communication skills they need to begin and remain successful on the job. It’s grounded in a person-directed approach to quality of care and quality of life for consumers, and it prepares direct-care staff for the challenges they face doing this critical yet too often undervalued and underappreciated hands-on work.” Angelelli said.
Partnerships Around the State
The project involves a broad spectrum of local partners in Southwestern Pennsylvania, including the Three Rivers Workforce Investment Board; the Allegheny County Department of Human Services; and faculty and students from the University of Pittsburgh, Temple University’s Institute on Disabilities, Penn State University, and California University of Pennsylvania.
Funding for the workshops is from the PA Office of Long Term Living, which is part of the state’s Departments of Aging and Public Welfare, and the PA Department of Labor & Industry, through a federal Career Opportunity Grant program,
The train-the trainer program was launched on April 27. To learn more, contact Dr. Angelelli.
For more information about direct-care workers in Pennsylvania, see PHI’s PA Fact Sheet (pdf).
– by Deane Beebe
