Becoming a Facilitator

• Commitment: Future facilitators are fully committed to excellence in patient-centered communication. They must also commit to serving as a PEP facilitator for at least one full year.
• Leadership Endorsement: Future facilitators will have the full support of their department chair to participate in this program. The department chair must endorse the future facilitator as a clinically active faculty member who is committed to delivering patient-centered care. The department chair must authorize the faculty member to take the time needed to complete the train-the-trainer program and to prepare for and deliver PEP workshops.
• Clout and credibility: Future facilitators are recognized as people whom organization members listen to because of their track record in making things happen.
• Presentation Skills: Future facilitators demonstrate both competence and confidence as presenters.

• Present didactics in an effective manner that engages the audience
• Demonstrate fundamental skills of relationship-centered care
• Set up, run, and debrief role plays
• Run and debrief skill demonstrations and exercises
• Facilitate small group learning
• Manage time effectively
• Orchestrate the mechanics of workshop training

Are you interested in becoming a certified facilitator for the PEP Program? Complete the interest form to begin the process.

What is the time commitment for becoming a trainer?

The training portion to become a facilitator involves an 8-day commitment.

The first day involves experiencing the workshop that you will ultimately deliver internally to colleagues. The final 2 days involve delivering the workshop to colleagues with co-facilitation and observation by AACH faculty.

In addition to the actual training times, there will be additional time familiarizing yourself to the literature that underlies the training, practicing didactics, and using the fundamental communication skills in your own practice.

Who will I train?

You will train other UM SOM faculty physicians and advanced practice providers.

What will I teach?

You will teach fundamental communication skills that are well supported by evidence to improve patient outcomes, patient experiences of care, clinician well-being, institutional improvement outcomes, and efficiency. By the end of the 8 hour workshop that you will be qualified to deliver, participants will be able to:

• Understand the importance and value of effective communication
• Build rapport and relationships with patients
• Acknowledge communication barriers, with special attention to the electronic health record
• Negotiate an agenda for the encounter
• Recognize patient perspectives and concerns
• Ask questions using skilled open-ended inquiry
• Elicit the patient’s story
• Listen reflectively and respond with empathy
• Collaborate on a plan that the patient can follow

What skills will I learn as I become qualified as a trainer?

• Present didactics in an effective manner that engages the audience
• Demonstrate fundamental skills of relationship-centered care (in large group and during facilitation of small groups)
• Run and debrief the following:
  • demonstrations of each skill
  • reflective listening exercise
  • ice-breaker exercises
  • transitions in and out of small groups
  • end of course wrap-up
• Set up, run, and debrief role plays
• Facilitate small group learning
• Orchestrate the mechanics of workshop training

How long is a facilitator’s commitment to the program?

Most trainers commit to delivering the workshop approximately six times a year. Facilitators are encouraged to continue leading workshops longer than one year.

Keep in mind that these trainings are NOT endless downloads of information. These are highly interactive sessions that use adult learning principles to motivate learners toward their own learning goals.

What are the benefits of becoming a trainer?

• Enhanced patient outcomes
• Enhanced well-being
• Development of a community of local trainers in fundamentals of communication
• Recognition as local experts upon certification
• Ability to co-lead fundamental communication skills in national AACH courses upon approval from your internal leadership and AACH faculty