Advanced Home Care Aide Specialist

The Advanced Home Care Aide Specialist Program will return this year!

Eligible caregivers will get an email when new classes are available for enrollment.

What is Advanced Training? 

As an Advanced Home Care Aide Specialist, you will learn more skills to give care to your client with complex needs.

You’ll also advance your caregiving career and get a raise in pay.*

This training is just 1 day a week in class, plus online learning (see a sample schedule). When you attend and pass the class, you can get 12 Continuing Education credits if eligible. Learn more about Advanced Training:

  • Complete 70 hours of advanced learning.
  • Get a $0.75/hour raise when you pass the program.**
  • Learn both in a classroom setting with other caregivers and online at your own speed. 

Examples of topics include: problem solving, de-escalation, treatment and care plans, medication management, health literacy and client engagement.

See the available classes for the Advanced Home Care Specialist Program.

*Any questions about getting paid for training time or pay differentials should be directed to your employer. 

**All Individual Providers (IPs) and Agency Provider (APs), should discuss pay differentials with your employer. View the  current Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBA).

Want to take Advanced Training?

The Advanced Home Care Aide Specialist Program is designed for caregivers who are working with people who have complex needs. You and your client need to meet eligibility requirements to take Advanced Training.

If you are eligible and there is an in-person training near you, you will get an email inviting you to enroll. If you have not received an email about Advanced Training but would like to know if you are eligible, please contact your employer to confirm eligibility. 

Important: This training is currently only offered in English but you may use a community interpreter. All course materials will be offered in English only. This includes online lessons and Performance-Based Assessments. Learn more about community interpreters.

 

Eligible caregivers will get an email when new classes are available for enrollment. There are currently no scheduled classes.

How to Enroll

If you get an email about newly scheduled classes, are eligible and would like to enroll, please follow the instructions below based on your provider type:

  • Individual Providers (IPs): Call or email the Member Resource Center (MRC). They are available Monday through Friday, 8 am to 4:30 pm.
    • Call: 1.866.371.3200
    • Email: mrc@myseiubenefits.org
  • Agency Providers (APs): Contact your employer.

See the current schedule for the Advanced Home Care Specialist Program.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I take this course all online?
This course is both in-person and online. You must attend all in-person classes and complete all online work to pass the course. You can see what a typical program schedule looks like here.

What languages is this course offered in?
Currently this course is offered in English only. Professional interpreters will not be provided and materials will only be in English.

What if I need language support?
You are allowed to bring a community interpreter to class. If you are bringing a community interpreter, you must contact the MRC at 1-866-371-3200 to reserve an additional seat.

What is included in the curriculum for the class?
Skills Labs will include the following subjects: Person-Centered Care, Problem-solving, Motivational Interviewing, De-escalation, Treatment and Care Plans, Monitoring, Observation, & Reporting, Medication Management, Health Literacy and Client Engagement, and Organizing Care Activities. See the full curriculum description.

What does my client get out of this training?
Your client will benefit from your additional caregiving knowledge. The “soft skills” are designed to help you interact effectively and positively, with caregiving goals in mind. There are also some skills that can help more directly, such as medication management and working with treatment and care plans.

Why would I want to take this training if I already completed Basic Training?
This training is optional. The reasons caregivers may attend the training include:

  • A pay increase for eligible caregivers.
  • The opportunity to learn advanced caregiving skills that help clients with complex needs.
  • Help building a stronger and better relationship with your client.
  • Grow your caregiving career professionally with a new certification.

Visit the Advanced Home Care Aide Specialist Program FAQ page to see more questions and answers.

What Caregivers are Saying

“I just finished the Advanced Home Care Aide training today, and if everyone had the opportunity to take this class, the world would probably be a much better place. Who knew, even though we believed we are good and caring people, that we still had so much more work to do?! This class has literally changed my worldview. Please make this available for everybody.”

“The training helped me to be more confident, know more about problem-solving, and be able to communicate better with my client.”

I found things out about my son that I never knew before.”

“I really liked learning about the person-centered approach, and how to use conflict resolution.”

“The one-page personal profile is awesome. It helps other people on the care team see how the client expresses themselves.”