Brewer-Porch Children’s Center strives to provide excellent service to the children and families we serve, and our staff receive initial and on-going training needed to excel at their jobs. The Center meets the training standards set for our various programs by the Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation and the Department of Human Services, as well as additional standards set by the University of Alabama and Brewer-Porch Children’s Center. Continuing opportunities for professional growth and development are provided through “Lunch and Learn” sessions offered monthly, “Grand Rounds” that are scheduled as needed, and Autism Spectrum Disorder training, scheduled several times per year.
All our professional and direct care staff receive initial training in such areas as Ethics and Consumer Protections, HIPAA, Safety, Bloodborne Pathogens and Exposure Control, Managing High-Risk Behavior, Verbal and Non-verbal Crisis Intervention, Alternative Interventions During Crisis, Psychotropic Medications, CPR, First Aid, Managing Medical Emergencies, Policies regarding Containment and Seclusion, Physical Protection skills, and safe use of Containment and Seclusion. Emphasis is placed on building positive relationships with the children and adolescents in our care to increase positive treatment outcomes and to reduce or eliminate the need for containment and seclusion. In addition, direct care staff also receive training in such areas as healthy child development, the effects of trauma and maltreatment, special needs of children, DSM-IV diagnostic categories, building therapeutic relationships, listening skills, effective praising skills, valuing families, stress management, teamwork, and general concepts needed to work with children who have serious emotional and/or behavioral disorders.
At least annually, all professional and direct care staff receive “refresher” classes in Ethics and Consumer Protections, FERPA/HIPAA guidelines, Safety, Bloodborne Pathogens and Exposure Control, Verbal and Non-verbal Crisis Intervention, Containment and Seclusion Policies, and Protection and Containment/Seclusion skills, and they maintain current certification in CPR and First Aid. Also annually, professional and direct care staff are required to participate in an additional 2 to 12 hours of training aimed at the needs of the population with which they work, depending on their program area.
Orientation classes are typically scheduled for the third week of each month; annual training is generally offered to suit staff schedules during the first two weeks of March through November. Program Coordinators and Training Monitors receive notification each month of each staff person’s current training status, as well as which staff will need annual training in the next three months. Saturday or evening training is scheduled during spring and fall months and is available, depending on reported need, at additional times.
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