Staff Training

101 Ways to Cope with Stress

Topic: Management, Staff Training
Format: Handout/Review Sheet
Population: All
Age Group: All
Levels of Disability: All

Want a list that will make you smile, make you think, make you stop and smell the roses? This handout and review sheet is an engaging way to help ourselves and help our staff reduce stress. The group activity, originally designed for college students can easily be adapted to the workplace.

101 Ways to Take Initiative at Work

Topic: Management, Staff Training
Format: PowerPoint/Presentation
Population: All
Age Group: All
Levels of Disability: All

A fun, dynamic training that gets staff pumped up to give their full 100%!

Abuse Prevention & Reporting In-Service

YAI NIPD Residential Services

Topic: Staff Training
Format: Manual
Population: All
Age Group: All
Levels of Disability: All

This workbook is an excellent resource to use as an annual refresher
training. It contains many scenarios for practicing decision making skills as well as promoting discussion regarding why staff sometimes don't report abuse immediately

Accessing the Community with Someone Who Uses a Wheelchair

Topic: Community Inclusion, Staff Training
Format: PowerPoint/Presentation
Population: Non Ambulatory
Age Group: All
Levels of Disability: All

This presentation describes how to plan for weather, wheelchair access and wheelchair maneuvers and locking; it also helps the learner plan how to find appropriate volunteer work for a person who uses a wheelchair.

Active- Listening and Observing

Topic: Staff Training
Format: Handout/Review Sheet
Population: All
Age Group: All
Levels of Disability: All

The Active Listening and Observing Review Sheet is a "must have!" This two page review sheet should be used with your newest team member as well as your most veteran staff person.

Adaptive Design & Lifestyle Solutions Newsletter

January 2011 Issue

Topic: Staff Training
Format: Newsletter
Population: All
Age Group: All
Levels of Disability: All

How is foot care related to diabetes? How can I help individuals with diabetes protect their feet from injury? This information at-a-glance sheet provides tips and strategies from Dahlia Zwick, PT, Ph.D., on foot care, the importance of proper fitting shoes and the possibilities for special braces, shoes and orthoses when needed.

Addressing important issues for people with ID/DD

A Conversation with Dr. Temple Grandin

Topic: Challenging Behaviors, Counseling, Self-Advocacy, Staff Training
Format: Video, Q&A
Population: ASD
Age Group: All
Levels of Disability: All

Our recent conversation with Dr. Temple Grandin centers around the sensory issues and the need to develop a person's area of strength.

ADHD and the Role of Controls

Topic: Challenging Behaviors, Children with Special Needs, Staff Training
Format: PowerPoint/Presentation
Population: All
Age Group: Early Childhood, School Age
Levels of Disability: All

This training provides a user-friendly view of ADHD as a breakdown in the brain's four "executive" functions. Humorous examples demonstrate how the executive functions operate in the general population and in atypical individuals. A worksheet for small group activity teaches attendees how to apply the lessons in this workshop to supporting the brains of the children they work with.

Adults with Autism

Best Practices for Day Services

Topic: Staff Training
Format: Manual
Population: ASD
Age Group: Adult
Levels of Disability: All

Working with adults with autism and developmental disabilities presents unique challenges that require thinking and training outside of traditional teaching techniques. This guide, developed by an interdisciplinary team, will provide your program with the tools to design a quality, functional program for these individuals.

Anxiety Disorders

Topic: Dual Diagnosis, Staff Training
Format: PowerPoint/Presentation
Population: Dual Diagnosis
Age Group: Adult
Levels of Disability: All

Understanding anxiety disorders is often difficult for our staff. This comprehensive Anxiety Disorders packet gives relevant information in an easy-to-understand format.

Applied Behavior Analysis for Adults

Topic: Challenging Behaviors, Staff Training
Format: PowerPoint/Presentation
Population: All
Age Group: All
Levels of Disability: All

Geared for direct service professionals, the training covers all the bases, from investigating the causes of behavior (functional assessment) to the many methods of building positive behaviors.

Approaching Community Members

Communication Guidelines

Topic: Community Inclusion, Staff Training
Format: Manual
Population: All
Age Group: All
Levels of Disability: All

This training will guide you through the steps for approaching and recruiting your neighbors. Learn scripts and tips for timing approaches, what to say, how long to speak, how to energize without scaring people away and when to let things ride.

