View our past training opportunities below. Interested in a training topic that was previously presented? Express your interest by clicking here to send us an email. Do you have a topic or idea for a training? Please let us know what you'd like PAR to include in our training line-up. Email [email protected] to send ini your suggestions. 

Past EVENTS

Frontline Supervisor Training 

Monday & Tuesday // May 16 & 17
9:00 - 12:00 pm // Virtual
Speaker Bio

You’ve just received a big promotion, a new set of keys, access to approve timesheets, and an eager team to supervise, educate, support, and lead. Problem is, nobody’s shown you how. As a frontline supervisor you are a pivotal link in the service delivery chain and the key to your organization’s effectiveness. (No pressure.) You are now completely responsible for the performance of your team, regulatory compliance, translating instructions from upper management, and staff development, all while performing a multitude of administrative tasks and helping to ensure the health and welfare of those we serve. Chances are, you could use a few new tools in your management toolbox. In these two half-days of hands-on training with Sara Sherman, supervisors will:

• Learn the 10 Fundamentals of Supervision
• Discover the secret to finding and addressing the root cause of performance issues
• Identify their own supervisory strengths and vulnerabilities
• Understand two of the most challenging employee personality types, and learn how to stop them in their tracks
• Leave with a written Supervisory Success Outline

This training is a 6 hour training split over two days. Attendees should plan on attending both days of this two-day, two-part training.

This training is designed for current and future frontline supervisors.  

LSW, SHRM, and HRCI CEUs will be offered for this training.

Stoic Philosophy Essentials for Leaders

Monday // May 8
9:00 - 11:00 am // Virtual
Speaker Bio

Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius was one of the most successful leaders of antiquity. He faced every kind of adversity and trial using the philosophy of Stoicism. By exercising temperance, wisdom, justice and courage you will  effectively lead your organization through any challenge and overcome any adversity! Participant will learn:

1. The Basics of Stoicism 
2. How to apply the principals of stoicism to effectively:
   1. Begin each day with power and purpose
   2. Control your emotions
   3. Rewire negative thinking
   4. Stop wanting: Start accepting  
   5. Create the Agency culture you wish to have
   6. Four of the nine tenants of Stoicism related to leadership

This training is appropriate for leaders in the field of ID/A.  

SHRM, HRCI, and LSW CEUs will be offered for this training.

Make Your Job Post & Application Magnetic   

Thursday // May 4
10:00 - 11:30 am // Virtual
Speaker Bio

Are you tired of not getting enough DSP applicants? When you attend this workshop, you’ll get free approaches to...

1. Write a job post for Indeed to attract more applicants
2. Fix the common mistakes in your online application that drive away applicants

This will be an interactive workshop—you will get to brainstorm and collaborate with your peers in small group exercises.

Who should attend:

• Executives
• HR Directors
• HR Supervisors

“I have never taken a training that really changed things so quickly and so dramatically for me. It was exactly what I needed at the exact right time.

Before the training, we had zero applicants and were wondering where everyone was. We were at a critical place. We were putting people on a waiting list for job coaching because we just couldn't hire any job coaches.

We just posted a position, and we have 49 applicants! I just had my ninth interview; we'll have someone hired by the end of the week. After that, we don't have any open positions. The training was a game-changer!” —Kristin Frane

HRCI and SHRM CEUs will be offered for this training.

Nonprofits 101: Structure, Administration, Governance (and more!)  

Wednesday // April 26
9:00 - 10:00 am // Virtual
Speaker Bio

This one-hour foundational webinar will cover the basics of nonprofit organizations, including structure and governance. Topics include the basic formation process and legal rules for a nonprofit organization in Pennsylvania; the role and responsibilities of a board; an explanation of bylaws and conflict of interest policies; and high-level descriptions of missions, strategic plans, and nonprofit finances. Rising leaders who currently work for/with nonprofit organizations and want to learn more about administration and governance and individuals seeking to better understand and activate the role of nonprofit boards will find the session useful. Hayley Haldeman, Counsel from the Nonprofit and Tax-Exempt Organizations group of Dentons, the world’s largest global law firm, and the former Executive Director of a nonprofit organization, will present this practical overview and share tips, best practices, and resources.

This training is created for up and coming leaders and board members. Other ID/A stakeholders are also welcome!  

Effective Communication for DSPs  

Tuesday // April 4
9:00 - 11:00 am // Virtual
Speaker Bio

The Developmental Disability field presents significant communication challenges for DSPs on a daily basis. Unhappy individuals served, parents/guardians and co-workers call for positive, constructive approaches which are not always a part of these staff’s skill set. This training focuses on teaching various verbal, nonverbal and social media skills to successfully deal with the various communications scenarios encountered. The training also highlights and emphasizes staff’s role as an effective communicator. 

