First Steps® ACP Facilitator Certification

Respecting Choices® First Steps® ACP Facilitator Certification is designed for professionals and healthcare providers (social workers, nurses, health educators, and physicians), clergy, and others involved in providing advance care planning (ACP) facilitation.

First Steps Advance Care Planning Certification Course

All courses will be held in person at:
Sanford 501 Place
501 4th St N
Fargo, ND

Marsha Nygaard and Chelle Lyons Hanson
First and Advanced Steps Instructors

Sanford Health Fargo
Phone 701-234-3757

Purpose

To assist participants in learning effective communication and conversation skills for person-centered ACP facilitation.

Learning Outcomes

At the end of this course, the participant will be able to:

  1. Identify communication skills for facilitating First Steps ACP conversations.
  2. Create strategies to transfer individual goals, values, and preferences to the written plan.
  3. Demonstrate beginning competency in facilitating First Steps ACP conversations through role-play activities.
  4. Become certified as a First Steps ACP Facilitator through final competency role-play demonstration.

Pre-Course Requirements

  1. First Steps ACP Facilitator Online Core Curriculum, modules 1–4*
  2. Personal Engagement Activity: Attempt to have a conversation with a loved one or close friend
  3. Review of Advance Directive document appropriate for your organization/community

* The online component includes interactive courses intended to help you learn basic ACP concepts and to come to the course prepared for a more robust classroom experience. Contact hours for the online prerequisite are available through Respecting Choices. Upon completion of the modules, you will be able to download a contact hour certificate.