Training and Professional Development

This training was developed by the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services and the Montana Office of Public Instruction. The training video comes from the organization AllergyHome.org LLC. The training reviews the causes of anaphylaxis, early recognition of signs and symptoms of anaphylaxis, instructions on how to administer epinephrine, and the proper protocol to follow in the case of an anaphylaxis emergency. 

The training takes roughly 1.5 - 2 hours to complete and participants earn 1 OPI renewal unit. The course is located on OPI's Teacher Learning Hub and can be accessed with a learning hub account. 

School Staff
The Montana Asthma Control Program and the Montana Office of Public Instruction (OPI) designed the Creating Asthma Friendly Schools training for school staff in 2016. The self-paced course takes roughly 1.5 - 2 hours to complete and is worth 1 OPI renewal unit. The course can be found on the OPI's Teacher Learning Hub. The training is designed to educate participants on the basics of asthma, how to prevent attacks, and how to respond to asthma emergencies. Anyone with a teacher learning hub account can access the training. Learning hub accounts are free to open and can be created in minutes. In-person trainings can be provided to groups upon request by contacting the School Health Program Coordinator, BJ Biskupiak, at wbiskupiak@mt.gov or 406-444-0995.  

Childcare Providers
The Creating Asthma Friendly Childcare training can be accessed on the Montana Asthma Control Program website. The self-paced course takes roughly 1.5 hours to complete and is worth 2 childcare licensing credits. The training is designed to educate participants on the basics of asthma, how to prevent attacks, and how to respond to asthma emergencies. Center directors and staff are all encourage to complete this training. In-person trainings can be provided to groups upon request by contacting the School Health Program Coordinator, BJ Biskupiak, at wbiskupiak@mt.gov or 406-444-0995. 

On April 22, 2013, Governor Bullock signed the Dylan Steigers Protection of Youth Athletes Act into law.  

An athletic trainer, coach, or official shall remove a youth athlete from participation in any organized youth athletic activity at the time the youth exhibits signs, symptoms, or behaviors consistent with a concussion. 

Coaches, athletic trainers and officials are required to take the Concussion in Sports Course prior to contact with student-athletes. Certification is good for a one-year period.

Administrators should also refer to the Sports Medicine Page of the MHSA website for resources and additional information regarding concussions.

Access the course on the National Federation of State High School Associations website. 

Diabetes Care in Your School: Montana OPI - Teacher Learning HUB

Additional Training

The American Diabetes Association’s  Diabetes Care Tasks at School: What Key Personnel Need to Know is a 13-module training curriculum. Each module has a PowerPoint presentation and corresponding video segment.

This curriculum is intended to be used with the National Diabetes Education Program’s free  Helping the Student with Diabetes Succeed: A Guide for School Personnel. If at all possible, this guide should be read prior to training.

The school nurse or diabetes health care professional should use these modules to train non-medical school personnel to perform diabetes care tasks.

These modules focus specifically on how diabetes care should be done in the school setting. In each PowerPoint, there are detailed talking points for the presenter to use. These are accessible in the “notes” view.

The video segments are primarily intended to reinforce the hands-on training of staff who will provide direct care. However, selected segments may also be used at school staff and parent meetings to increase diabetes awareness.

Trainings are provided free of charge upon request from the school or childcare facility. Training options are available for school staff, coaches, and daycare facility employees. The trainings are worth 1 OPI renewal units for school staff and coaches and 2 childcare licensing credits for childcare providers.

Participants will learn:

• General asthma knowledge
• How to identify common asthma triggers
• How to identify signs and symptoms of an asthma episode
• How to help students avoid asthma exacerbations at school
• Steps to take during all stages of an asthma attack

Contact Information: 
BJ Biskupiak, School Health Program Coordinator
wbiskupiak@mt.gov
406-444-0995

Montana Heart Rescue -- CPR in Schools

Montana Heart Rescue is launching a statewide effort to increase the number of Montanans who can perform compression-only CPR.  Compression-only CPR is a vital part of the chain of survival for cardiac arrest victims and has been shown to save lives. Compression-only CPR is ideal for the middle/high school setting. The course can be taught in a single class period with 20-30 students at a time.  Montana Heart Rescue can provide assistance in training school staff to present the course as well as provide all the necessary materials needed to teach the class. These materials include mannequins, DVDs and a class curriculum.

If you have any questions, please contact Mike McNamara: mmcnamara@mt.gov, (406) 444-9170.

Free school staff diabetes trainings can be provided to groups of school staff free of charge. The Diabetes Program with Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Bureau at the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services can coordinate trainings as part of in-service education days. The Diabetes Program has qualified staff that can provide these trainings or they can help schools connect with the Certified Diabetes Educators from their local communities. 

To plan a diabetes training for school staff, contact Marci Butcher, RD, CDE, with the Montana Diabetes Program.