In this training, participants will learn: 

1. Appropriate verbal, non-verbal and social media communication skills. 
2. How to defuse a “Crisis” situation. 
3. The concept of “SHOWTIME!” in creating a positive communication culture. 
4. How to construct an “OREO” communication message to ensure that positive messages are used when individuals served are the focus. 

This training is created for DSPs! Frontline Supervisors, DSP Trainers, and other ID/A stakeholders are welcome also.  

LSW CEUs will be offered for this training. 

Behavioral Basics for Beginners - Oh, So That's Why They Do That!

Wednesday // March 15
9:00 - 11:00 am // Virtual
Speaker Bio

Human behavior is fascinating! Why do “we” and “they” do the things we do and why do we seem to repeat behaviors that are not productive? Why do Individuals act out and why do they engage in self-defeating and sometimes “injurious” behaviors? What causes this behavioral mayhem and can we successfully change these behaviors? YES, WE CAN! This training will shed light on the mystery of human behavior and how you can successfully change it, whether with a child, an adolescent, an adult or even yourself!!! 

In this training, participants will learn: 

1. Three (3) assumptions of Dr. Greg’s Theory of Human Behavior! Yes, you CAN believe him! 
2. Why behaviors fly by “THE SEAT OF THEIR PANTS!” 
3. The environmental factors that trigger challenging behavior. 
4. Why intervention strategies should mirror a behavioral SEAT! 
5. How to best determine a “positive reinforce” for intervention use. 
6. Five (5) general “bits” and “pieces” of information regarding behavior. 

This training is designed for all ID/A Stakeholders.  

LSW CEUs will be offered for this training.

2023 Winter HIPAA Series - Risk Mitigation & Management: Identify high risks and proactively prevent breaches

Wednesday // March 8
1:00 - 2:00 pm // Virtual

This training is presented in partnership with MyHIPPAGuide and OPRA. In some cases, I/DD providers may inadvertently empower the residents they serve to trigger a data breach. How so? Consider your network security. If residents are on the same network the organization uses for business operations – and for storing private information – it’s possible that a visit to an unsecure website could give bad actors a route into your secure system. Do you have guest networks for residents to use? Have you checked with IT to see if your networks are properly segregated? If not, don’t delay! 

Moving from Friend to Sweetheart in the Age of Technology

Monday // March 6
9:00 - 10:30 am // Virtual
Speaker Bio

People with developmental disabilities want to form positive, healthy relationships, but may not know how to meet others and develop these relationships. When we add the latest technology and social media, we may feel nervous or unsure about how to stay safe ourselves and how to support people with disabilities. This workshop will explore how to navigate the internet and social media in a helpful, safe, and positive way. 

Learning Objectives: 

• Examine the various types of technology and the positives and negatives of using technology.
• Explore how to help people move from friend to partner in a helpful, healthy, and safe way.
• Discuss ways to communicate about the pleasures and risks of meeting people online, posting on social media, and how to have positive, safe relationships while using technology. 

This training is designed for ID/A providers, families, and other ID/A stakeholders.

Class size is limited to 75 attendees! LSW CEUs will be offered for this training.

2023 Winter HIPAA Series - Technical Safeguards: Examine the oversight process for assuring safe IT practices

Wednesday // March 1
1:00 - 2:00 pm // Virtual

This training is presented in partnership with MyHIPPAGuide and OPRA. Malicious email remains a leading cause of data breaches that compromise private information. Simply opening a malicious email could open a back door to a secure data system. Do employees know how to recognize a suspicious email? Do they know not to open anything from an unknown sender – and never download attachments or click on unknown links? 

How to Partner with Parents to Support Their Children's Sexual Development: A Workshop for Professionals

Wednesday // February 22
9:00 - 10:30 am // Virtual
Speaker Bio

Parents and caregivers of people with developmental disabilities are their child’s primary sexuality educator, just like any parent. The difference with this group of parents is that they are often very concerned about their child being taken advantage of; or an unplanned pregnancy, and, some parents even find it hard to think of their child as a sexual being. All of these concerns are legitimate and can make parents worried about how to communicate with their own child or having their child attend sexuality education classes. During this workshop, we will explore how to help parents become comfortable addressing sexuality with their young and grown children, getting parent buy-in, and tools for parents to use with their own children.

Learning Objectives:

• Explore parent’s concerns and attitudes towards their child’s sexual development. 
• Examine Strategies, techniques and resources for partnering with parents. 
• Explore effective tools for answering questions and responding sexual behaviors.

This training is designed for professionals working in the field of ID/A. Families and other ID/A stakeholders are welcome also.

Class size is limited to 75 attendees! LSW CEUs will be offered for this training.

2023 Winter HIPAA Series - Physical Safeguards: Evaluate risks to information in offices, residences and other places

Wednesday // February 22
1:00 - 2:00 pm // Virtual

This training is presented in partnership with MyHIPPAGuide and OPRA. Employees serve as front-line protectors of the private information your organization relies on each day in the service of individuals. Ask yourself, do your employees know exactly what they need to know to safeguard that information? As part of a risk assessment, it’s important to ask yourself whether your employees know how to guard private information, and whether they know what to do in the event of a technical malfunction or incident. For example, would your employees know what to do if computers started running slowly? Would they know to stop work immediately? And would they know whom to notify? 

