AGING AND DISABILITY SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

April 12, 2002

AASA: AFH #2002-012
SUBJECT: LEARNING OUTCOMES AND COMPETENCIES

Dear Adult Family Home Provider:

This mailing contains the Learning Outcomes and Competencies for the following required Aging and Disability Services Administration (AASA) Training Courses:

• Fundamentals of Caregiving (Basic)
• Dementia Training for Caregivers
• Mental Health Training for Caregivers
• Developmental Disabilities Training

Detailed information is included with each set of Learning Outcomes and Competencies.

When new training rules go into effect on September 1, 2002, Adult Family Homes (AFH) with a qualified instructor will be allowed to conduct facility-based training. Facilities may use either the state-developed curriculum or an alternative curriculum that has been approved by DSHS. Information on getting a curriculum approved will be sent to you by June 1, 2002. To be approved, a curriculum must include all the learning outcomes and competencies for that course so that it is "substantially similar to" the training developed by DSHS, as required in law.

To assist those who wish to develop a curriculum, AASA has developed:

• Learning Outcomes and Competencies for Fundamentals of Caregiving (basic) and a curriculum;
• Learning Outcomes and Competencies for Dementia Training for Caregivers and Mental Health Training for Caregivers.

The Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD) has developed The Developmental Disabilities Specialty Curriculum Competencies, which is for BH administrators and/or designees, BH caregivers, AFH providers, and AFH resident managers.

Adult Family Homes may develop their own alternative curricula based on the Basic Learning Outcomes and Competencies or use the AASA/DDD developed curriculum. For specialty training, AFH caregivers do not have to be taught using an approved specialty curriculum, but providers are welcome to use the learning outcomes if they wish. This mailing includes the Developmental Disabilities specialty curriculum competencies for AFH providers and resident managers. The learning outcomes for AFH providers/resident managers for the Mental Health and Dementia specialty trainings will be sent to you shortly. Competency tests, to be used statewide, will be developed by DSHS for each training course. The training requirements will be effective September 1, 2002.

We recently requested and received input from a diverse group of stakeholders, trainers, and consumers of long-term care services on the learning outcomes and competencies for these trainings. The responses were wide-ranging, with some people wanting more content included in the Learning Outcomes and Competencies and some people wanting to reduce the content of the courses. These outcomes reflect the training needs of caregivers in all community based settings - adult family homes, boarding homes, and in-home.

In the near future you will receive further information on the process that AASA will use for the approval of alternate curricula in AFH. In the meantime, if you have questions or would like more information about the Learning Outcomes and Competencies and their usage, please contact:

Marta Acedo,Chief
Aging and Disability Services Administration
(360) 725-2549
acedom@dshs.wa.gov.

Sincerely,

Patricia K. Lashway, Director
Residential Care Services

Enclosure