Forthcoming Webinar Examines Direct Service Workforce Core Competencies

Recently, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Studies (CMS) sponsored the creation of the Road Map for Core Competencies for the Direct Service Workforce (DSW), which is to be implemented through the National Direct Service Workforce Resource Center.

Created in partnership with dozens of stakeholder organizations, the Road Map is intended to foster meaningful community living for Americans with disabilities and older adults, by helping create a standardized Direct Service Workforce. According to the CMS website, the specific purpose of this initiative is to “identify a common set of core competencies across community-based long-term services and supports (LTSS) sectors: aging, behavioral health (including mental health and substance use), intellectual and developmental disabilities, and physical disabilities; and assist states to take a more comprehensive and standardized approach to direct service workforce training and workforce quality improvement through the creation of a nationally-validated corecompetency set.”

To help agencies and their DSW’s better understand the Road Map for Core Competencies, DirectCourse will be sponsoring a webinar, entitled CMS Direct Service Workforce Core Competencies: Implications for Training on January 22, 2015 at 2:00 EST. The one-hour webinar will review these validated competencies as well as examining the validation process.

The webinar will be led by Lori Sedlezky, who is Director of Knowledge Translation at the Research and Training Center on Community Living. Ms. Sedlezky provides technical assistance to numerous states and regional entities on the training, development and promotion of the direct support profession, as well as the analysis and application of core competencies across human service sector. She has developed numerous training and curricula, and is part of the on-line curriculum development leadership team of the College of Direct Support.

In addition, Sedlezky will also discuss how the College of Direct Support and the College of Personal Assistance and Caregiving can provide the training tools needed to lead DSW’s to become proficient in the new compentencies. The development of long-term supports and services (LTSS), which help promote DSW’s in their careers, will also be addressed.