2023 Winter HIPAA Series - Administrative Safeguards: Evaluate how you are managing the safekeeping of information 

Wednesday // February 15
1:00 - 2:00 pm // Virtual

This training is presented in partnership with MyHIPPAGuide and OPRA. Ask yourself, do you know where all your private information is? Stop and think before you say yes. Consider information in text messages, in emails, on copiers and faxes, in paper documents in residences, and storage rooms and in employee mailrooms. The list can grow very long. Keep in mind, you always lock the door when you leave your home. Is that same level of vigilant security in action within your organization, so that your residences and facilities are properly secured to prevent inappropriate access?

How to Have Difficult Conversations and Productive Conflict. The Good, The Bad, and the Total Train-Wrecks

Wednesday // February 15
9:00 - 11:00 am // Virtual
Speaker Bio

As a leader, or soon to be leader, you must know how to successfully navigate conflict and how to have difficult discussions that are productive. Let’s face it, most people hate conflict! The thought of disciplining someone makes your palms sweat and your heart pound so loud you can hear it in your ears! Conflict and difficult discussions can be hard! Yet, to be a successful leader you must learn how to handle conflict and embrace difficult discussions. We will show you how!

In this session participants will learn:

1. How to Deal with Difficult People
2. How to Confront and Address Undesirable Employee Behavior
3. How to model behavior that others will WANT to follow 
4. How to clearly communicate and reinforce the behavior that you desire 

Examples and role play scenarios will be presented around issues such as call off/scheduling conflicts, not wanting to take individuals served out on an outing (because it’s too hot, too far, too inconvenient), not respecting individuals' rights, punctuality, and non-compliance with documentation  

This training is appropriate for ID/A supervisors, Directors, CEOs, and other leaders working in the field.  

SHRM, HRCI, and LSW CEUs will be offered for this training.

2023 Winter HIPAA Series - Mapping and Inventory: Account for all private information and all places it can go

Wednesday // February 8
1:00 - 2:00 pm // Virtual

This training is presented in partnership with MyHIPPAGuide and OPRA. What is the most common cause of a HIPAA violation? Inappropriate access that allows protected information to fall into the wrong hands. Consider all the places where your protected information can be accessed. Get creative! Workstations, filing cabinets, electronic health records, email, laptops and mobile devices, copiers and fax machines––the list goes on. Now consider whether the information in each location has been properly secured and out of reach by unauthorized users. You may be surprised by what you discover!

2023 Winter HIPAA Series - Set Up for Success: Plan out your risk assessment

Wednesday // February 1
1:00 - 2:00 pm // Virtual

This training is presented in partnership with MyHIPPAGuide and OPRA. Consider risks associated with third-party contractors or vendors. Be sure to have Business Associate Agreements in place with all third parties with potential access to information about individuals you serve. Think of everybody! For example, don’t forget the cleaning crew with access to desk drawers and paper files or a property owner with keys to your offices.

Helping Self-Advocates Become Sexual Self-Advocates

Wednesday // January 25
9:00 - 10:30 am // Virtual
Speaker Bio

We know the rate of sexual abuse among people with I/DD is very high, 7 times higher than the general population. In this workshop, we will explore the latest statistics regarding abuse and learn useful tips and tools for helping people become sexual self-advocates. We will discuss topics to include when working with self-advocates, such as: body parts and body autonomy, skills for saying no, and the difference between a healthy, unhealthy, and abusive relationship. 

Learning Objectives:

• Explore sexual self-advocacy.
• Examine the knowledge and skills needed to be a sexual self-advocate and support healthy relationships 
• healthy relationships
• Review ways to teach these knowledge and skills to people with I/DD

Class size is limited to 75 attendees! LSW CEUs will be offered for this training.

Management Skills Basics - Supervisor Bootcamp

Wednesday // January 11
9:00 - 11:00 am // Virtual
Speaker Bio

Agencies serving individuals with ID/A remain faced with significant challenges in recruiting and retaining a new generation of staff. National turnover rates range from 40% to 70%, making service continuity and quality difficult at best. Add the ongoing pandemic and we face a crisis of service. A major variable in staff retention is the quality of your frontline supervisors. Do they have the basic skills to help minimize turnover or have they been “thrown” into their positions with little training? In this dynamic and humorous training, staff will learn the basics of supervision, characteristics of positive supervision, how to handle conflicts and behavioral correction, and more.  

This training is appropriate for supervisors, managers, program & HR directors, and others working in the field of ID/A.  

SHRM, HRCI, and LSW CEUs will be offered for this training.

Leadership - Now That I'm Here, What Do I Do? 

