How to pilot DSP training before an agency-wide rollout

Agencies get into trouble when the first training decision is also the permanent one. A pilot lets you assign orientation or a refresher to a few direct support professionals, watch what happens on the shift, and then decide whether to widen it. A pilot does not enroll everyone and it does not start billing.

Pick a group you can actually watch

Three to eight DSPs is enough if a supervisor knows their schedule. Mix one new hire with people who already work the role, unless the only question in front of you is orientation. Include the person who will assign the next round. If they are not in the pilot, they will not trust the result.

• One setting, not every house you operate.
• A due date that fits the posted schedule.
• A short list of topics, not the full catalog.

Start with a small group: https://maineidd.com/contact

Watch the shift, not only the completion mark

Ask the pilot group what they used on the next shift and what they skipped. A finished course that nobody can describe is a weak signal. An unfinished lesson that they keep quoting may be the one to assign more carefully, with a realistic due date.

If you care about a completion record, ask about it in the walkthrough before the pilot starts. You will want the same view later, when someone asks whether a DSP finished. This site's form does not turn records on.

Tell us about the program: https://maineidd.com/contact

Widen only after the pilot answers a question

The question might be: can a new hire finish orientation before a solo shift? Or: will current DSPs complete a refresher between shifts? When you have an answer, assign the same path to the next group. Change the topics if the pilot showed a mismatch. Do not add every course in the catalog because the first group clicked through.

Request a training walkthrough: https://maineidd.com/contact

Write down what the pilot was for, who was in it, and what you will do next. That note is what you bring back to Your Training Provider if you want the next walkthrough to start where this one stopped.