Welcome to the Session – I&R Skills Building: Developing an Effective Training Program

Faed HendryManager – Training and OutreachFindhelp Information ServicesToronto, Ontario416-392-4544fhendry@findhelp.ca

Session Objectives• To identify the requirements of developing an

effective training program for I&R Specialists.

• To identify not only what to train on but how to deliver the training.

• To review and discuss strategies for pre-service, on the job and in-service training & development of I & R staff.

• To discuss, share and learn from each other about best practices, challenges, what is working and what is not working.

The AIRS Training Standard

The AIRS Standard states that the I&R Service shall have a training policy and make training available to paid and volunteer staff.

The AIRS Training Standard provides the framework but not the content of your I & R Training.

Principles of an I&R Training Program• Your training program & curriculum must address and

reflect the uniqueness of your organization and the people you are training.

• There are standard skills that are applicable to all I & R Specialists and specific knowledge that is unique to the local organization and community.

• The training program should address all of the relevant performance-based competencies for I&R providers

Performance Based Competencies

Knowledge - Information or facts needed by the I&R Specialist or Resource Specialist

Skills - Abilities or performance competencies needed by the I&R Specialist or Resource Specialist

Attitudes and Work-Related Behaviours - Feelings or viewpoints needed by the I&R Specialist or Resource Specialist

What the AIRS Standards say:

The I&R service provides an orientation for new employees and volunteers that addresses the role, mission, and function of the I&R service.

The AIRS Standards breaks training down into the following areas:

• Pre-Service Training• On-the-Job Training• In-Service Training

I & R Training must be seen as a Continuum• Starts with recruiting and hiring process

• What are the qualities & competencies that you are looking for?

• Hire for attitude and skill, train for knowledge

• Clients don’t care how much I&R Specialists know, until they know how much they care.

Attitude – A little thing that makes a BIG difference!• Attitude can be defined as ones’ feelings or mood

toward things, circumstances or people.

• Providing information and referral must be part of who you are – not just what you must do.

• A positive attitude sets you up to be successful. A negative attitude sets you up to fail.

Attitudes as they Relate to Information & Referral • “Ability is what you’re capable of doing. Motivation

determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.” - Raymond Chandler

• Although you may not always be able to solve a clients problem, you should always be able to demonstrate a helpful attitude

• You cannot predict what that next call will bring, but what you can predict is how you choose to respond to it. You choose your attitude and only you can change it.

I&R Trainers!• As I&R Trainers there may be a predisposition to focus

the training on knowledge rather than skill. The skills form the basis upon which knowledge can be transferred and communicated

• Do not dismiss the importance of emphasizing the prerequisite skills for I&R

• It is far easier to impart knowledge than it is to impart skill

Orientation• An orientation provides the framework to and grounding

in the organization.

• Define training and job expectations. (Be clear!)

• Outline job description and responsibilities

• Tour of Agency and Introduction of Staff

• History, Mission Statement, Values, Lines of Operation, Confidentiality Agreement, Organizational Structure, Policies and Procedures etc.

Pre-Service Training

• Pre-Service training should address key human service modules.

• Identify key programs, services and resources.

• Resource database information retrieval skills

• Telephone and TTY training

• Standards for Professional Information & Referral

Human Service Modules

Financial AssistanceHousing AssistanceHealth CareFood AssistanceChild CareSenior ProgramsLegal ServicesImmigrationMental HealthAddiction

Hostels and SheltersEmploymentLiteracy & TrainingTransportationRecreation GovernmentVolunteerismGeographyCounselling ProgramsIdentification

Skills Development – Information, Assessment & Referral Process

As a Trainer, you should also cover the steps in the I&R process which includes:

• The Greeting and Establishing Trust and Rapport• Active Listening Skills• The Needs Assessment and Effective Questioning• Referrals – Understanding the Importance of Eligibility• Summarize• Advocacy and Follow-up

The Four Quadrants of I&R Knowledge

I Know I Don’t Know

I Know that I Don’t Know

I Don’t Know that I Don’t Know (This will get the I&R Specialist into trouble every time.)

On-the-job Training

• Case examples, role plays and simulations

• Job shadowing (Listening-in)

• Selective call answer and response

• We should structure our training from easy to hard and from light to heavy. (Don’t start your training program with how to conduct a lethality assessment or how to use the Taxonomy)

In-Service Training• Focuses on refining and updating the staff’s information

and referral skills.

• May involve pursuing areas of interest in the human service field.

• Should provide additional professional development opportunities (Certification)

• Outreach and Agency Visits

• What are the challenges of in-service training?