Thursday // December 15
9:00 - 11:00 am // Virtual
Speaker Bio

Agencies serving individuals with developmental disabilities or educators serving the public experience a host of challenges including funding, rule compliance, service competition and maintaining a high-quality, viable workforce. New leaders within these agencies often find themselves so immersed in day-to-day issues that they have “no time” to reflect on higher order items, such as their own leadership VISION, VALUES and SKILLS! This training will provide an overview of the characteristics critical for successful leadership and will enable participants to self-assess their skills and develop approaches to improving them. 

In this training, participants will: 

1. Learn the sixteen (16) critical characteristic of leadership. 
2. Self-assess their skills across the critical characteristics. 
3. Develop a daily VISION statement to guide their leadership responsibilities. 
4. Develop at least one (1) leadership Skill Plan for personal use. 
5. Report out their leadership Skill Plan to the other training participants. 
6. Identify three (3) positive actions to use in their agency immediately. 

This presentation is appropriate for supervisors, managers, directors, and leaders of all levels involved in the field of ID/A.  

SHRM, HRCI, and LSW CEUs will be offered for this training.

Create an Internal Compliance System

Thursday // November 10
9:00 am - 12:00 pm // Virtual
Speaker Bio

You know the rules, and your team is trained on the expectations; but your organization still struggles with compliance. There are too many panic moments, too much chaos, and internal and external audits reveal errors. How can this be?

The problem is that you don’t have an effective internal quality assurance system.

With an effective internal QA system, you will:

• Catch errors quickly…before they become big problems.
• Quickly return to your QA system after an emergency or crisis. (Never get permanently derailed again.)
• Use a straightforward system of checks and balances to maintain compliance and catch errors, instead of just relying on 1 or 2 key personnel.
• Practically eliminate the new staff learning curve that inherently creates risk for your agency.
• Meet the compliance requirement of having an internal compliance system.

In this training participants will map out a high-level compliance blueprint that can easily be adapted for each agency’s unique needs.

SHRM, HRCI, and LSW CEUs will be offered for this training.

What's Your Future and Who Will Lead You There?

Thursday // November 3
9:00 am // Virtual
Speaker Bio

Many Staff who leave an Agency tell us they have no idea where the Agency is headed or who will be leading them!  A concrete, succinct Vision is critical for an Agency’s success and knowing who the leaders will be provides confidence in the Agency’s future!  Strategic and Succession planning need not be complex or overly time consuming! Succinct plans with specific behavioral objectives can facilitate staff morale, reduce turnover and lead to program success.

In this presentation participants will learn:

1. The 14 Planning Goals common across DD Agencies.
2. How to identify 3 – 5 for your Agency.
3. The incredible “statement of flexibility”!
4. How to identify positions critical to your Agency’s functioning.
5. How to identify key Communication styles for identified positions.
6. How to identify present staff for these positions.

SHRM, HRCI, and LSW CEUs will be offered for this training.

The Fine Art of Mentoring - The Buddy System!

Thursday // October 20
9:00 - 11:00 am // Virtual
Speaker Bio

Time is perhaps the most valuable commodity in the I/DA system today. Keeping up with rules, regulations, and ISP compliance as well as staff scheduling is a significant stressor. Figuring out how to free up time to train new hires or staff who are in need of “positional refreshing” can be almost impossible. BUT, you have a resource that can help alleviate this stress and help improve the skills of new hires. MENTORING by using more senior staff to train and support less senior staff. 

In this training, participants will learn:

1. The four (4) positive reasons to become a mentor. 
2. The four (4) wrong reasons to become a mentor. 
3. What a mentor is and what mentoring involves. 
4. The CRITICAL statement that mentors must use constantly!
5. The do’s and don’ts of mentoring.
6. The basic steps of teaching a task!
7. How to teach a skill and demonstrate to participants.

 SHRM, HRCI, and LSW CEUs will be offered for this training.

Frontline Supervisor Training

Wednesday & Thursday // October 19 & 20
9:00 am - 12:00 pm // Virtual
Speaker Bio

You’ve just received a big promotion, a new set of keys, access to approve timesheets, and an eager team to supervise, educate, support, and lead. Problem is, nobody’s shown you how. As a frontline supervisor you are a pivotal link in the service delivery chain and the key to your organization’s effectiveness. (No pressure.) You are now completely responsible for the performance of your team, regulatory compliance, translating instructions from upper management, and staff development, all while performing a multitude of administrative tasks and helping to ensure the health and welfare of those we serve. Chances are, you could use a few new tools in your management toolbox. In these two half-days of hands-on training with Sara Sherman, supervisors will:

• Learn the 10 Fundamentals of Supervision
• Discover the secret to finding and addressing the root cause of performance issues
• Identify their own supervisory strengths and vulnerabilities
• Understand two of the most challenging employee personality types, and learn how to stop them in their tracks
• Leave with a written Supervisory Success Outline

This training is a 6 hour training split over two days. Attendees should plan on attending both days of this two-day, two-part training.

