Before you can train employees at your organization in Stride, you will need an in-house Stride trainer. The Stride trainer should be someone who has strong leadership skills, the ability to mentor staff in direct support roles, and the time to dedicate to training. The Stride trainer will be responsible for leading each group of learners through the Stride program.

Every Stride trainer will need to complete the online Train-the-Trainer course, and go through the online content before they can begin training employees.

Once the Stride trainer has received their Trainer Certificate, they can begin registering learners in the Stride portal, and begin supporting learners through Stride.

Every trainer will still need to complete the same online Train-the-Trainer process as new trainers do, even if they were previously a BST Tutor. 

Some of the content will be familiar; however, it is important for them to understand the new format, processes, and information that has been added or changed, as well as the online administrative requirements. Some things that haven’t changed, are: 

• Trainers will continue to support learners and have administrative requirements for the program 
• Modules will continue to be competency-based 
• The hands-on demonstration of knowledge learned will continue to be an integral component of the program 

Learners who previously completed BST do not need to take Stride. 

There are two (2) parts to becoming a Stride trainer:

1. The online Train-the-Trainer course should take approximately four (4) hours to complete.
2. Then the trainer will need to complete the same online Stride content that learners will go through, which should take an additional 30-35 hours to complete. This can be done at the trainer’s own pace.

Trainers will be required to complete the exercises and exams in order to achieve trainer status.

It will take approximately 30-40 hours to complete the requirements to become certified as a Stride trainer.

Once certified, trainers will need to commit:

• Approximately three (3) to five (5) hours for each Step meeting, including preparation time
  • Step meetings are held once every four (4) to six (6) weeks for all seven (7) modules of Stride
• Approximately one (1) hour to complete the Pace requirements with each learner, once every four (4) to six (6) weeks for all seven (7) modules of Stride
  • For example, if a Stride trainer has four (4) learners, it will take approximately four (4) hours to review the Pace requirements for each module

Stride incorporates a variety of online and in-person learning components that are designed to be engaging for different learners and learning styles.

This includes:

• Engaging online content with the option of reading the information, listening to it, or both
• Videos, articles, and links that provide additional information
• Online exams that consist of multiple choice, true or false, and matching questions
• Learner workbooks that each learner can fill in while they follow along with the content
• Exercise books that learners will use to complete assignments and submit to their trainer
• An in-person Step meeting with their learning group at the end of each module, to engage in discussion and complete activities that improve understanding and provide different perspectives on the content
• Each learner will meet one-on-one with their trainer after each module to demonstrate that they are incorporating the skills, knowledge, and attitude that are fundamental to Stride and their role as a direct support professional

The Stride content is only available online. Current trainers will always have access to the entire content, and can return to any of the information at any time.

Learners will only have access to the online content while they are completing Stride. While completing Stride, they can go back in the content at any time to review. Once they have completed Stride, they will no longer have access to the online content.

The Stride content is presented in both text and audio formats, so learners can choose to read the content, listen to it, or do both!  Trainers can also provide as much or as little support as needed to assist learners with understanding exercises and exam questions.

Learners will need to have some basic knowledge of computers and the internet to navigate their email and the Stride content.

Learners can download and print the Learner Workbooks and Exercise Books and complete these on paper.

Exams are only available online.

The trainer can work through the content with learners to help them become more comfortable with the online program.

Each Stride trainer must train one (1) group of learners within their first year as a Stride trainer, and then one group of learners every two (2) years after that. If a trainer does not meet this requirement, their access to the Stride training portal will be suspended and they will be required to take the Stride Train-the-Trainer course again.

Stride is intended to be facilitated in small groups, as group discussion and hearing different perspectives is an important part of the learning experience. We recommend three (3) to six (6) learners in each group.

In this module, learners will gain a broader perspective and understanding of disability by exploring:

• The history and trends in attitudes, beliefs, and services for people experiencing disability
• Human rights and legislation related to disability services
• How organizations provide supports at the provincial and community level, and what service options may be available for people experiencing disability
• How disability is defined and some of the common disabilities and disorders people may experience

Direct support professionals have many important roles in the lives of people they support. In this module, learners will:

• Explore the values and principles that are integral to their role
• Understand the legal and ethical considerations in their role, and how these relate to decision-making, confidentiality, and abuse prevention
• Develop a greater understanding of diversity
• Become familiar with person-centre practice and supported decision-making
• Understand the key roles they may have, and the importance of professionalism, self-care, and personal boundaries

Communication skills are imperative for building relationships and working effectively as a team. In this module learners will focus on:

• Understanding different types of communication
• Recognizing barriers to communication and the importance of effective listening and observation
• Understanding a variety of communication styles
• The importance of documentation and written communication
• Strategies for effective communication and conflict resolution as a team

Direct support professionals support people to experience independence, communicate with others, and build meaningful relationships in their lives. In this module, learners will:

• Develop an understanding of different areas of wellness
• Enhance their understanding of independence and interdependence for the people they support
• Know how to provide person-centred support to encourage independence in meaningful ways
• Learn how to support communication and advocacy skills for the people they support
• Understand the importance of meaningful relationships, and how to support people with developing relationships

Direct support professionals are often responsible for providing personal support in many different activities of daily living. It’s important to understand how to provide support in person-centred ways while ensuring dignity, respect, and safety. In this module learners will:

• Understand the different types of personal care tasks they may be responsible for
• Learn about providing different types of personal care with attention to dignity, respect, and safety
• Understand how to support a person with mobility
• Gain knowledge in health, safety, and emergency preparedness in the workplace

Throughout life, everyone continues to learn and build skills.  Direct support professionals often have a role in assisting people they support to identify goals, learn, and gain new skills.  In this module, learners will:

• Learn about person-centred planning and goal setting
• Explore the different types of skills a person may choose to focus on
• Understand motivation and how they may help motivate others
• Understand the process of skill development and different learning and teaching techniques
• Become familiar with changes people may experience as they age, and how this affects goals and skills

The final module of Stride focuses on the importance of self-care for direct support professionals so they can continue to provide the best supports possible. Learners will explore:

• The importance of self-care
• How to recognize and cope with stress in order to prevent burnout and compassion fatigue
• The importance of professional development
• A review of key concepts to take away from Stride