Muskie School and collaborators complete pilot for direct service worker training program

The Maine Direct Service Worker Training Program, a collaboration between the University of Southern Maine and the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, recently completed a six-site pilot of a competency-based, coordinated training program for Personal Support Specialists in Maine.  Participants who successfully complete the training earned Personal Support Specialist certification and are able to apply their skills and training towards other direct service certification requirements.

The new Direct Service Worker Training Program will improve the mobility of Maine’s three most popular direct service job titles (Personal Support Specialists, Mental Health Rehabilitation Technicians, and Direct Service Professionals) and will ultimately serve as the foundation for a comprehensive system of training and certification that will enable cross-training and career progression for multiple categories of direct service workers serving multiple population groups.  An on-line distance education pilot and a pilot for English-language learners are forthcoming.

Funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), this project is directed by Nadine Edris and includes USM’s School of Nursing and Center for Education Policy, Applied Research, and Evaluation, as well as the Disability and Aging, Population Health and Health Policy, and Capital Center programs at the Muskie School of Public Service.