 SHRM, HRCI, and LSW CEUs will be offered for this training.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Staff Recruitment and Retention Training Series: Creating Retention Strategies to Keep Staff and Build Inclusion

Thursday // September 29
9:00 am -12:00 pm // Virtual
Speaker Bios

Retention is one of the most important aspects of talent management and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Organizations can recruit all the staff they can; however, if they are not able to retain their staff, they will continue a cycle of survival, increased avoidable costs, and struggle to advance their DEI journey. This workshop will teach attendees how to:

• Discover retention strategies that any organization could implement
• Learn how to prioritize inclusion in every area of the organization
• Implement strategies to integrate DEI into organizational culture

SHRM, HRCI, and LSW CEUs will be offered for this training.

Consent and People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Tuesday // September 20
10:00 - 11:30 am // Virtual
Speaker Bio

The rate of sexual abuse among people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) are staggering. This population is 7 times more likely to be abused than the general population and women with I/DD are 12 times more likely to be abused. Many of these individuals don’t receive sexuality education that is cognitively accessible to them and for many other reasons this puts them at risk. In order to change these statistics, there are many areas where professionals can make a difference including learning effective ways to teach consent education to people with I/DD. 

Learning Objectives: 

• Examine why people with I/DD are at risk of sexual violence
• Review tips for working with people with I/DD 
• Explore strategies for teaching consent to this population

 LSW CEUs will be offered for this training. 

Developing a Positive Culture for Staff and Individuals

Thursday // September 15
9:00 - 11:00 am // Virtual
Speaker Bio

A high quality, positive culture is critical for your Agency’s success.  Now more than ever with the seemingly never ending pandemic, staff recruitment and retention issues and general societal negativity it becomes imperative to have a culture which is positive, supportive and responsive.  A culture YOU and your Staff brag about to family, friends, stakeholders and others!

In this training, participants will learn how to:

1. Teach staff the “true value” of their efforts.
2. Design positive messaging to Staff.
3. Create a daily positive interaction diet.
4. Construct an “OREO” communication message to ensure positive messaging is used when Individuals are the focus.
5. Take care of self during the “stressful” times.
6. Use the three secrets of positive engagement with Individuals and other stakeholders.
7. Avoid the five “no-no’s”!

 LSW CEUs will be offered for this training. 

Healthy Meal Planning for DSPs and the Individuals They Support

Thursday // August 25
9:00 am - 12:00 pm // Virtual
Speaker Bio

We recognize nutrition as the foundation of good health and as the source of sufficient energy to power through our days, yet we often don't give sufficient time or attention to planning and preparing healthy meals. The typical American diet is recognized as too high in sugar, sodium, and carbs, and too lacking in fruits, vegetables, and lean protein. 

We ask our Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) to assist individuals to prepare healthy meals, but we don't often give DSPs the instructions they need in order to accomplish that task. The result is that DSPs can only implement their own personal meal practices, and if those practices are not in line with federal healthy eating standards, individuals do not have access to the benefits of a healthy diet.

The result is that individuals are often eating the same things repeatedly, meals are not balanced, individuals do not have access to the best possible health, and they don't experience the full enjoyment and benefit of healthy foods.

In this hands-on, train-the-trainer style workshop participants will learn:

• The basics of healthy meal planning - how to create a diverse menu, shop, and prepare meals based on an individual's preferences and a budget
• How to give the individuals you serve the maximum level of ownership possible over their own meal planning and preparation, and subsequently their health
• How to accommodate busy schedules into the meal planning process
• How to develop expectations for staff around meal planning and incorporate those expectations into your agency's internal QA process
• And more...

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Staff Recruitment and Retention Training Series: Implementing Recruitment Strategies to Engage Diverse Audiences

Thursday // August 18
9:00 am -12:00 pm // Virtual
Speaker Bios

Recruiting should be a comprehensive strategy that includes human resources, marketing, and leadership. In order to truly attract talent from a diverse talent pool, especially at the leadership level, a comprehensive recruiting strategy should be developed. In this workshop, attendees will:

• Learn how to track and prioritize demographics
• Develop creative strategies to conduct outreach and recruitment
• Explore community partnerships to support your recruiting and other organizational goals

SHRM, HRCI, and LSW CEUs will be offered for this training.

Appreciology

Thursday // August 11
9:00 - 11:00 am // Virtual
Speaker Bio

Nearly 40% of staff report leaving their jobs because of feeling “underappreciated!” The old styles of Leadership are no longer effective given a new staff generation, new technologies and new issues never before encountered. Through a seriously humorous presentation Mr. Speaks and Dr. Greg will discuss the art and science of appreciation which will assist in expanding your LEADERSHIP TOOL KIT!
In this training, participants will learn:

1. The six (6) principles of appreciation.
2. Four (4) practical ways to demonstrate appreciation.
3. How to hold staff accountable while using appreciative techniques.
4. How appreciation and assist with recruitment, retention and agency reputation.

