Hilton/Early Head Start Training Program

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Hilton/Early Head Start Training Program
Training Strategies and Resources that Support
and Sustain Community Inclusion
Linda Brekken, Ph.D Rob Corso, Ph.D. Tamanika
Odinga, Ed.D. California Institute on Human
Services Sonoma State University www.specialquest.
org Sixth National Early Childhood Inclusion
Institute July 25-27, 2006
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Inclusion Training Challenges and Strategies

• What are the biggest issues that you face in
  facilitating inclusion?
• What are the most effective strategies for
  creating changes that last over time?

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Mission
To support Early Head Start and Migrant and
Seasonal Head Start staff, and family members, in
collaboration with Early Intervention and other
community partners to develop skills and
strategies for including infants and toddlers
with disabilities and their families.
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Program Facts

• Public-private partnership between the Conrad N.
  Hilton Foundation and the Head Start Bureau.
• Purpose to augment learning opportunities for
  Early Head Start staff and families in serving
  infants and toddlers with disabilities and their
  families.

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Hilton/Early Head Start Training Program
Components

• SpecialQuests - Team-based, intensive learning
  opportunities, provided over time
• Learning Coaches provide supportive on site
  follow-up
• SpecialQuest Training Guides and Videos - provide
  resources so participants can share the
  training
• Continuous Improvement - logic model driven
  evaluation process which provides data for
  program improvement, decision-making and
  assessing impact

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Key Themes

• Goal To create change in communities to promote
  the inclusion of infants and toddlers with
  disabilities and their families.
• Themes
• Belonging
• Families as Informed Decision Makers
• Collaboration and Teaming
• Reflection and Continuous Improvement
• Implementation and Sustainability

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SpecialQuests

• Intensive, interactive learning experiences,
  using a sequential, skill-building curriculum,
  spanning 4 days
• Teams from each EHS/MSHS grantee and their
  community partners annually participate in
  regional SpecialQuests over the course of 4 years

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Learning Coaches

• A Learning Coach works with each team during
  SpecialQuests in developing goals
• Learning Coaches provide on-site follow-up to
  support implementation

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SpecialQuest Teams

• Family members of children with disabilities
• Early Intervention Partners
• EHS Administrators
• EHS Disabilities Staff
• EHS teachers or home visitors
• Child care partners
• Head Start partners

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Participants

• Phase I (1998-2002)- SpecialQuest Graduates
• 240 EHS/MSHS programs participated for 4 years
• 50 SpecialQuest Ambassadors
• Phase II (2002-2007) Current Participants
• 263 EHS/MSHS Programs
• All Regional Offices

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Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities

• Infants and toddlers with disabilities are those
  from birth to three years, as identified under
  the Part C Program (Individuals with Disabilities
  Act) in their state.

45 CFR 1304.3(a)(2)
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HSPS 1305.6 (c)

• At least 10 of enrollment opportunities in
  EHS/MSHS programs must be available to infants
  and toddlers with disabilities.

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SpecialQuest
SpecialQuest provides support to participants in
developing the attitudes, knowledge and skills to
welcome and appropriately serve infants and
toddlers with disabilities and their families in
inclusive settings. Participating programs
individualize and support quality services to all
infants and toddlers.
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What weve learned from SpecialQuest Graduates
and Participants

• EHS programs increased the number of children
  with disabilities served
• Programs developed strategies to support family
  advocacy and leadership
• Collaboration between Early Head Start and Early
  Intervention resulted in increased services to
  families.
• Teams shared the training with others in their
  community

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Enrollment of Infants and Toddlers with
Disabilities
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Supporting Families as Informed Decision-Makers
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Implementation Sustainability

• Of the 817 Action Plans developed in SQ II, 73
  were completed or are still in progress.
• Across all of the content strands of
  SpecialQuest, teams report to be moving towards
  fully implementing sustainable practices to
  support high quality services to infants and
  toddlers with disabilities and their families.

