At our recent Team Atmosphere Committee (TAC) town hall meeting, frontline staff had the opportunity to meet with our directors and Executive Director Steve Cook to provide valuable feedback and work through issues to foster positive change within our agency. This month, Steve challenged our frontline staff to think big and provide insights on six new training programs the agency is planning to roll out.
Proposed Training Programs:
1. Work-Life Balance/Wellness Training: Equip staff with tools and knowledge to navigate the complexities of modern professional and personal life.
2. Life Skills - Manage Life with Clarity: Teach basics of managing stressful situations and organizing life effectively.
3. Financial Literacy/Wellness: Empower staff to make informed financial decisions.
4. Meal Preparation, Healthy Cooking, Diets & Dysphagia: Provide cooking skills, healthy eating habits, and meal preparation techniques.
5. Personal Hygiene: Enhance personal care practices.
6. Technology Basics at the Arc: Offer training in essential software tools like Excel, Word, Google Workspace, and Canva.
Feedback and Requests from the TAC Committee:
Popular Training Topics:
- The cooking training received a lot of interest, as it would both ease job responsibilities and provide valuable life skills.
- Work-life balance training was highlighted as crucial. One DSP frontline staff member noted, "Learning how to find a better balance will be very beneficial."
Emergency Situational Training:
- A significant portion of the discussion focused on the need for regular emergency drills. Steve Cook emphasized, "You learn how to do things through practice... Just because someone signed a piece of paper doesn't mean they are proficient in it." The committee agreed to implement more drills and tabletop exercises.
Writing Skills and Documentation Training:
- Mission-critical staff requested training in basic writing skills to improve the readability of ISP notes. They suggested a course covering sentence structure and the basics of documentation.
- A deeper documentation training was also proposed to enhance the quality of consumer activity records.
Professional Communication Training:
- Staff expressed the need for training on how to professionally communicate with state officials during inspections and effectively handle family interactions during crisis situations.
On-the-Job Training:
- There was a call for trainers to spend more time in the field providing on-the-job training. New hires should shadow experienced staff to understand their responsibilities better.
Consumer Communication Training:
- Proposed training on building rapport with consumers to gain their trust and make them feel comfortable in their homes. One staff member noted, "We have to get to know our consumers… We need to be trained to build rapport, make consumers feel welcome and at home."
Steve Cook responded positively to these suggestions, affirming that while the Arc Mercer excels in consumer care, there's always room for improvement. “Wherever we are as an agency, we can always be better,” said Cook.
He encouraged leadership to use teachable moments to support staff and enhance both consumer lives and staff jobs.
Taking Action:
Members of the TAC signed up for the proposed trainings that interested them. Their involvement is crucial in developing these programs, as they best understand staff needs.
We encourage all staff to reach out and make their voices heard. If you have ideas or want to help provide feedback for these training programs, please talk to your managers. Your input is invaluable in shaping effective and meaningful training initiatives.
If you want to make a direct, agency wide impact, reach out to our Organizational Culture Manager, Emmanuel Bropleh to RSVP to next month's TAC meeting and join the conversation!
609-931-1107
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