Appropriately Assertive Communication

Topic: Management, Staff Training
Format: PowerPoint/Presentation
Population: All
Age Group: All
Levels of Disability: All

Teach your team the skills they need to communicate effectively with one another. Resolve conflicts and don\'t let them hold you back! This training covers what causes certain communication behaviors, and shows how to communicate appropriately and assertively at work.

Basic Behavioral Techniques

Topic: Challenging Behaviors, Staff Training
Format: Handout/Review Sheet
Population: All
Age Group: All
Levels of Disability: All

This 2 page handout highlights the important components of Behavioral Techniques. Use it to review behavioral principles at a staff meeting or as a worksheet for building a team plan

Becoming a Better Listener

Topic: Management, Staff Training
Format: PowerPoint/Presentation
Population: All
Age Group: All
Levels of Disability: All

Being in a leadership role is an important responsibility. Staff are following your words and your actions. Counter intuitively, one trait of a successful leader is being a good listener. Staff will perform at a higher level if they believe that their ideas are being heard, acknowledged and ultimately utilized. This essential training program examines the importance and practice of listening skills from the managerial perspective.

Behavior Intervention Flow Chart

Topic: Challenging Behaviors, Staff Training
Format: Handout/Review Sheet
Population: All
Age Group: All
Levels of Disability: All

This easy-to-follow flow chart structures your search for supports. Use this tool to determine when and how to determine solutions.

Being a Staff Member in a Diverse Workforce

Topic: Staff Training
Format: PowerPoint/Presentation
Population: All
Age Group: All
Levels of Disability: All

What are the problems and the benefits of having a diverse workforce? How do I build a diverse workforce into an effective team?
This training explores the scope of diversity and the potential conflicts arising from different values and communication styles.

Bi-Polar Disorder

Topic: Dual Diagnosis, Staff Training
Format: PowerPoint/Presentation
Population: Dual Diagnosis
Age Group: Adult
Levels of Disability: All

This training will give staff an overview of Bi-Polar disorder and the strategies for supporting individuals diagnosed with it.

Can You Say it with 99 Words?

Training Games & Activities

Topic: Staff Training
Format: Game/Activity
Population: All
Age Group: All
Levels of Disability: All

Are you looking for new ways to engage staff in training? This easy activity uses teamwork to encourage thoughtful review of training materials. It can be applied to many different types of training.

Center of U

Training Games & Activities

Topic: Staff Training
Format: Game/Activity
Population: All
Age Group: All
Levels of Disability: All

This training session employs a powerful exercise to help staff learn to empathize more deeply with people with intellectual disabilities. Through the exercise, participants simulate the "universe" or supports in their lives and compare this with the universe of a person with disabilities.

Characteristics of Population

Annual Mandatory Training: Residential Services

Topic: Staff Training
Format: Handout/Review Sheet
Population: All
Age Group: All
Levels of Disability: All

Development of effective programming and supports requires understanding of each individual's repertoire of skills. This workshop uses case scenarios to teach groups how to adapt activities to an individual's cognitive, communication, social and adaptive living skills. Through mapping an individual's strengths, limitations and challenges in each area, participants will create an outcome and a plan for implementation.

Choice and Empowerment In-Service

A YAI Day Service Mandatory Training

Topic: Self-Advocacy, Staff Training
Format: Handout/Review Sheet
Population: All
Age Group: All
Levels of Disability: All

This Choice and Empowerment training teaches staff to help the people they work with to make real choices, become empowered and develop a stronger sense of self worth.

Community Experience Training

Topic: Community Inclusion, Staff Training
Format: PowerPoint/Presentation
Population: All
Age Group: Young Adult, Adult, Senior
Levels of Disability: All

The "Community Experience" is here to help you develop a community-based volunteer program for people with ID/DD. Use this training to help your team to build new community partners, to become strong mentors and better prepare for the community.

Community Safety

Annual Mandatory In-Service ~ YAI Day Services

Topic: Community Inclusion, Staff Training
Format: Handout/Review Sheet
Population: All
Age Group: Adult
Levels of Disability: All

This Community Safety In-service will help Direct service professionals ensure the safety of their group through pro-active planning and effective use of emergency procedures.

