HCBS Training

The goals for each of the modules are summarized below.

Overview of HCBS Modules for Person-Centered Practices

This module is designed to give you an overview that explains how to make person-centered changes to Home and Community-Based Services that are person-centered. After completing the first module, you will be able to:

• Define what it is to be a person-centered provider organization,
• Understand the importance of balancing what is Important To and Important For people,
• Identify different levels of person-centered change,
• Describe positive support practices, and
• Explain how a tiered approach is used to make changes in provider services.

Using a Team Approach to Build on Person-Centered Practices

The second module will describe how to create a team that will be expanding the person-centered practices your provider services already use. After completing this module, you will be able to:

• Outline the key roles of the team in implementing person-centered practices,
• Describe the different types of people who can be included in a team,
• Explain why it is important to have support at the leadership level,
• Understand the major steps teams use to make changes,
• Assess whether there are teams within the services provided that have the same goals, and
• Create a plan for inviting team members and set regular meetings

Confirming Readiness to Implement Person-Centered Changes

After completing this module, your team will have a plan for assessing how ready the people within your organization are to implement person-centered practices. You will learn:

• How important it is to involve everyone in the planning process,
• Consensus-building strategies that are used to make person-centered changes,
• Why the change process is a personal experience for most people,
• That including everyone in the decision-making process is a key to success, and
• To create a plan for assessing readiness in your provider services.

Assessing Your Organization’s Strengths and Needs

• ​​This module will help your team become familiar with a tool for assessing the organization's strengths and areas of need in person centered and positive support practices:
  • Describe how being open to different viewpoints can help the team build a vision together for HCBS,
  • Identify the six primary areas the Person Centered Organizational Development Tool helps teams address,
  • Explain elements for the team to discuss when using the Person Centered Organizational Development Tool, 
  • Describe examples and attributes of positive support strategies and practices,
  • Define where to start implementing person centered practices, and
  • Identify different frameworks for assessing quality of life.

Creating an Action Plan for Person-Centered Changes

Module 5 will show how the team can use the details gathered during assessment to design an action plan. After completing this module, you will be able to:

• Create a vision for moving forward with outcome statements that will guide the action plan,
• Write goals that are directly related to person-centered values that everyone has identified,
• Create a process for keeping track of who is responsible for each action associated with the organization’s goals, and
• Develop a long-term plan for achieving the outcomes that have been identified by your organization.

Making Person-Centered Practices Part of Everyday Work Routines

Teams that are successfully using person-centered and positive support practices embed action planning within employee development and performance management and increase visibility of these practices. After completing this module, you will be able to:

• Align person-centered work with other planning taking place and with everyday routines,
• Determine how coaching and mentoring are different, and how to improve practices over time,
• Describe examples of how to embed cultural responsiveness training into ongoing staff development,
• Create a plan to share with stakeholders in order to communicate outcomes and celebrate progress, and
• Explain the benefits of working together with other HCBS providers to enhance the impact of person-centered practices.

Evaluating Person-Centered Practices Over Time

An important part of the team process includes reviewing information to guide decision making and assess progress. After completing this module, you will be able to:

• Create a plan for evaluating the information your organization collects,
• Establish a way to share progress with other people, and
• Use ongoing assessment to celebrate and guide your team’s next steps over time.

Problem Solving When Person-Centered Related Challenges Occur

Every provider experiences challenges and some of these problems make it harder to improve person-centered outcomes. After completing this module, you will be able to:

• Describe how other teams have addressed issues such as staff attrition, lack of resources, and other common barriers,
• Learn how to use facilitation skills, including brainstorming, consensus building and conflict resolution, and
• Use the information gathered to evaluate progress in problem-solving sessions.