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Share the Training Phases I II
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5-Year Action Plans
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Phase I Programs Still Meeting
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Using SpecialQuest Training Guides Videos
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Our Training Model
Materials
Head Heart Hands
SpecialQuest
Continuous Improvement
Learning Coaches
Graduates Ambassadors
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Framework of the Hilton Model
Parallel Process Modeling
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One Piece is not Enough
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Without all of the Pieces the Picture is
Incomplete
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Sustainability

• Clear Direction and Vision
• Administrative Support
• Active Involvement by All
• Reciprocal Community Partnerships
• Time and Practice
• Continuous Improvement

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Sustain The Quest

• What stood out for you as you listened and
  watched?

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Application

• What sustainability strategies did you observe in
  the video that might be useful for you?
• What other sustainability strategies do you use
  in your training/practice?
• Shareback one or two strategies

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Reflections and Planning

• What were the most exciting or innovative ideas
  that you heard today?
• What ideas could you implement when you return to
  your program?
• What supports would you need to implement these
  ideas?

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SpecialQuest Multimedia Training Library
SpecialQuest Multimedia Training Library
Coming Soon November 2006!

• Features
• Award Winning DVDs in English and Spanish
• Facilitators Guide - to learn how to provide
  effective, engaging training
• Facilitators Planning Worksheets
• Facilitators Scripts - to guide the facilitators
  in training
• Handouts in English and Spanish

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SpecialQuest Multimedia Training Library
SpecialQuest Multimedia Training Library
These easy-to-use, interactive materials are
perfect for early care and education
professionals, parents, inclusion specialists,
early interventionists, training and technical
assistance providers, and college or university
faculty. Titles available in the library include
Volume III Collaboration and Teaming
Volume I Including Infants and Toddlers with
Disabilities
Volume II Building Relationships with Families
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For More Information
www.specialquest.org

• Learn About
• SpecialQuest Ambassadors
• Resources and Links
• Evaluation data and relevant articles
• Academic Credit and CEUs
• Training Model
• SpecialQuest Curriculum and Follow-Up
• Family Stories

• Contact
• Hilton/Early Head Start Training Program Staff
• Current SpecialQuest teams (2002-2007)
• SpecialQuest Graduate teams (1998-2002)
• SpecialQuest Ambassadors

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Clear Direction and Vision

• Since our last SpecialQuest training each
  team member has returned to their job with a
  renewed vision in their support of infant and
  toddlers with disabilities and their families.
  Our jobs are such that we are fortunate enough to
  meet again and again and have been able to return
  to our SpecialQuest goals that support this
  vision.

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Administrative Support

• Three years ago a plan was developed to
  transition children. A meeting was held with
  staff from all service areas, including Early
  Head Start and Head Start teachers to discuss any
  issues. Changing the system has been slow. We're
  making positive changes thanks to SpecialQuest.
  Higher level administrators are now more on
  board, and as a result, we are having smoother
  transitions.

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Active Involvement by All

• SpecialQuest has been presented to the
  interagency council, and participation on
  SpecialQuest helped with building relationships
  between all levels of the Early Head Start staff.
  Program staff are working to help therapists and
  direct service staff feel comfortable working in
  natural environments rather than pulling children
  out for services.

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Reciprocal Community Partnerships

• The structure and expectations of
  SpecialQuest provided the opportunity and
  face-to-face time with key partners and our team.
  Now we feel as though we are all on the same
  page. We completed formal agreements in each of
  our seven counties. We started with one draft
  that was adjusted to fit the needs, expectations
  and focus/philosophy of that particular
  partnership. It took conversation, thought and
  more discussion to develop each agreement. An
  important "by product" of the process of
  developing each agreement was the strengthening
  of each of the seven partnerships.

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Time and Practice

• SpecialQuest was the "seed" that has "taken
  root" and is "blossoming". Even though staff
  has changed, our long-term goals are in place and
  we are making progress in achieving them.

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Continuous Improvement

• We maintain quarterly meetings. We review and
  revise the referral process and the
  communications notebook for continued
  improvement. Teachers are a part of the
  evaluation process. It helped to improve
  collaboration.