Pre Service Training

Through Pre Service Training, UCP staff provides training to Morris County Division of Developmental Disabilities contract agencies staff working in group homes, developmental centers and sheltered workshops.  These trainings include CPR, Standard First Aid, Abuse & Neglect, DD Overview, and Medication.  During fiscal year 2010, over 586 individuals were trained.  

Since 1989, UCP has been a member of the Network of State Trainers.  Every staff person who works in our field with persons with developmental disabilities must attend and pass 5 basic trainings.  These trainings include:                                         

Overview of Developmental Disabilities:  Emphasizes supports for people with disabilities.

Preventing Abuse & Neglect:  Emphasizes identifying and reporting.                                                

Medication:  Emphasizes the correct procedure for administering medication for those    unable to self-dose.     

CPR – American Red Cross: Responding to emergencies and how to handle breathing emergencies, choking, heart attack and cardiac arrest.

First Aid – American Red Cross:  How to handle all other health emergencies, including soft tissue injuries, injuries to muscles, bones, sudden illness.

In Morris County, UCP holds the DDD contract to provide these trainings to all  employees within the county.  We offer both day and evening classes in our training center located in the Williamson Building, 245 Main Street, Suite 203B, Chester, NJ.  This is an advantage to our own staff, since we have an on-site, readily available training system.                                  

The trainer also provides Universal Precautions (preventing disease transmission) and Danielle’s Law (which makes it illegal not to call 911 in case of a life-threatening emergency) classes on a regular basis.  Other trainings available to our staff are Individual Habilitation  Planning, Crisis Intervention, Sexuality, and Seizure Disorder.                  

Community Education is another part of the Training Department.  Over the last    several years, our trainer has given several presentations in the community.  An   overview of cerebral palsy was requested by the Language Arts teachers at a local middle school, whose students read a novel about a man affected by CP.  Two provider agencies requested a presentation on “The effects of aging on those with CP”.  We also offer Child CPR classes to parents of our younger participants.                                           

If you are interested in attending a class or asking for a presentation for a group, feel free to contact our trainer, Marge Collins at 908-879-2243 x27.

Knowledge is power!