1915(i) Respite Training

A faith-integrated training preparing respite providers, direct support professionals, and family caregivers to deliver safe, person-centered, well-documented respite services under the Medicaid 1915(i) Home and Community-Based Services option. FORMAT: 4 hours | 4 modules | Self-paced | Certificate of completion (knowledge checks at 80% + competency sign-off) COURSE SYLLABUS MODULE 1 — Foundations: Understanding 1915(i) and Respite (60 min) Objectives: Explain the 1915(i) HCBS option in plain language; describe eligibility and the independent assessment; locate respite within the person-centered plan. Topics: What 1915(i) is and how it differs from waiver waitlists • Eligibility and the independent assessment • The person-centered plan as the roadmap • Respite service definition, settings, and authorized limits • Knowledge Check 1 MODULE 2 — The Respite Provider Role: Boundaries, Ethics & Documentation (60 min) Objectives: Define the scope of the respite role; apply confidentiality and HIPAA principles; write audit-ready service notes; identify reportable incidents. Topics: What respite is — and is not • Professional boundaries and dual relationships • Confidentiality and HIPAA in home settings • Service note requirements and same-day documentation • Incident reporting and personal mandated-reporter duties • Knowledge Check 2 MODULE 3 — Supporting the Individual: Autism/IDD, Communication & Safety (60 min) Objectives: Describe common support needs in autism/IDD; use person-centered communication including AAC; apply regulation-first sensory supports; execute safety protocols. Topics: Autism and IDD essentials; behavior as communication • Presuming competence; AAC device etiquette • Sensory triggers, calmers, and regulation before expectation • Elopement and water-first search priority • Medication assistance limits • Emergency preparedness • Knowledge Check 3 MODULE 4 — Supporting the Family: Caregiver Wellness & Faith-Integrated Care (60 min) Objectives: Recognize caregiver burnout; describe the family's circle of support after a diagnosis; practice cultural humility and faith-honoring care; build a provider sustainability plan. Topics: Burnout and respite as the intervention • The circle of support: diagnosing provider, care manager, therapy team, counseling, parent mentors, faith community • Cultural humility and honoring the family's faith without proselytizing • Provider self-care • Final assessment, competency checklist, and evaluation INCLUDES: Module knowledge checks, a 20-item final assessment, a 13-item respite provider competency checklist, and a Caregivers Academy certificate of completion. Presented by Dr. LaTonya Lee Niang, EdD, LCAS, CCS — Caregivers Academy | Comp Serv Health Resources. Providers must follow their own state's 1915(i) service definitions and agency procedures.