Community Service Training Program:Obtaining & Maintaining Volunteer Sites & Providing Volunteer Services

Topic: Community Inclusion, Staff Training
Format: PowerPoint/Presentation, Manual
Population: All
Age Group: Adult
Levels of Disability: Mild (high functioning), Moderate

Participating in community volunteer work provides individuals with developmental disabilities with a better understanding of the community, enhanced personal and social integration skills and increased self esteem.

Consumer Rights Are Human Rights

A Residential Services Mandatory Annual Training

Topic: Staff Training
Format: Workbook
Population: All
Age Group: Adult
Levels of Disability: All

This workbook teaches us how to be cognizant and respectful of the rights of the individuals for whom we provide service. It can be used in conjunction with the video of the same title or on its own.

Coping Training

A Lesson Plan from YAI's Coping Training Video

Topic: Staff Training, Counseling
Format: Lesson Plan
Population: All
Age Group: Adult
Levels of Disability: Mild (high functioning), Moderate

People with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) sometimes have emotional difficulties and have trouble coping with life\'s daily problems. This unit is designed to be used with the video of the same name. This manual includes a few clips from the video showing actual footage of staff discussing problems with a person with IDD. The full training DVD is available for purchase in the YAI Training Store.

Counseling in an Employment Program

Topic: Staff Training, Supported Employment, Counseling
Format: Handout/Review Sheet
Population: All
Age Group: Adult
Levels of Disability: Mild (high functioning)

This is a quick, one-page document with tips for how to effectively counsel individuals in an employment program.

Creating Positive and Professional Relationships

Topic: Management, Staff Training
Format: Handout/Review Sheet
Population: All
Age Group: All
Levels of Disability: All

This one-page handout provides helpful guidelines for establishing and improving our work interactions. Add a creative twist by having staff take turns picking guidelines out of a hat to role play the wrong and right way to interact.

Creative and Fun Activity Planning

Topic: Staff Training, Leisure and Crafts
Format: Manual
Population: All
Age Group: All
Levels of Disability: All

This lesson plan is a how-to guide for planning activities. It includes detailed project samples and planning guides for use with any group.

Death & Dying

Helping Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities to Cope with Significant Loss

Topic: Staff Training, Counseling, Aging
Format: PowerPoint/Presentation
Population: All
Age Group: Adult
Levels of Disability: All

This guide will help staff support grieving adults in their program in a number of significant ways.

Developing Relationships with People Who Have Profound Intellectual Disabilities

Topic: Staff Training
Format: PowerPoint/Presentation
Population: All
Age Group: Adult
Levels of Disability: Profound (low functioning)

This training examines the key principles for building positive interactions:
*ways to show respect
*tips for showing you care
*guidelines for personalizing interactions

Dr. Peter Della Bella on Tips for Working with People with Autism in the Clinic Setting

Expert Tips & Challenges

Topic: Staff Training, Challenging Behaviors
Format: Tips and Challenges
Population: ASD
Age Group: All
Levels of Disability: All

Dr. Della Bella, Director of Clinical Programs at Premier Health Care, shares guidelines for supporting individuals with autism.

Effective Personal & Professional Communication

Topic: Management, Staff Training
Format: PowerPoint/Presentation
Population: All
Age Group: All
Levels of Disability: All

This easy-to-follow training gives an overview of communication styles and professional expectations. It provides clear examples of effective communication language and strategies.

Fire Safety for Staff Working with Individuals with Developmental Disabilities

A Joint Publication of Fire Department, City of New York and YAI Network

Topic: Community Inclusion, Staff Training
Format: Workbook
Population: All
Age Group: All
Levels of Disability: All

This booklet is designed to address the fire safety needs of people with developmental disabilities. Education, training and strategies are offered to improve the safety of one of the most vulnerable fire risk populations. This fire safety program identifies unsafe practice and behaviors and provides ways to correct them.

First Aid In-Service

A Mandatory Training for YAI Day Services

Topic: Staff Training, Healthy Lifestyles
Format: Handout/Review Sheet
Population: All
Age Group: All
Levels of Disability: All

This guide for responding to medical emergencies can be used as an in-service as well as an emergency go to guide when medical personnel are not present. It lists symptoms and first aid procedures for medical issues and injuries

First Aid/OSHA "Survivor" Game

Topic: Staff Training
Format: Game/Activity
Population: All
Age Group: All
Levels of Disability: All

Think OSHA is dull? Well, think again! This First Aid/OSHA Survivor game combines drama and competition to make learning and problem solving practical and fun.

