ACH has helped institutions across the country establish internal expertise through delivering train-the- trainer programs. Growing programs with local champions as skills trainers provides institutions with renewable ways of supporting internal development and lasting culture change. The phases of the program include: preparing for implementation of the program, having program participants undergo a fundamental communication skills workshop and then understanding the theoretical and practical rationales underlying the workshop, setting up practice sessions for participants to achieve mastery, and ensuring long-term viability of a communication skills improvement initiative. Train-the-trainer programs are a viable way to create enduring communities of local experts who can implement and support institutions’ commitments to excellence in the communication skills of their clinicians.

Our approach tailors our foundational curriculum to fit the local organizational culture, so that internal leaders need not waste time and energy to “start from scratch” or “reinvent the wheel.” We engage in a collaborative process and synergize around other internal programs and initiatives so that our partners can maximize local adoption. Our TTT partners receive permission to co-brand materials so that program reflects their local themes, logos, colors, and more.

Evidence shows that communication skills can be learned when delivered through effective adult learning practices. Trainers develop expertise in the following categories: facilitating skills-based practice sessions in small groups, providing specific and supportive feedback to participants, and fostering improved communication skills among colleagues.