Staff

Staff- What the state guidelines say:

The program provider must ensure the continuous availability of trained and qualified service providers to deliver the required services as determined by the individual's needs.

The program provider must implement and maintain a plan for initial and periodic training of staff members and service providers

The program provider must implement and maintain personnel practices that safeguard individuals against infectious and communicable diseases

 In evaluating the qualifications of a service provider for positions requiring the equivalent of a high school education, the program provider must ensure that the service provider involved is at least 18 years of age and either possesses a certificate recognized by a state as the equivalent of a high school diploma or successfully completes a proficiency evaluation of experience and competence to perform the job tasks.


Staff- What other parents recommend you look for:

• Calm/caring
• Authoritative
• Non-required trainings
• Team oriented

Staff- My thoughts:

These are not very specific instructions to the providers on what is expected in their staff. There are no rules that the direct care staff must have particular trainings (CPR or behavior for example).  This lead to a lot of staff variability among different providers.  I would recommend meeting some of the staff of each of the providers you visit and ask about their experience.