About Dementia Care Specialists

Dementia Care Specialists (DCS) was founded in 1998 by Kim Warchol, an occupational therapist specializing in aging and dementia care. Kim had a vision of making the world a better place for those living with dementia and their loved ones by helping to create a confident and competent workforce and preparing the organizations with the processes, systems and tools needed to provide person-centered, abilities focused dementia care.

Kim and her team joined the Crisis Prevention Institute in 2009 and we are proud to be a division of the Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI). Worldwide, CPI has hundreds of employees, over 40,000 CPI Certified Instructors, and 15 million CPI trained professionals.

Our highly experienced and passionate DCS training and consulting team is made up of health care professionals, many from the field of occupational therapy, who have expertise in person-centered care, dementia care, de-escalation, and aging. We are excited to partner with you to develop the confidence and competence to provide quality assessment, treatment, and care to those living with dementia.

Upon successful completion of Dementia Capable Care (DCC) training programs, you will receive a Certificate of Completion documenting the Contact Hours earned. Additionally, CEUs may be available based upon the training program taken and whether or not the training was provided by a CPI Global Professional Instructor or a Dementia Capable Care Certified Instructor. For more information on specific pre-approved Continuing Education and Training Boards, visit our Continuing Education Information page.

Yes. Your learners can earn IACET CEUs for completing the online learning modules, (Found in the stand alone DCC: Online Learning Modules and as the first part of the Dementia Capable Care full program blended delivery training). To receive CEUs for any components of the training led by the Certified Instructor, the Certified Instructor would need to apply to relevant Board(s) for their learners. To learn more about applying for CEU approval for learners a Dementia Capable Care Certified Instructor can log in to My Account.

This credential can be earned by any health care professional or others working in healthcare. (NOTE: If you would like more information about offering training to family members or loved ones, please contact us).

The Dementia Capable Care Specialist Credential can be earned in one of two ways:

  • Your training was taken from a Dementia Capable Care Certified Instructor: You successfully complete and pass the Dementia Capable Care training program (approximately 7 hours of training) delivered by a Dementia Capable Care Certified Instructor (DCC-CI).
  • Your training was taken directly from a Global Professional Instructor (GPI) who is an Employee of Dementia Care Specialists at CPI: You register for, and successfully complete and pass either the (a) Dementia Capable Care 2nd Edition Certified Instructor Training or (b) the Dementia Capable Care Specialist Credential Training program delivered directly by a DCS Global Professional Instructor. Additionally, individuals who successfully complete one or both of these trainings, as provided directly by a GPI, will receive a Verified Digital Credential issued by Dementia Care Specialists at CPI. See more about the Dementia Capable Care Specialist Verified Digital Credential below.

The Dementia Capable Care Specialist Verified Digital Credential and badge can be earned in one of two ways:

  • You register for, successfully complete and pass, the Dementia Capable Care Specialist Credential training program (approximately 8 hours of training). This training program is delivered directly by a DCS Global Professional Instructor and is designed for practitioners seeking further training and credentials to advance their professional development.
  • You register for, and successfully complete and pass, the Dementia Capable Care - Certified Instructor Training (approximately 10 hours of training). This training program is delivered directly by a DCS Global Professional Instructor. It is designed for those who wish to receive specialized training and the DCC Specialist Credential and want to train others in Dementia Capable Care.

Having the Dementia Capable Care Specialist Credential means that you:

  • Are formally recognized to apply Dementia Capable Care training knowledge and skills within your organization.
  • Are established as a professional who values comprehensive learning and enhancing your expertise in dementia care.
  • Are committed to delivering person-centered ability-based care for those living with dementia and are devoted to helping individuals living with dementia and their loved ones to thrive.

Having the Verified Digital Dementia Capable Care Specialist Credential and Badge means that you:

  • Have received your training from a Dementia Care Specialists Global Professional Instructor employed by CPI.
  • Gain official recognition of your credential and digital badge that you can share with others in many ways, including your listing on a talent registry.
  • Establish yourself as a Dementia Capable Care Specialist – a passionate expert and leader in the field.
  • Demonstrate your commitment to delivering person-centered ability-based care and develop and implement care approaches and/or goals to support persons at all stages of dementia.
  • You are devoted to helping all individuals living with dementia and their care partners to thrive.