Get A Clue!

Incident Reporting Game

Topic: Staff Training
Format: Game/Activity
Population: All
Age Group: All
Levels of Disability: All

Tired of the same old incident reporting training? Then use the Get a Clue incident Reporting Game! This is a fun way to teach the essentials of incident reporting to your staff.

Getting to Know You

HIPAA Game

Topic: Staff Training
Format: Game/Activity
Population: All
Age Group: All
Levels of Disability: All

This activity makes a great jumping off point for discussing information sharing, a key component of HIPAA regulations.

Got Questions?

Abuse Prevention Game

Topic: Management, Staff Training
Format: Game/Activity
Population: All
Age Group: All
Levels of Disability: All

This Jeopardy style game is a fun and interactive way to review abuse prevention training with your staff.

Grief: When You are at a Loss After a Loss

Vita Community Living Services -The Direct Support Worker NewsletterVolume 1: Issue 5

Topic: Counseling, Staff Training
Format: Handout/Review Sheet, Newsletter
Population: All
Age Group: All
Levels of Disability: All

Everyone needs the opportunity to take leave of and morn the passing of loved ones. The attempt to protect people with disabilities from grieving is a compassionate but mistaken gesture. Amanda Gee and Dave Hingsburger share valuable guidelines for supporting people with developmental disabilities through their individual ways of grieving

High Point

Training Games & Activities

Topic: Staff Training
Format: Game/Activity
Population: All
Age Group: All
Levels of Disability: All

Are you looking for interesting ways to engage staff during training? The High Point game uses individual skill and team surprises to bring competition and and engagement to any training. Play, learn and have fun!

HIPAA In-Service

From YAI Network's Day Services Department

Topic: Staff Training
Format: Handout/Review Sheet
Population: All
Age Group: All
Levels of Disability: All

How does HIPAA affect professionals in the ID/DD field? This training gives an overview of frequently asked questions and answers. It was developed by the YAI Day Service Department and is used as a annual mandatory training.

How to Design a Senior Room Environment

Topic: Aging, Staff Training
Format: Manual
Population: All
Age Group: Senior
Levels of Disability: All

When working with seniors, environmental design is critical for insuring safety and for promoting social, emotional and physical health. This How to Design a Senior Room Environment training teaches staff strategies for design and implementation to adhere to seniors\' specific needs.

How to Stop a Potentially Abusive Situation

Topic: Staff Training
Format: PowerPoint/Presentation
Population: All
Age Group: Adult
Levels of Disability: All

This training will help the team to develop preventative and reactive strategies for dealing with crises. It includes information to help staff understand themselves and their own reactions to crises, strategies for maintaining balance when staff feel upset, empathy training and adult-to-adult interaction.

Human Growth & Development

A Residential Services Mandatory Annual Training

Topic: Staff Training
Format: Handout/Review Sheet
Population: All
Age Group: Adult
Levels of Disability: All

This annual refresher on growth and development contains an overview of the role of atypical human development in ID/DD. It focuses on how arrested areas of social and cognitive growth may lead to the inability to adapt to the environment.

Incident Reporting

Annual Mandatory Training: Residential Services

Topic: Staff Training
Format: Workbook
Population: All
Age Group: All
Levels of Disability: All

This workbook describes the different types and severity of incidents and the 4 important steps for addressing them. Scenarios give learners the opportunity to test their knowledge and assimilate this critical information

Intellectual Disabilities & Alzheimer's Disease

Practical Strategies for Direct Service Professionals

Topic: Aging, Staff Training
Format: PowerPoint/Presentation
Population: All
Age Group: Senior
Levels of Disability: All

This training explores the characteristics of the three stages of Alzheimer's Disease, how AD differs from normal memory loss and the difficulties of diagnosis in people with intellectual disabilities. It includes many strategies for working with individuals with AD and developmental disabilities including communication techniques, environmental changes and behavioral supports.

Is This Abuse?

