Using Community Based Participatory Research to Develop a Series of Core Competency Trainings within a Developmental Disability Program

Purpose: The New York State Talent Development Consortium at the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) has mandated developmental disability programs to train and evaluate Direct Service Providers (DSPs) on seven core competencies: putting people first; building and maintaining positive relationships; demonstrating professionalism; supporting good health; supporting safety; having a home; and being active and productive in society. Although training and evaluation of staff is required, there is a general lack of guidance on how to train staff. Using community-based participatory research (CBPR), needs assessment was conducted by a NY based developmental disability program to identify training needs of staff with the goal of developing a training curriculum.

Methods: Six focus groups were conducted from a purposive sample of 14 DSPs, 19 managers and supervisors, and 2 behavioral specialists/clinicians from10 Intermediate Care Facilities and 26 Individualized Residential Alternatives. The focus group protocol was developed in partnership with a researcher and the program staff. The focus groups were administered by the program staff and researcher. Managers and supervisors attended separate groups from DSPs to maintain confidentiality and avoid workplace conflict. Focus group recordings were transcribed verbatim. Researchers used constant comparison analysis to explore variability and similarity among participants. Open coding was utilized based on 5 criteria addressing: roles and responsibilities of DSPs; skills used in the work place; training received; recommended trainings; and knowledge on core competencies. To ensure rigor, “memoing” techniques and member check comparison across two coders were used until 100% agreement was achieved on themes and corresponding quotes.

 

Results: Staff identified skills that corresponded with 6 out of 7 core competencies. Staff stated they were not well informed of the core competency requirements as endorsed by the OPWDD. Staff reported receiving the following trainings: agency orientation; orientation within their assigned house; Approved Medication Administration Personnel for knowledge of medications and side effects; Strategies for Crisis Intervention and Prevention for diffusing difficult behavioral situations; First Aid/CPR; choking; incident reporting; and fire safety. Staff identified need for training in several areas including: addressing needs of individuals with severe disabilities such as autism; professionalism; person-centered care; and education on behavioral health plans, medication and mental health illnesses. Staff expressed a preference for training focused on adult learning styles that offer them with methods and techniques that are required for application of the seven competencies.  Staff recommended that new staff should receive core competency training prior to placement in the homes. Peer-to-peer coaching was strongly endorsed by the staff while applying core competencies.

 

Implications: Using CBPR, this study empowered DSPs by using their knowledge and experience to develop a core competency curriculum. CBPR created a power shift in which staff’s expertise and perspectives were valued over researchers to create a more effective and impactful training curriculum that catered to the staff’s needs. The results of this study can be used by other agencies in the development of core competency training, and the establishment of a well-trained and consistent workforce.