The CHART curriculum

DSPs learn the AcuityCare mission, the CES Waiver authority, the HCBS Settings Rule, the PASSE model, the NADSP Code of Ethics, and the four CHART credential levels — the operational floor of all future modules.

Covers federal HIPAA, what counts as Protected Health Information, the minimum necessary rule, social media policy, and Arkansas state confidentiality laws beyond HIPAA.

Arkansas Child and Adult Maltreatment Acts, mandated reporter obligations, the 18 reportable incident types under the 1915(c) Waiver, and AcuityCare's zero-retaliation policy.

All forms of abuse, neglect, and exploitation in IDD care — warning signs, IDD-specific vulnerability factors, professional boundary violations, and AcuityCare's zero-tolerance policy.

CES §601 beneficiary rights, the history of IDD services, the Olmstead Decision, person-first language, and the principle of dignity of risk in daily DSP practice.

SAMHSA's six principles of trauma-informed care applied to IDD support — distinguishing trauma responses from behavioral challenges, trauma-informed communication, and secondary traumatic stress prevention. Try the full lesson →

Introduction to Behavior Plan Implementation Protocols (BPIPs), antecedent-behavior-consequence analysis, function of behavior, and evidence-based verbal de-escalation techniques.

Aspiration, bowel obstruction, dehydration, seizures, and sepsis — the five preventable causes of death in IDD populations. Recognition, prevention, and required response sequence.

CDC standard precautions adapted for CES Waiver home settings — hand hygiene, PPE, bloodborne pathogens, and outbreak escalation in shared living.

Crisis sequencing — environmental, verbal, and team response. Elopement prevention, search protocols, and 911 coordination in community settings.

Last-resort intervention only. Approved Arkansas techniques, documentation, post-incident debrief, and the prohibition on chemical and prone restraint.

The AR Nurse Practice Act boundary — what a DSP may and may not do. Self-administration assistance, MAR reading, side effect observation, and PRN protocols.

Adult and pediatric CPR, AED operation, choking response, and standard first aid — delivered by an American Red Cross Instructor with individual skills sign-off.

CES §303(b) requires beneficiary-specific orientation before unsupervised contact. DSPs are walked through each consumer's PCSP, BPIP, health history, and communication system.

Person-Centered Service Plans in practice — discovery process, MAPS/PATH, and how the DSP turns plan goals into Tuesday-afternoon decisions.

Electronic Visit Verification — the 21st Century Cures Act requirement applied to CES Waiver. DSP documentation that survives audit.

The eight HCBS Supportive Living Domains — what real integration looks like beyond a billable outing.

SBAR communication, baseline-vs-change observation, and the consumer-specific clinical escalation chain.

Advanced medication observation — common IDD-relevant drug classes (antipsychotics, anticonvulsants, GI), side effects, and interaction red flags.

From reading a BPIP (L1) to implementing one. Fidelity, data collection, and feedback loops with the QDDP.

Annual CPR / First Aid renewal — required of every active DSP and signed off individually by the RN instructor.

L3 DSPs become AcuityCare peer mentors — shadowing structure, feedback frameworks, and the AcuityCare 30-60-90 onboarding model.

DSPs contribute to BPIP development with the QDDP — turning observation data into intervention strategies.

Hospital, ER, and post-acute transitions for IDD consumers — DSP role, advocate behaviors, and discharge documentation.

The DSP audit lens — how to review your own documentation, EVV, and BPIP fidelity before a state surveyor does.

A practical preview of L4 — what AR-CNHS asks of you, what it costs, what it pays, and how to know whether the clinical track is yours.

Annual CPR/First Aid renewal at the L3 milestone — same standard, same instructor.

Arkansas state CNA curriculum foundations — the role of the nurse aide, communication with the licensed nurse, and resident-centered care.

Gait belts, mechanical lifts, two-person transfers, and the body mechanics that keep DSPs working for the next ten years.

Bathing, dressing, grooming, oral care, and toileting — dignified ADL support for adults with complex needs.

Temperature, pulse, respiration, blood pressure, and SpO₂ — accurate technique and what each reading triggers.

Special diets, thickened liquids, aspiration prevention at the table, and how to escalate intake concerns.

Pressure injury staging, repositioning schedules, skin assessment, and reporting standards for the licensed nurse.

Continence support, catheter awareness (HSS scope), bowel programs, and the IDD-specific risk of constipation cascades.

Bloodborne pathogens, OSHA standards, isolation precautions, and outbreak response in a clinical-adjacent setting.

State-mandated supervised clinical hours required for CNA certification — completed in an approved AcuityCare placement under the RN.

Reading and contributing to a Nursing Care Plan — how the HSS lives in the clinical record alongside the PCSP.

Advanced seizure response — typing, timing, post-ictal observation, status epilepticus, and the HSS role in rescue protocols.

The capstone — 40 hours of supervised AcuityCare HSS fieldwork. Direct RN observation, skill sign-off, and graduation to autonomous HSS practice.

Arkansas-specific nurse delegation rules — what an RN may delegate to an HSS, written delegation documentation, and the five-rights checklist.

CPR/First Aid renewal at the AR-CNHS milestone — annual renewal continues for the life of the credential.