Photo by: Tracy Anderson
Direct-care workers (DCWs) from throughout Michigan came together in East Lansing for IMPART Alliance’s Train-the-Trainer daylong skills lab course.
The IMPART Alliance Train-the-Trainer course includes two parts; virtual training to prepare to teach the live, virtual, 1-hour classes and an in-person training. During the in-person training, trainers are prepared with the competencies necessary to instruct the hands-on personal care skills DCWs do every day. The in-person training also prepares trainers to deliver classroom management strategies for adult learners, evaluation of skills performance and how to incorporate critical thinking activities.
“This is the piece of our program that I’m most proud of,” said Bethany Duyser, assistant director at IMPART Alliance. “It is designed to be taught by DCWs for DCWs. Our train-the-trainer program is built around the idea that experienced, high-performing DCWs and their colleagues are the best educators of the direct-care workforce.”
Duyser stressed the value of DCWs and encouraged trainers to relate their knowledge and skill with the future colleagues enrolling in IMPART Alliance courses. IMPART provides education and evaluation materials with carefully researched facts and proven teaching strategies.
“Our program includes instruction for the trainers and focuses on competency in instruction performance, “ Duyser added. “Developing clinical judgment is the most important part of healthcare education, and it happens every day in MSU’s health colleges. I am so proud IMPART Alliance is bringing that same standard of excellence in healthcare education to the direct-care field by training DCW trainers.”
The IMPART Alliance curriculum is unique because it’s delivered live and uses a virtual-hybrid schedule. There are 50 hours of virtual classrooms and 16 hours of skills labs, ranging from bathing and grooming to household tasks.
“The training was so insightful and detailed,” said Jen Lugo, a direct-care worker from Grand Rapids. “I believe what IMPART Alliance does very well is drive home the need for great quality care, and they have a great training program that shows DCWs the importance of quality care and why compassion and empathy should always take a front seat to rushed care.”
Story by: Bradley LaPlante