Certified Trainers Blog

This is truly a captivating article that excites me for those we serve who are always looking for a more independent approach.

Sniffing Technology

Hello fellow trainers. I was tackling training topics and wondering if anyone had any approaches to categorizing training topics. I would like to put sub-categories under trainings that address individual specific trainings, (i.e. training topic is back care, how could I make a sub category for a an individual who has a special lift or device and it is a lift that no one else has or uses, but training would need to be documented. I am trying to avoid have 5000 topics in the list of choices. Any suggestions would be greatly appeciated.

Hi Everyone!  I’m the Personal Finance girl, so I thought I better make my 1st blog about Receipts.

Currently at TRC, we are not attaching scanned receipts to posted transactions in Personal Finance. The idea of starting this has come up several times, but there is one thing we just cannot figure out. We do not give our managers the privilege to edit a transaction, because they could go back and change a transaction at any time. If we allow them to do this we would have to audit all transactions from the time they opened each account in Therap over and over again.

Without the edit privilege, not all receipts can be scanned. For example, if a manager gave $20.00 for a resident to go to the movies (posted it in Therap), and then the resident returns with receipts without any change the receipts could not be scanned in. If there is change the manager can enter a deposit for change returned and attached the scanned receipts to that transaction.

My only solution to this problem would be if Therap was to add a feature to Personal Finance that would allow each month to close, so transactions could not be edited after the month is over. This way we could give our managers access to edit, but auditors would only have to audit each month once.

I added this suggestion in Therap Ideas, but have had little feedback. Do you think this is the solution to the problem, or is anyone scanning receipts now that might have a suggestion for us?

Thanks!
Letisha 

Just made my first Splash Page today. What fun. I loved seeing it posted. Any suggestions as to how to pretty it up? I tried copying and pasting from a Word image but was unsuccessful.

Well!  I had my evaluation yesterday!  Can’t say I was disappointed…but thinking about what all you’ve done in a year can exhaust you!  (No wonder I’ve missed two meetings in the last week!  Thankfully that wasn’t on my evaluation!)

Here is a brief highlight of a couple things that I can say I am proud to have done in the past year though…

1)  Trained our entire agency on Therap and instituted Therap into all departments in our agency!  I can tell you this was no easy task!  There are those people who are excited because they love technology.  But….there are those people who have never touched a computer in their life…those who don’t like change…(and of course those who just seem to not like anything at all!)  But, we pressed on and today everyone in our agency uses the program and we keep taking on more and more of it!  A lot of those people who were nervous about utilizing Therap are now some of our most devoted Therapites and love the program!

2)  Became the Provider/Administrator!  That was a task to learn.  My supervisor got me added as a PA and I began playing and having fun and now am responsible for the PA side of Therap at our agency.  What can I say…I love playing with all those options and I think I have them mastered!?

3)  Became a Certified Therap Trainer!  This was a big personal goal of mine.  I really didn’t tell too many people that I was working towards it…but here I am.  (I was ever so proud after my conference call with Allison that day…I immediately called my supervisor to brag!)  The funny thing is I had HORRIBLE internet connection the day I had my interview with Allison, and she asked me where I was as the connection was so bad…well…Williston, ND…JUST about the end of the Earth! 

Well, it looks like the past year has revolved around Therap for me, but that was only a small portion of my accomplishments.  Now the problem is I look at last years accomplishments and think, “How am I gonna top that this year!?”

You all take care out there, and chat at ya on my next posting!

-Tony

The College of Direct Support has been utilized at my agency, Alternative Community Training, for about 5 years now. Our employees love the courses the CDS has to offer and the technology of online systems works well for all involved. A result of Therap partnering with the CDS was the “bridge.” This is a simple way for learners to access CDS from their Therap First Page. Our employees think this is a great feature. They do not need to remember the CDS website or an additional username and password. They only need to login in one time from their First Page and they are set! We appreciate the wonderful technology options that are out there. Keep up the great work Therap!

Thank you Allison for the wonderful introduction. I feel like I am a contradiction in the making. They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but technology keeps offering up new tricks I can’t wait to learn. I am thankful we have had staff who are also welcoming the technology, as we embark on Therap’s modules. I look forward to getting to know fellow certified trainers and the Therap family, in Therapville.

Once you know me better, you will know I can be called a silk purse, a bag lady or any number of bag related items but certainly not “old hat” (per AD)! I am so excited to be a part of this team that I will overlook that disparagement. But back to business! I am currently looking for ways to streamline the huge training piece that our ICF/MRs have to document and track in the homes. I am having all training done within the home documented by Home Coordinators, Trainers and Therapists in T-logs and having them put Training in the title so I can check for recent training. However, I find that there are a multitude of plans and equipment trainings and I am unsure how to keep this from becoming unmanageable under the TMS. I have created curriculum sections and classes but these pieces are a whole new level of documentation that falls under training. Can anyone give me some ideas for some simple solutions? I cannot seem to see the forest for the trees!

Kitti Gutierrez is the newest Certified Trainer (Julie James is now an old hat!). Kitti is the Training Officer for RENEW in Gillette, Wyoming, and is a sharp cookie. She knows Therap like it’s her best friend! Keep an eye out for her blogs and she should be in New York this upcoming February with the rest of you!!

Allison

What a nice intro! I am definitely all about technology that will rid us of cumbersome and hard to track paper files. There is nothing (in my work) that would make me happier than to be paperless! It makes many people fearful, but it will make this industry so much more transparent and all of us more responsible. I am one of those former high school students who were engrossed in the terror of the computer age of Big Brother from books like 1984 and Farenheit 451. But then my 45 year old father went back to college after dropping out in the 9th grade and got his degree in Computer Journalism. That was back when you had to write everything in computer language (such as DOS). I crept up to my first computer at a job in a Christian bookstore in my 20’s. I became fascinated and have never turned back. Sure, there is craziness associated with people shooting info across the WEB willy nilly, but the truth is that there is never progress which someone does not abuse. The tremendous advantages we have with technology are our responsibility to use wisely and protect. Documentation and communication are so much quicker and viable with programs like Therap. We become more accountable for doing things properly and timely. And that is only the beginning. I am looking forward to the many ways in which Therap will bring our agency forward as the College of Direct Support has done.