To create foundational requirements for evaluator certifications, the state of Utah decided to develop a state-wide “Best Practices” training for adult competency evaluations. By standardizing their approach through this kind of training program, they would save both time and money.
Step 1: Evaluate Needs
To put together an effective proposal, the CONCEPT team started collecting relevant data and meeting with the State of Utah’s leadership team in October 2019. Through an iterative consultation process, a specialized curriculum was developed.
Step 2: Develop a Customized Program
The result was a wholly customized, two-day training centered on “Best Practices in Competency Evaluation.” The goal of the training was defined as: changing the way evaluators are currently writing reports, by measuring adherence to a provided template. By developing this kind of structure, the State would be much more empowered to judge and maintain competency amongst all participating evaluators.
Step 3: Seamless Training Experience
The courses were delivered live in Utah in early 2020 and recorded, culminating in a test that, if passed with an 80% or higher, awarded evaluator competency. From there, the recordings were translated into an on-demand training series, allowing the State to scale the program by mandating it for any evaluator who wished to work a contract with the state. CONCEPT developed a training portal for the State of Utah, to house the content in perpetuity.
Step 4: Assess Performance
To judge program success, we use an evaluation that will be sent to all participants once they complete this training program (it’s still in progress, since participants have a year for it). They will be asked a variety of questions, assessing criteria across the board from the quality of the setting to the influence of biases in the presenter’s delivery. Answers are given on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 indicating strong agreement, with open comments supplementing the scored responses.
Step 5: Learnings
As a result of the training program, the State of Utah will be empowered to train up deficient evaluators and eliminate incompetence — while saving time and money.
To ensure continuing success, the leadership team also started requiring potential evaluators to submit two reports for review. That, coupled with the training evaluation created by CONCEPT, will help facilitate broader competence across the board.
Since its inception in 2009, CONCEPT has built a strong reputation by providing high-quality professional training to over 27,000 mental health professionals in 72 countries. With an extensive database of over 50,000 mental health professionals, CONCEPT offers over 1,000 hours of training content in forensic mental health which will be further expanded as it merges content with PAU course offerings. All training programs are based on the latest research and evidence-based practices, which enables participants to incorporate relevant, up-to-date information based on a solid scientific foundation into their practice. In addition to professional training, CONCEPT provides free resources to promote lifelong learning and to allow participants to stay at the top of their practice throughout their careers.