This training will be provided by Tom Speaks and Greg LaForme of The Impact Group.

Who should attend this training: This training is ID/A specific. If you work for an ID/A provider, this training is for you!

LSW, HRCI, and SHRM CEUs are available for this training. 

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Staff Recruitment and Retention Training Series: Evaluating Privilege and Bias 

Thursday // July 28
9:00 am -12:00 pm // Virtual
Speaker Bios

Everyone has their own unique identities and privilege, and it is important to recognize them and how they affect how each individual’s perspective and the organization’s work. In this workshop, each attendee will:

• Discuss their identities and evaluate areas of privilege
• Review the concepts of implicit bias and how it affects policies and culture
• Learn about the importance of crucial conversations and how to engage in them

SHRM, HRCI, and LSW CEUs will be offered for this training.

Management Skills Basics - Supervisor Bootcamp

Thursday // July 21
9:00 - 11:00 am // Virtual
Speaker Bio

Agencies serving individuals with ID/A remain faced with significant challenges in recruiting and retaining a new generation of staff. National turnover rates range from 40% to 70%, making service continuity and quality difficult at best. Add the ongoing pandemic and we face a crisis of service. A major variable in staff retention is the quality of your frontline supervisors. Do they have the basic skills to help minimize turnover or have they been “thrown” into their positions with little training? In this dynamic and humorous training, staff will learn the basics of supervision, characteristics of positive supervision, how to handle conflicts and behavioral correction, and more. 

LSW, HRCI, and SHRM CEUs will be offered for this training. 

The Ultimate Compliance Acing Formula: 7 Steps to Audit Ready All the Time

Friday // June 24
9:00 am - 12:30 pm // Virtual
Speaker Bio

When it comes to compliance do you find yourself asking..."What's going on here??"

I mean, you know the rules, and your team is trained on the expectations; but your organization still struggles with compliance. There are just too many panic moments, too much chaos, and internal and external audits continue to expose staff errors. How can this be?

The problem is that you don’t have an effective Internal Compliance System.

With an effective Internal Compliance System, you will: 

• Catch errors fast…before they become big problems.
• Quickly get back on track after an emergency or crisis. (Never get permanently derailed again.)
• Activate your entire agency using a simple set of checks and balances to maintain compliance instead of just relying on 1 or 2 key personnel to make sure all the work is done correctly.
•  Practically eliminate the new staff learning curve that creates risk for your agency and sucks up supervisor time.
• Meet the compliance requirement of having an internal compliance system.

In this training you will: 

•  Learn the 7 components required by CMS for a comprehensive internal compliance program.
•  Understand how to create a culture of compliance from the get go…and stop “going back later” to verify compliance. (Which rarely happens).
•  Recognize the causes and contributing factors of current compliance challenges and develop on-target interventions.
•  Leave with a head start on your written Agency Compliance Formula Strategy including an outline of the next steps you need to take.
• And stop stressing about compliance...for good!

Managing Conflict: A Process of Resolution and Modeling for Leaders

Thursday // June 23
10:00 - 11:30 am // Virtual
Speaker Bio

The ability of managers and supervisors to be effective at their jobs is critical during the current workforce shortage. The focus of this training is on understanding sources and types of conflict and exploring resolution skills that managers can use with staff to both address conflict and model skills staff can use with organizational teams, ISP teams, and individuals served.

LSW, HRCI, and SHRM CEUs will be offered for this training.

Open Learning Future Demo

Wednesday // June 22
10:00 - 10:45 am // Virtual
Speaker Bio

Looking for options for your ARPA funds training plan? Join us for a short presentation on Open Future Learning. Open Future Learning is the online learning resource 100% dedicated to the developmental disability workforce. Open Future Learning was created by collaborating with some of the most influential, revolutionary, and inspiring leaders and thinkers of our time.

NADSP E-Badge Academy

Friday // June 17
12:00 -1:00 pm // Virtual

The National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP) has launched The NADSP E-Badge Academy, which offers Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) and Frontline Supervisors (FLSs) the ability to earn national certification through stackable electronic badges. These badges demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and values that these professionals utilize every day, recognizing the professional development that might otherwise go unacknowledged.

With E-Badges through the online platform Web Courseworks, DSPs and their FLSs can submit specific examples, experience, and education that highlights their achievements and contributions to human services. Human service organizations can establish administrative accounts, while users can upload testimonials of their accomplishments for review by NADSP, and then share the resulting E-Badges with others. As badges are accumulated, each user is also working toward meeting the requirements for NADSP’s voluntary, national certifications. 

