Visions Training

Visions is the official training for caregivers created by the State of Hawai’i Developmental Disabilities Division (DDD) and the College of Education, Center on Disability Studies (CDS) at the University of Hawai’i at MānoaThe Visions Training is for Adult Foster Home Providers and DD Domiciliary Care Providers, as both groups are required to complete DDD-approved training curriculum. There are nine courses, divided into three sections: (1) Orientation to Working with Participants, (2) Pre-Service Fundamentals, (3) Service Provision Fundamentals.

Course List

Course Descriptions

Orientation to Working with Target Population

Overview of Disability Supports

This course is designed to provide AFH/DD Dom caregivers with a general introduction to providing support services for individuals with I/DD. The lessons lay the foundational groundwork for understanding the population they will be working with by providing a historical perspective of disability services and how supports have evolved to what they are today. (Course Length = 1 hour).

Developmental Disabilities

This course is designed to provide an introduction to developmental disabilities. The lessons review common characteristics and risk factors of specific disabilities in order to provide a baseline level of knowledge of individuals with I/DD. Having a basic understanding of the different types of developmental disabilities will better equip care providers to support participants based on their individual needs. (Course Length = 45 minutes). 

Pre-Service Fundamentals

Person-Centered Supports

This course is designed to ensure AFH/DD Dom caregivers are grounded in the values, principles, and philosophies of person-centered supports. The lessons provide tools for supporting person-centered thinking to ensure caregivers encourage self-determination and help people to live their good life. (Course Length = 4 hours).

Person-Centered Planning

This course is designed to build on the values and principles of person-centered support and incorporate the philosophies into action. The lessons explain how to incorporate person-centered tools into an individual support plan and effectively implement the plan to support the individual’s good life. (Course Length = 1 hour)

Service Provision Fundamentals

Positive Behavior Supports

This course provides an introduction to Positive Behavior Supports, a person-centered approach for supporting individuals with challenging behaviors. The lessons review the basics of behavior and discuss how behavior is a form of communication. Understanding how to support effective communication is essential to providing support for individuals who engage in challenging behaviors to express what they want and need. (Course Length = 4 hours).

Staying Healthy and Safe

This course is designed to ensure AFH/DD Dom caregivers have the basic skills necessary to support individuals with I/DD to stay healthy and safe. The lessons provide a basic overview of how to support good health, recognize health and safety risks, and how to respond to emergencies. (Course Length = 6 hours)

Medications

This course is designed to ensure AFH/DD Dom caregivers understand the requirements of medication administration and management. Understanding medication terminology, how to manage medications, and administer medications properly are critical to preventing medication errors. (Course Length = 6.5 hours).

Nutrition

This course provides an overview of nutrition basics and food safety. The lessons are designed to provide guidance on how to support a healthy lifestyle and reduce risks for chronic diseases. Additionally, this course also discusses how to balance choice and safety when addressing nutrition. (Course Length = 3.5 hours)

Dental and Oral Care

This course is designed to ensure AFH/DD Dom caregivers have the basic skills necessary to support individuals with I/DD to maintain good oral health. The lessons provide an introduction to how to maintain a healthy mouth, how to support oral hygiene, and supportive strategies for providing oral health care. (Course Length = 4 hours).