Getting trained and certified in the NYUCI gives counselors specialized knowledge and skills to serve a growing population of older adults caring for a relative with dementia.
After becoming certified in the NYUCI, counselors will:
- Impact the emotional, physical, and financial aspects of dementia caregiving by helping families in a way that is relevant to their specific family situation.
- Feel confident that the program being provided has strong evidence for effectiveness and is based on nearly 30 years of research.
- Build your personal consulting business or organization’s service offerings with the evidence-based NYUCI.
- Receive referrals (either personally or for your organization) from our online referral directory (the cost of training includes being listed for one year without cost), where families can search by state to find NYUCI-certified counselors.
Lessons Learned in Minnesota
Training of the memory care consultants was the most important component of this translation. To achieve the project outcomes and maintain fidelity to the original research, training the consultants in the NYUCI was designed to be multi-faceted, following these steps:
- Dr. Mittelman provided a presentation about the original research to a large audience at a statewide conference, as well as training for the site staff.
- Clinical training on the delivery of the intervention components was provided by Ms. Epstein in a day and a half onsite session (12 hours) with an informal evening session where the memory care consultants talked in small groups or one-on-one with Ms. Epstein regarding intervention implementation. Dr. Mittelman joined this training by telephone.
- Ms. Epstein provided an additional 8 hours of onsite training one year later, focusing on the core intervention components of assessment, individual sessions, family sessions and ad hoc counseling. In these hands-on sessions, Ms. Epstein presented the NYU experience with spousal caregivers and their families and led discussions with the memory care consultants regarding their current families.
- Ms. Epstein also participated in consultant meetings (via conference call) several times a year, and regularly connected individually with memory care consultants and project staff to discuss individual families and translational issues.
- Minnesota Memory Care Consultants are not family therapists, nor are most of them experts in dementia. To compensate, Minnesota offered additional training in the following areas:
- Family Systems (six hours). Provided by a Family Therapist experienced in working with families with Alzheimer’s disease.
- Disease Progression (eight hours). Provided by a Geriatrician and Neurologist with content focused on how to help the spouse care for the person throughout the disease progression.
- Depression (two hours). Provided by a Family Therapist experienced in working with families with Alzheimer’s disease.
- Understanding and Interpreting the Assessment (four hours). Provided by a Neuropsychologist with content focused on how to use results for care planning and counseling.
At sites where memory care consultants have advanced skills in these areas this additional training may not be needed. Minnesota Memory Care Consultants strongly felt that these sessions enhanced their capacity to work with families and the caregiver.
MN Care Consultant comment: “I really appreciated all the training we received. I liked having a mentor who was a consultant and understood the intervention. I especially appreciated the session about grief and loss from the family therapist.”
Within this grant project, the State of Minnesota has provided multiple training and other opportunities for all of the memory care consultants to have access to physicians and other clinicians or researchers with expertise in Alzheimer’s disease. The original study was conducted at an Alzheimer’s Disease Center, where there were medical and other professionals with whom counselors could consult.
Peer-to-Peer Mentors
The New York experience included a team of counselors at the Center; more seasoned counselors would serve as mentors to the newer counselors and help them to maintain fidelity to the intervention.
The Minnesota project implementation emulated this peer-to-peer component through regular calls with Cynthia Epstein and by organizing the group of five memory care consultants to serve as peers and mentors to each other and brought in expertise through ongoing training. The memory care consultants actively engaged in peer support through regular in-person meetings and conference calls organized by the State, as well as ongoing contact one-on-one between memory care consultants via phone or e-mail. Memory care consultants indicated this was a very important factor in implementing the intervention and a resource upon which they relied extensively throughout the program period.
Reference: A Guide to Implementing the New York University Caregiver Intervention and The Minnesota Experience, Mary Mittelman, DrPH, Cynthia Epstein, LCSW, Deborah Paone, MHSA, Donna Walberg, MBA, Alzheimer’s Disease Support Services Program | November 2010.