Abuse Prevention Training

Topic: Staff Training
Format: Manual, Workbook
Population: All
Age Group: All
Levels of Disability: All

This stimulating and interactive training program is designed to raise the awareness of staff and challenge them to identify types of interactions that they might be doing on a regular basis that are abusive.

Key Principles

When Working with People with IDD at YAI

Topic: Staff Training
Format: Handout/Review Sheet
Population: All
Age Group: All
Levels of Disability: All

The Key Principles handout sets the standard for interactions. All personnel at YAI are expected to follow these Key Principles when interacting with the people we serve.

Keys to Avoiding Power Struggles

Maintaining an Adult-to-Adult Relationship

Topic: Staff Training
Format: PowerPoint/Presentation
Population: All
Age Group: All
Levels of Disability: All

This fascinating training teaches how to maintain an adult-to-adult relationship to reduce power struggles. Through experiential activities, participants will explore the experience of power limits imposed on people with disabilities.

Looking Back to Move Forward

Using History to Enhance Positive Interactions

Topic: Staff Training
Format: Workbook
Population: All
Age Group: All
Levels of Disability: All

This training uses the news footage of Willowbrook to examine the ground zero for our modern field of ID/DD . Accompanying worksheets help staff examine the current model of Independence, Individuality, Inclusion and Productivity, the role of Power in our relationships with adults with ID/DD and many other considerations.

Making Training Interesting and Relevant from Sr. Director of Training Perry Samowitz

Expert Tips & Challenges

Topic: Staff Training
Format: Tips and Challenges
Population: All
Age Group: All
Levels of Disability: All

Perry Samowitz, Director of Education and Training at YAI/NIPD, shares his successful strategies for making training effective, including making training directly applicable to the learner's job, and taking staff out of their comfort zone.

Mechanics for Moving People Who are Non-Ambulatory

Topic: Healthy Lifestyles, Staff Training
Format: Handout/Review Sheet
Population: Non Ambulatory
Age Group: Adult
Levels of Disability: All

Moving people who are non-ambulatory can be an overwhelming task for staff. These observation and evaluation forms give clear, step-by-step instructions on how to move people safely, and provide confidence to staff who are trusted to perform these tasks.

Medical Training

Annual Mandatory Training: Residential Services

Topic: Staff Training
Format: Manual
Population: All
Age Group: All
Levels of Disability: All

One of the most important functions we serve is to ensure the health and safety of the people we work with. This training will cover important information regarding signs and symptoms of acute medical issues and care.

Mountain Adventure

Training Games & Activities

Topic: Staff Training
Format: Game/Activity
Population: All
Age Group: All
Levels of Disability: All

"You are a member of a mountaineering expedition and are halfway to the peak. An avalanche has injured two team members and a storm is on the way." What gear will the team choose to send with a lone volunteer seeking assistance? That's up to your team in this engaging team building activity. Come learn communication and negotiation skills in this very interesting format!

Navigating the Healthcare System with Autism Spectrum Disorders

A Conversation with Dr. Jarrett Barnhill

Topic: Staff Training, Aging
Format: Q&A, Video
Population: ASD
Age Group: All
Levels of Disability: All

Dr. Barnhill specializes in the diagnosis and pharmacological treatment of autism and other developmental disabilities, and other neuropsychiatric disorders such as Tourette\'s syndrome and other movement disorders as well as psychiatric problems in patients with epilepsy. He is Director of the Developmental Neuropharmacology Clinic and a consultant in neuropsychiatry at Dorothea Dix Hospital, the Murdoch Center in Butner, NC, the Caswell Center in Kinston, NC, and Residential Services, Inc. in Chapel Hill, NC, as well as for Autism services.

Nutrition & Food Safety In-Service

Topic: Staff Training, Healthy Lifestyles
Format: Handout/Review Sheet
Population: All
Age Group: All
Levels of Disability: All

This in-service provides a broad overview of nutritional and food safety considerations. It discusses common medical and environmental obstacles to healthful eating and weight control and includes many easy tips for encouraging good food choices. In addition, the training covers important guidelines for food safety and food handling.

Organizing a Memorial Service

Topic: Aging, Staff Training
Format: Lesson Plan
Population: All
Age Group: Adult, Senior
Levels of Disability: All

This guide helps the program prepare for and hold a memorial service including ideas for how to prepare participants for sharing thoughts and memories, music and healing.

