(a) For the purposes of this section, "staff" means any person who receives compensation to provide services to one or more recipients and includes the person's supervisor. "Staff" does not include a family-directed respite worker.

(b) The Department shall assure that all staff receive pre-service and in-service training consistent with the system of care plan. Family-directed respite staff shall receive pre-service and in-service training at the request of the family at no cost to the family. People with developmental disabilities and their families may participate in the training, including planning and delivery of that training.

(c) The Department shall adopt rules for training standards that ensure that individual support staff understand the philosophy and values that underlie the services and that they acquire the skills necessary to implement the purposes and principles of this subchapter and to address the individual needs of the person or family for whom they provide services.

(d) All staff and all family-directed respite workers shall be trained in the requirements of 33 V.S.A. chapter 69, relating to reports of abuse, neglect, and exploitation of elders or of adults who have a disability, and the requirements of 33 V.S.A. chapter 49, subchapter 2, relating to reports of suspected abuse or neglect of children. (Added 1995, No. 174 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 2013, No. 96 (Adj. Sess.), § 113.)