Supporting Positive Relationships Between Staff and Parents

Thursday // June 16
9:00 -11:00 am // Virtual
Speaker Bio

An important key to programmatic success is in part due to the positive relationship established between staff and the parent/guardian. This relationship not only impacts treatment outcomes but also the image and reputation of staff and the Agency supplying the service. Staff should have the tools to handle difficult or strained interactions with families and guardians in a manner that builds positive relationships and sensitivity to identified concerns.  Participants in this training will:

1. Identify four (4) possible reasons for strained communication with parents/guardians .
2. Learn three (3) respectful approaches for dealing with difficult situations.
3. Learn how to use HEAT in confrontative situations.
4. Identify five (5) “elements of trust” to improve relations.
5. Identify two (2) “helpful hints” to use.

LSW CEUs will be offered for this training.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Staff Recruitment and Retention Training Series: Reframe Your Thinking - Assessing DEI in Your Organization 

Thursday // June 9
9:00 am -12:00 pm // Virtual
Speaker Bios

Before engaging in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) work, it is crucial to assess your organization’s current policies, practices, and culture. Assessing can help your organization build a foundation to engage in DEI work, identify themes across your agency, and determine your strengths. In this workshop, attendees will:

• Learn about building a foundation of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
• Assess your organization with a DEI lens
• Determine your organizational strengths

SHRM, HRCI, and LSW CEUs will be offered for this training.

How to Automate the Individual Funds Management Process, Protect Vulnerable Persons, and Reduce the Risk of Misappropriation, Fraud, and Abuse

Monday // June 6
10:00 -11:00 am // Virtual
Speaker Bios

This presentation will examine the administration of individual fund accounts (e.g. petty cash, gift cards, bank accounts, EBT cards, trust accounts). It will explain how to use technology to help streamline and automate the consumer funds account management process in order to better protect vulnerable individuals and reduce the risk of financial incidents. It will also describe how our software platform can improve fiduciary control, enhance guardian and family visibility, minimize DSP administrative activities, and reduce time spent on month-end reconciliation and financial package preparation processes.

SHRM, HRCI, and LSW CEUs will be offered for this training.

HIPAA Basics: Privacy and Security Breaches in the Residential Sector

Thursday // May 26
1:00 - 2:00 pm // Virtual

Learn the most common causes of HIPAA breaches, and how to reduce high risks to the best of your ability. This course will focus on actual breaches in the I/DD sector, why they happened, and how they might have been prevented. Some breaches will occur despite the best of security efforts. However, carelessness and neglect remain top causes of cases reported to the federal government.

How to Create a Year's Worth of Meaningful Activities Based on Just a Few Interests

Thursday // May 26
9:00 am - 12:00 pm // Virtual
Speaker Bio

Is everybody a little bored? Does it seem like the individuals you serve end up doing the same activities week in and week out? Is it a struggle to come up with new ideas to keep life fresh and interesting for the individuals you serve and keep your DSPs busy and creative? It’s not easy to come up with new ideas day in and day out, but with a little know-how it is possible to leverage an individual’s likes and hobbies to create a robust list of things to do. In this hands-on session by Sara Sherman, supervisors, managers, and others in the field will learn how to:

• Turn just a few interests of the individuals you support into a full calendar year of meaningful activities.
• Use an individual’s interests to naturally connect to the community.
• Empower DSPs to take the reigns in planning, organizing, and implementing these activities.
• End “same old, same old” forever. 

HIPAA Basics: Social Media Use, Marketing, & HIPAA

Thursday // May 19
1:00 - 2:00 pm // Virtual

Social media is a challenge for organizations that must protect the privacy of individuals. Some aspects of social media relate to marketing ‐ and this session will cover best practices for marketing purposes. Other aspects of social media relate to the potential of staff members to share information via posts in ways that could breach privacy. This session will cover guidelines recommended by the National Council of Boards of Nursing. The guidelines apply well to all staff in any organization.

Effective Communication Between Staff and Supervisors

Wednesday // May 18
9:00 - 11:00 am // Virtual
Speaker Bio

• How to identify key communication issues using focus groups
• The four steps in fairly and empathetically interacting with stressed/angry staff
• The four steps in objectively and fairly managing and directing staff
• And at least one strategy to use in building a positive workplace culture. 

Everything You Need to Know About Remote Supports to Get Started Quickly and Ensure Quality

Friday // May 13
11:00 am - 12:00 pm // Virtual

Speaker Bio

This presentation will examine the barriers to overcome, common early objects, and the expansion rate of Remote Supports as an example of what any agency implementing RS will face. This short history lesson will give learners a historical perspective to frame some of the barriers they will have to overcome, as well as identify risks and benefits of this empowering support model. The second part of this session will focus on the nuts and bolts that service providers, service coordinators, and families/self-advocates should think about when considering and implementing Remote Supports. This session will be broken into 4 subparts:

1. Learning: what they need to know before they jump in,
2. Setting Goals: how to ensure the person-centered approach to RS and avoid “shiny object syndrome”,
3. Implement: implementation best practices,
4. Ongoing Support: how to ensure the success of RS services, and ensure the quality of services
   

HIPAA Basics: Permissible Uses of Private Information

Thursday // May 12
1:00 - 2:00 pm // Virtual

This presentation will cover the major areas of permissible disclosures under HIPAA, and when documented authorization is required. This is a fundamental element of HIPAA ‐ and “impermissible use” is the single largest reason cited in privacy complaints filed with the Federal government. This session will address the full gamut of permissible uses of private information, as well as rights of individuals to their own health records. The material will also cover management responsibilities to achieve compliance in this area.

