Training Committee
Back: Cheryl Gardner-Ghionzoli, Arielle Dietz, Rhiannon Dungy, Jonathan Roberts (left to right) Front: Kathy Hager, Tonya Williamson, Keri Cada (left to right)
In order to provide the highest-quality care to the people we serve, training is a critical part of an HCO employee’s job.
HCO’s Training Committee is responsible for making sure that staff understand the roles and responsibilities of providing care to the people with developmental disabilities that we serve while meeting the agency’s licensing requirements.
Our work involves caring for the whole person, and our training reflects that philosophy. New employees receive hands-on instruction focused on caring for the physical needs of those they support, like providing basic first aid and CPR and documenting and passing medications. They learn to recognize and report physical or mental abuse to protect the people they serve. Beyond supporting the physical needs, HCO trainers work to ground employees on prioritizing the wants, needs, and life goals of the people they care for. Employees are asked to consider what is important TO as much as what is important FOR the person they are supporting. Trainers work with employees on developing techniques they can use to help those we serve to process their emotions and develop coping skills to manage their feelings in healthy ways.
The Training Committee assesses and maintains an accurate understanding of the agency’s current and future training needs, develops and updates training tools, and works closely with individual programs to offer specialized training for unique situations or individuals as needed.
We are so thankful to our trainers for sharing their knowledge and skills. Their dedication ensures our employees have the education, tools, and resources they need to provide the best support possible to those we serve.
The Training Committee comprises members of the HCO Management Team, the Training Coordinator, the Human Resources Coordinator, and several HCO program staff.
