Health & Safety

This comprehensive healthcare training course covers essential safety protocols and emergency preparedness for direct support professionals working with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). The curriculum begins with universal precautions and infection control, teaching participants how to prevent disease transmission through proper use of barriers like gloves, hand hygiene, and disinfection techniques, with special attention to bloodborne pathogens such as HIV and Hepatitis B/C. Students learn critical medication administration principles including patient identification, allergy checks, proper calculations, and communication strategies to ensure safe pharmaceutical care. The course also requires successful completion of CPR and First Aid certification, equipping participants with life-saving skills. A significant portion focuses on recognizing signs and symptoms of illness in individuals with IDD, including both behavioral changes (such as routine disruptions, increased agitation, or skill regression) and physical symptoms (like skin changes, breathing difficulties, or mobility issues). Finally, the training emphasizes emergency preparedness, covering natural disasters, human-caused emergencies, and disease outbreaks, with specific strategies for supporting individuals with disabilities including accessible communication methods, sensory considerations, evacuation planning, and specialized response techniques that account for mobility limitations, medication needs, and behavioral challenges.