Osteoporosis

Topic: Healthy Lifestyles, Staff Training
Format: PowerPoint/Presentation
Population: All
Age Group: All
Levels of Disability: All

This staff training provides valuable information about risk factors, causes of and treatments for osteoporosis. The treatment section covers a wide range of medicines, supplements and dietary approaches. It also includes exercises for increasing bone density, general flexibility and pain reduction.

Outside Adults Are Invaluable Assets

From "The Best of YAI" Newsletter

Topic: Children with Special Needs, Staff Training, Working with Families
Format: Newsletter
Population: All
Age Group: Early Childhood, School Age
Levels of Disability: All

Engaged, involved families can be an invaluable asset in an educational environment. To encourage parent participation, the YAI/NYL Roosevelt School has a unique open door policy. Download this article to learn how one school is using creative thinking, flexibility and humor to help a diverse group work smoothly together.

Perseveration

Topic: Challenging Behaviors, Staff Training
Format: PowerPoint/Presentation
Population: All
Age Group: All
Levels of Disability: All

Working with people who ask the same question over and over can be quite challenging. How do we cope with, understand and support individuals who perseverate?
This easy to follow training discusses the 7 causes of perseveration along with the

Personality Disorders

Topic: Challenging Behaviors, Dual Diagnosis, Staff Training
Format: PowerPoint/Presentation
Population: Dual Diagnosis
Age Group: Adult
Levels of Disability: All

Designed to train Direct Service Professionals, the training covers in depth narcissistic, histrionic, antisocial, and borderline disorders.

Physical Activity and Exercise

One Committee's Efforts and Successes in Heightening Staff Awareness

Topic: Healthy Lifestyles, Staff Training
Format: PowerPoint/Presentation
Population: All
Age Group: Adult
Levels of Disability: All

Exercise is no longer a dirty word! This fabulous staff training, with its PowerPoint presentation and accompanying handouts, will show you how to motivate your group to get moving!

Psychotic Disorders

Topic: Challenging Behaviors, Dual Diagnosis, Staff Training
Format: PowerPoint/Presentation
Population: All
Age Group: All
Levels of Disability: All

This comprehensive training outlines relevant information in an easy to understand format. It reviews the symptoms of numerous psychotic disorders, explains how this information is applicable to the population we serve, and discusses effective treatment

Rights & Responsibilities

YAI NIPD Day Service Department In-Service

Topic: Staff Training
Format: Handout/Review Sheet
Population: All
Age Group: All
Levels of Disability: All

This inservice will review the constitutional, clinical and environmental rights of the people with whom we work. It also covers our role in supporting these rights.

Rights & Responsibilities

A Refresher Course

Topic: Relationships and Sexuality, Staff Training, Working with Families
Format: PowerPoint/Presentation
Population: All
Age Group: Adult
Levels of Disability: All

This annual refresher will spark discussion about the critical issue of how we help or hinder human rights in our daily contacts with people with disabilities. The training examines why it is so difficult to help the people we work with to actualize their rights, what may get in the way and many other thought provoking questions.

Setting Up a Leadership Training Program

A Step by Step Guide

Topic: Staff Training, Management
Format: Manual
Population: All
Age Group: All
Levels of Disability: All

This resource is a wonderful "How-To" guide to setting up and implementing an outstanding leadership program! The purpose of our Leadership Training Program is to provide qualified staff with the opportunity to understand the role of leaders and the concept of leadership through the eyes of YAI Day Services Managers.

Shipmates

Topic: Staff Training
Format: Game/Activity
Population: All
Age Group: All
Levels of Disability: All

The Shipmates game places participants on a "raft" with communication challenges that build empathy and observational skills. Engaging, thoughtful and fun!

Signs & Symptoms Millionaire!

Training Games & Activities

Topic: Staff Training
Format: Game/Activity
Population: All
Age Group: All
Levels of Disability: All

This creative game for reviewing urgent health care policies and procedures is fun to the max! Based on the popular Millionaire TV show, the questions will get staff laughing, thinking and learning.

Signs & Symptoms of Illness In-Service

A YAI Day Service Mandatory Training

Topic: Healthy Lifestyles, Staff Training
Format: Handout/Review Sheet
Population: All
Age Group: All
Levels of Disability: All

Direct service professionals often have the responsibility of recognizing changes in a person\'s functioning and being the first to report it. This In-Service training will help staff in their abilities to both assess these situations as well as carry out the appropriate plan of action.