No. There is no additional fee to receive the earned credential. It is a recognition and reward for successful completion of the training in accordance with the training program criteria.

If you have earned your Dementia Capable Care Specialist Credential, (DCCS) from successfully completing a training taught by a Dementia Care Specialists Global Professional Instructor(s), your DCCS verified digital credential and badge is valid for 2 years.

If you have earned your Dementia Capable Care Specialist Credential, (DCCS) from successfully completing a training taught by a Dementia Capable Care – Certified Instructor, the instructor will indicate on your credential card the amount of time the credential is valid.

Best practice guidelines are that Certified Instructors require annual training to maintain this credential, however, your Certified Instructor may extend this to every two years. To renew, learners must re-take the Dementia Capable Care training with a new participant workbook.

Note: Certified Instructors will earn their DCCS credential with their certification renewal which occurs every 2 years.

Yes, this is an option in some cases, please reach out to DCSsolutions@crisisprevention.com, to request more information about this option.

We utilize Zoom for our live virtual training sessions. Please visit ZOOM support to learn more about the platform and how to join. You can even learn how to join a test meeting to ensure your device it working properly prior to your training day. Testing your device will ensure the best training experience.

For the best experience we recommend everyone have their own computer and participate in different rooms. Having your own device is important as it allows each participant to respond to the polls, chat and participate in group breakout activities as an individual. Participating in separate rooms will avoid feedback from computer microphones and speakers which can still occur even if one or both of you are muted. If you have questions or concerns, please contact us prior to your training for options.

YES. If you are interested in an in-person or virtual training for your organization, please contact us to discuss pricing, options, and dates available to best suit your organization’s needs.

We offer verified digital credentials and badges through our partner, Credly. A digital badge verifies necessary certifications or skills in real-time. This lets those who click on the badge link know exactly what the badge is, how long you have had the badge, if it is still active, and what you did to earn the badge. Adding a badge to a mobile wallet makes it easy to access and share credentials wherever you need to show them. You can also add the verified digital image and link to your signature line, on social media platforms such as LinkedIn, and/or include them on your digital resume. If you are interested in setting yourself apart in your field or market yourself, consider opting-in to be included on our talent directory. You can control what you share publicly, such as: your name, title, your profile, a contact link, and/or the state in which you practice. All of this is managed through your settings in your account. See how to edit your settings here.

Credly platform hosts the largest and most-connected digital credential network. They are an end-to-end solution for issuing and managing digital credentials. DCS at CPI has partnered with Credly as they are recognized as a credible organization providing digital credentials to individuals, worldwide.

There is no fee to badge earners. This is a service DCS at CPI provides to our partners as a recognition of your dedication to helping us to create a dementia capable workforce and society. We appreciate you.

Once successfully completing all the training and requirements (in the case of the Dementia Capable Care Workforce Leader recognition an organization will also need to submit an application for approval) you'll receive an email from Credly notifying you of the new, earned digital credential and badge. The email will come from admin@yourclaim.com, so be sure to add it to your email contacts list to avoid sending your notification to a spam folder. Additionally, you can watch this Credly video showing how to accept and share your badge create. If you need more assistance do not hesitate to contact us.

Log into your Credly account and select the earned badge you'd like to share. Click the share button. Then click the download icon. Select small image. Next, click the URL icon and copy it to your clipboard. Once you have completed that step check out this step by step direction article provided by Credly for Outlook or G-mail e-mail types. If you need more assistance do not hesitate to contact us.

Not necessarily. Your team can be trained in ANY Dementia Capable Care Training (offered by Dementia Care Specialists at CPI) in a variety of ways and according to your established and approved policy and procedure related to Dementia Capable Care training plan. Learn more about the DCC-WL badge on our solutions page or contact us.

Yes, in addition to our training programs we offer many solutions such as: Products, Implementation Solutions, Supportive Environment Solutions, and Custom Consultation Services. Please visit our solutions page to learn more or contact us to request more information.

I Want To Be Part of the Solution!

I Want To Help Create A Dementia Capable Society

Are you ready to expand your impact? Let’s work together to determine the best solution to make it happen!

Tell Me More!

Learn how our solutions can benefit you or
your organization

Required
Required
Required