HCBS Training

A team supporting older adults with dementia described how several staff members were reaching out to community members to increase natural supports while attending events with the person they were supporting. This was described as a strength in the assessment. The two staff members made connections with local spiritual organizations to help people they were supporting become more involved in social events and meet other church members. The staff had created a simple list of questions to bring to church leaders. They also shared hints for encouraging conversations before and after services. The team decided that the work of the two staff members was related to the Outcome Statement that the team developed: "The community is aware of what it means to provide natural supports to people receiving services." The team began talking about how they could share the approach the two staff used with other staff members across the organization.

A team supporting young children with autism and their families discovered a need related to training. The team talked about how families were reporting that they were not able to access training and equipment used to help children communicate. The team decided that this need fit with the Outcome Statement created to address people supported: "Children are able to communicate what is important to them by learning new skills with support from the adults in their lives." To address this need, the team decided to explore different ways to obtain training in the use of alternative and assistive technology as part of the team’s action plan. The team decided to reach out to the child’s educators as a first step since they had gained tips and advice from the local school district in the past.