Slogan Wars

Topic: Staff Training
Format: Game/Activity
Population: All
Age Group: All
Levels of Disability: All

Are you looking for ways to make training more accessible, more hip?!
This Slogan Wars activity incorporates group poster design into training to help participants display their "take" on training topics.

SMART Goals

Topic: Management, Staff Training
Format: Handout/Review Sheet
Population: All
Age Group: All
Levels of Disability: All

This one-page handout reviews the key strategies and resources for creating SMART goals.

Strategies for Working with Seniors

New Employee Orientation Packet

Topic: Aging, Staff Training
Format: Manual
Population: All
Age Group: Senior
Levels of Disability: All

This Day Service program New Employee Orientation packet is designed to meet the unique needs of people who are aging with a developmental disability. This resource can be used in conjunction with the Strategies for Working with Seniors powerpoint presentation or can be a stand alone training.

Strategies for Working with Seniors

Topic: Aging, Staff Training
Format: PowerPoint/Presentation
Population: All
Age Group: Senior
Levels of Disability: All

This comprehensive two-day training helps all staff build understanding, skills and empathy for working with aging adults with intellectual disabilities. Attendees learn how to best support physical, medical, emotional and social needs of seniors. Our staff at YAI find this training very practical and lots of fun.

Team Development

Topic: Staff Training, Management
Format: PowerPoint/Presentation
Population: All
Age Group: All
Levels of Disability: All

This resource is an in-depth look at how teams are built, the stages they progress through, how to set goals and resolve conflicts. Learn how to develop and maintain an effective team at work with this presentation.

Ten Performance Standards In-Service

A YAI Day Service Mandatory Training

Topic: Staff Training
Format: Handout/Review Sheet
Population: All
Age Group: All
Levels of Disability: All

The Ten Performance Standards for Staff was developed by people with intellectual disabilities expressing how they would like to be treated.

The ABC's of OCD

A Practical Guide for Training and Treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Topic: Dual Diagnosis, Staff Training
Format: PowerPoint/Presentation
Population: Dual Diagnosis
Age Group: Adult
Levels of Disability: All

This practical, user-friendly guide is an excellent training and treatment model for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. It covers the different facets of this disorder and how to recognize the disorder.

The Protege

Training Games & Activities

Topic: Staff Training
Format: Game/Activity
Population: All
Age Group: All
Levels of Disability: All

This engaging activity, based on the TV show "The Apprentice," promotes fun while learning as teams determine the characteristics of the ideal employee. A trio of judges (The Donald and his two executives), choose the winner based on a list of Professional Criteria. This training is guaranteed to stimulate excitement and debate!

The Role of a Direct Service Professional

Topic: Staff Training
Format: Handout/Review Sheet
Population: All
Age Group: All
Levels of Disability: All

This handy review sheet discusses the seven important roles of direct care professionals using an adult-to-adult model of interaction. Group exercises allow learners to role play a variety of common situations using the tools they\'ve learned.

The Skin You’re In

Topic: Healthy Lifestyles, Staff Training
Format: PowerPoint/Presentation
Population: All
Age Group: All
Levels of Disability: All

This PowerPoint training teaches staff how to support people with limited mobility to keep their skin healthy. The training discusses nutrition needs, sun exposure and prevention and treatment of pressure ulcers.

Therapeutic Relationships

Topic: Staff Training
Format: PowerPoint/Presentation
Population: All
Age Group: All
Levels of Disability: All

This Therapeutic Relationships training guides staff through developing an awareness of the relationships they currently have with the people that they work with.

Tips to Enhance Communication with Parents, Siblings & Other Family Members

Topic: Working with Families, Staff Training
Format: Handout/Review Sheet
Population: All
Age Group: All
Levels of Disability: All

This two-page handout/review sheet is a perfect tool to use at a staff meeting to spark discussion about working with families.

Toothpaste Challenge Activity

Topic: Staff Training
Format: Game/Activity
Population: All
Age Group: All
Levels of Disability: All

This one simple activity is more effective than hours of training for introducing effective communication and gossip avoidance. All you need to play are some tubes of toothpaste and a little competition.

