Trainings

Empowerment and Civic Engagement Training

NHCOA centers its work around the idea of developing leadership through empowerment and civic engagement. Many Hispanics were born in countries or have families in countries that do not have strong democratic traditions. Reminding Latinos that they have the right and responsibility to vote is a key component to developing their level of civic engagement. Culturally and linguistically competent efforts designed to remind eligible Hispanics to register to vote and then go to the polls increases their voter turnout.

The Empowerment and Civic Engagement Training (ECET) demystifies the public policy advocacy process. ECET consists of exercises that allow Hispanic older adults to discuss and practice advocacy techniques, as well as learn how to select issues for which to advocate. On the second day of ECET, participants work together to address a policy issue in their communities and propose a plan on how they will advocate to change it. Since the ECET program started, NHCOA has training more than 1,000 grassroots and community leaders across the country.

Caregiving Leadership Training

In 2019, NHCOA developed and launched its Caregiving Leadership training: Caring for the Caregiver. The Caregiving training is a 2-day academy with an optional third day where participants can obtain certifications in CPR, First Aid and AED. This training was developed based on the feedback gathered from our 2018 Thought Leaders Roundtables and our annual caregiving surveys. During these events, we identified the elements necessary for our strategy on how to effectively support Latino family caregivers. Since 2019, NHCOA has trained more than 100 Hispanic family caregivers in Los Angeles, California, Miami, Florida, Silver Spring, Maryland and San Salvador, El Salvador

Day one of this training focuses on “Accepting Oneself as a Caregiver” and “Becoming a Better Caregiver”. During this day, participants will learn about the following topics:

  • Accepting the role of caregiver
  • Understanding your values as a caregiver
  • Self-care (mental and physical)
  • Accessing and identifying caregiving tools and resources
  • Chronic care management
  • Stress management techniques
  • Pathways to effective communication
  • Nutrition Education

 

Day 2 focuses on caregiver empowerment and inviting experts in the caregiving area. Caregivers will learn about key federal legislation affecting them in their roles, including:

  • The CARE (Caregiver, Advise, Record, Enable) Act
  • The RAISE (Recognize, Assist, Include, Support and Engage) Family Caregivers Act
  • The FAMILY (Family and Medical Insurance Leave) Act
  • The National Family Caregiver Support Program

This program aims to increase education and training for Latino caregivers and increase cultural competence among health professionals.