Evaluation Methods• The agency must establish a minimum level of

competency which trainees must achieve before assuming their duties.

• Subjective Method (Trainer’s observation of Trainee)

• Objective (Written test, taping of calls )

Making Training Stick

There are essentially two elements that make training stick.

Retention of the information being presented; and synthesizing the skills – putting them into practice in a live environment. These are two quite different concepts, and one does not necessarily follow the other.

What people know and what people do are two very different things.

Ten Criteria to Make Training Stick

1. Train using visual, auditory, kinaesthetic and tactile tools 2. Make skills relevant and related – Must be practical. 3. Use low density classes 4. Use short classes and short modules 5. Repeat the message often 6. Keep the message consistent 7. Provide the I&R Specialist with motivation 8. Provide the I&R Specialist with confidence 9. Provide the I&R Specialist with support 10.Provide the I&R Specialist with feedback

The Four Learning Styles

1. Visual learners are those who learn through seeing things.

2. Auditory learners are those who learn best through hearing things.

3. Kinesthetic learners learn best by doing.

4. Tactile learners learn best by writing, drawing and taking notes

Gloria Steinem once said:

“ Tell me and I’ll forget.

Show me and I may not remember.

Involve me and I’ll understand.”

Learning Style # of students Percentage

Visual 167 29%

Auditory 123 22%

Auditory/Visual 76 13%

Tactile 57 10%

Kinaesthetic 54 10%

Visual/ Tactile 35 6%

Visual/Kinaesthetic 23 4%

Kinaesthetic/ Auditory 14 3%

Kinaesthetic/Tactile 12 2%

Auditory/Tactile 7 1%

Caution: Is there danger in too much training?Regular reinforcement of information is critical to combat fading. Apply

knowledge right away.

% of Material Remembered % of Material Forgotten After 1 day 54% 46% After 7 days 35% 65% After 14 days 21% 79% After 21 days 18% 82% After 28 days 19% 81% After 63 days 17% 83%

Source: Lewis Center for Educational Research

Plan, Prepare, & Schedule

• Have a plan. Know what it is that you are going to do.

• Make it structured, not rigid, with some flexibility.

• Have a planned schedule that identifies learning objectives for each module.

• What does Day 1 look like?

Different Training Approaches• Baptism by Fire

• Low support

• High expectations

• Unknown results

Just Read the Training Manual! •Isolated Learning

•Independent Learning •Low Support

•Boring!

Comprehensive Training Program

A structured training program that adequately trains I & R providers to perform required job functions.

How long should an I&R training program be?

Training to Exhaustion

There may be a danger in too much training.

The more that we are trained the less we retain.

How do we know that people are absorbing the training?

Develop a Training Checklist• It is critical that each I&R organization has a training

checklist to ensure that you are covering all of the necessary areas.

• The checklist may include the topic, time allocated, the trainer, materials required and outcomes and comments.

• There are a number of checklists and related training resources available from the I&R Toolkit from the AIRS website.

Evaluation of the Training Program• Provide an opportunity in which to solicit honest &

constructive feedback.

• Is the content of the training program up-to-date?

• Are there suggestions to improve the training program?

• Is the material provided user-friendly?

10 Tips for I&R Trainers

1) Be prepared2) Use a variety of training methods and resources3) Keep lectures to an absolute minimum4) Be honest, be authentic, but be passionate.5) Provide information about what the training session

will actually involve.6) Rather than think of yourself as a trainer, try getting

used to thinking of yourself as "a person who creates learning experiences... a person who helps others learn." In other words, put a lot more emphasis on the learning and a lot less emphasis on the training.

10 Tips for I&R Trainers

7) Know if you are teaching knowledge, behaviour and/or skills. If you’re teaching knowledge only, make it short and lecture with as much class interaction as possible. If skills and/or behaviours are to be taught, make it H.O.T. (hands-on-training).

8) Check in often and encourage feedback

9) Keep up to date on your subject

10) Have fun!!!

Questions and Answers• What are some of your innovative training

techniques or tools?

• What is working well?

• What are some of the challenges you face as an I & R training provider?

• Do you offer your I & R training program externally?

Your I&R Training may be a Diamond in the RoughHave you ever thought about trying to market your I&R

training program to your community?

Virtually all the organizations listed in your database are potential consumers because most of them provide I&R in some way, shape or form.

There may be potential to train on The Standards, Assessment and Referral Skills, Understanding Human Services, Information Retrieval Skills or Dealing with Challenging Clients.

Questions?

Thank you for attending this session!

I hope you found this session useful

Enjoy the rest of the CCIRC!