Top Six

Training Games & Activities

Topic: Staff Training
Format: Game/Activity
Population: All
Age Group: All
Levels of Disability: All

Are you looking for new ways to jazz up your staff training? Top Six is here to help! This activity can be applied to any training to encourage thoughtful review and discussion.

Training BINGO

Topic: Staff Training
Format: Game/Activity
Population: All
Age Group: All
Levels of Disability: All

This BINGO idea puts the zip in paying attention during training. Participants can create and use the game during ANY training activity to keep focus and learning strong.

Training Taboo

Training Games & Activities

Topic: Staff Training
Format: Game/Activity
Population: All
Age Group: All
Levels of Disability: All

Are you looking for creative ways to review information with staff? Training Taboo is an easy and motivating game to play during your staff meetings and trainer refreshers. Play, learn, have fun!

Travel Safety Procedures

When Taking Individuals with Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities into the Community

Topic: Community Inclusion, Staff Training
Format: Handout/Review Sheet
Population: All
Age Group: All
Levels of Disability: All

This one-page review sheet is an excellent reminder of safety procedures to consider before taking people with ID/DD on an excursion.

Tried and True Tips to Set a Positive Tone in Your Program

Topic: Management, Staff Training
Format: Handout/Review Sheet
Population: All
Age Group: All
Levels of Disability: All

These tips provide a great quick refresher for leadership success. Tips include how to hire, encourage and motivate staff, how to promote self awareness and shape ourselves to be effective role models.

Trust and Teamwork

Topic: Staff Training
Format: PowerPoint/Presentation
Population: All
Age Group: All
Levels of Disability: All

What an organization needs and employees want all hinge on trust. Teamwork is impossible in the absence of it. One of the problems managers encounter when building teams is that they cannot automatically instill trust into their associates. It has to be carefully developed over time.
This presentation teaches the importance of this teamwork prerequisite and introduces a paradigm for effective leadership.

Understanding Generational Diversity

Topic: Management, Staff Training
Format: PowerPoint/Presentation
Population: All
Age Group: All
Levels of Disability: All

Learning about different generations helps us to form a more cohesive team. It is important to understand the values and communication styles of various generations. This training makes learning this information fun and interactive!

Working with children and families in the field of intellectual disabilities

A conversation with Steven P. Wells Ph.D., LCSW

Topic: Children with Special Needs, Staff Training
Format: Q&A, Video
Population: All
Age Group: Early Childhood, School Age, Adolescent
Levels of Disability: All

At the 2009 YAI International conference, we sat down with Professor Steven Wells to find out what his presentation was going to highlight and what advice he had to share with staff working with children with disabilities and their families. Steven P. Wells has been involved with family and children services since 1976 as a child welfare worker, family mediator, foster parent trainer, group counselor, and university professor.

Working with Families

What Makes it Challenging?

Topic: Working with Families, Staff Training
Format: PowerPoint/Presentation
Population: All
Age Group: All
Levels of Disability: All

This training can help to build skills as well as understanding and empathy. Building strong family-professional collaboration is key to developing respectful relationships.

Working with Families

What Professionals Need to Know

Topic: Working with Families, Staff Training
Format: PowerPoint/Presentation
Population: All
Age Group: All
Levels of Disability: All

This interactive training gives staff the opportunity to take a "walk in the shoes" of the families for whom they provide services. The lesson highlights the unique challenges of raising a child with a disability which often include social isolation, additional fears for the child's well-being. and exhaustion from caregiving demands.

YAI Self-Government and Empowerment Philosophy

Developed by YAI Residential Training Committee

Topic: Self-Advocacy, Staff Training
Format: Handout/Review Sheet
Population: All
Age Group: Adult
Levels of Disability: All

The Self Government and Empowerment handout lists forums at YAI where consumers have an opportunity to voice concerns and ideas. The handout also contains many excellent ideas for establishing house rules and for planning and supporting effective meetings with consumers.

You Write the Quiz Show

Training Games & Activities

Topic: Staff Training
Format: Game/Activity
Population: All
Age Group: All
Levels of Disability: All

Are you looking for ways to enliven any staff training? Just have the learners create a quiz show! It\'s easy, fun and effective learning! Download now and get ready for staff to love your training!