Frontline Supervisor Training

Wednesday & Thursday // April 27 & 28
9:00 am - 12:00 pm // Virtual
Speaker Bio

You’ve just received a big promotion, a new set of keys, access to approve timesheets, and an eager team to supervise, educate, support, and lead. Problem is, nobody’s shown you how. As a frontline supervisor you are a pivotal link in the service delivery chain and the key to your organization’s effectiveness. (No pressure.) You are now completely responsible for the performance of your team, regulatory compliance, translating instructions from upper management, and staff development, all while performing a multitude of administrative tasks and helping to ensure the health and welfare of those we serve. Chances are, you could use a few new tools in your management toolbox. In these two half-days of hands-on training with Sara Sherman, supervisors will:

• Learn the 10 Fundamentals of Supervision
• Discover the secret to finding and addressing the root cause of performance issues
• Identify their own supervisory strengths and vulnerabilities
• Understand two of the most challenging employee personality types, and learn how to stop them in their tracks
• Leave with a written Supervisory Success Outline

This training is a 6 hour training split over two days. Attendees should plan on attending both days of this two-day, two-part training.egister Today!

HIPAA Basics: Hold Business Associates Accountable

Thursday // April 21
1:00 - 2:00 pm // Virtual

HIPAA requires signed agreements with all Business Associates ‐‐ including anyone outside your organization who has potential access to private information in any way, including seeing or hearing. Your job is to hold these Business Associates to the same high standards to which your organization is held for protecting privacy. Business Associate agreements essentially protect your organization from liability if an outside contractor commits a breach in violation of a signed agreement. This presentation will help you identify various types of vendors, such as cleaning crews, with whom you need a signed contract.

Supporting Workforce Wellness in a Time of Crisis

Thursday // April 14
9:00 - 11:30 am // Virtual
Speaker Bio

The global pandemic has impacted the workforce on many levels leaving organizations across industries struggling to fill positions and staff struggling to manage personal and professional challenges. Leaders are an integral part of creating the supportive culture essential for recruitment and retention of a strong workforce. Participants will explore ways to support the wellness of a workforce in crisis, be it grief and loss, clients in crisis, personal mental health, and feeling under resourced and over taxed by the challenges of the pandemic. Leaders will discuss and develop tools to support staff and foster wellness amongst those who serve others.

SHRM, HRCI and LSW CEUs are available for this training. 

HIPAA Basics: Assessing and Managing Security Risks

Thursday // April 14
1:00 - 2:00 pm // Virtual

Risk assessment is a cornerstone of HIPAA compliance. And while your organization may have a lock‐tight electronic records system, you still need to follow the federal mandate for an “enterprise‐wide risk assessment.” That means risks must be assessed in all electronic platforms and in all physical locations where private information resides. This presentation will help you identify all the places you need to check for possible security weaknesses.

HIPAA Basics: Staff Training and Awareness

Thursday // April 7
1:00 - 2:00 pm // Virtual

It’s simple: In order to be on guard at all times, employees ‐‐ and managers in particular ‐‐ need to recognize security risks as a matter of second nature. For that to happen, organizations need to build awareness through effective training and education. Training is a key requirement under HIPAA, but it shouldn’t be viewed as a check‐the‐box exercise. This presentation is about equipping people with knowledge and understanding of how breaches happen ‐‐ and what to do when they see signs of trouble.

Behavioral Basics for Beginners - Oh, So That's Why They Do That!

Thursday // April 7
9:00 - 11:00 am // Virtual
Speaker Bio

Human behavior is fascinating! Why do “we” and “they” do the things we do and why do we seem to repeat behaviors that are not productive? Why do individuals act out and why do they engage in self-defeating and sometimes “injurious” behaviors? What causes this behavioral mayhem and can we successfully change these behaviors? YES, WE CAN! This training will shed light on the mystery of human behavior and how you can successfully change it, whether with a child, an adolescent, an adult or even yourself!!

LSW CEUs are available for this training.

HIPAA Basics: Controlling Access to Private Information

Thursday // March 31
1:00 - 2:00 pm // Virtual

Inappropriate access to private information remains the leading cause of HIPAA violations. Under regulations, access should be limited on a need‐to‐know basis only. But studies and actual cases point to weak or non‐existent access controls as a common scenario. This presentation will focus on how to control and monitor access in all places where private information resides. That includes emails, text messages, electronic devices, portable media, fax machines, laptops (sometimes in remote locations), and in downloads from databases.