Easterseals MORC

Training Philosophy

Our Central Purpose

Our central purpose in the lives of others is to nurture, teach, and sustain experiences of connectedness, companionship, and community.

Our Beliefs

  • There is hope for all people
  • People deserve to feel emotionally and physically safe
  • People deserve to feel loved
  • All people have unconditional value
  • Individuals thrive “in community” where there is a sense of belonging and meaningful relationship with others
  • Community is not a destination; rather, community is a state of being
  • We have a personal responsibility to act with urgency, focus, and unyielding commitment on our beliefs

Our Philosophy

Educate, empower and mentor is more than a tag line for Easterseals MORC Training. It is the foundation of what we do! We understand the responsibilities involved in being a Direct Support Professional (DSP). We strive to bring to life a learning environment that not only educates, but also empowers the DSP to advocate for those they serve as well as themselves.

Our trainings are designed to be interactive, follow best practices and always focused on the strength of building positive, safe and trusting relationships with those served and their families.  Rather than providing information over a number of weeks and expecting the learner to retain the information, Easterseals MORC believes that learners should have 24/7 access to training material that ensures best practice is followed. This more practical way of accessing best practices leads to better outcomes for all.  What also sets Easterseals MORC Training apart is our expertise in supporting others in a “Culture of Gentleness.”  Easterseals MORC moved out of the medical model approach to people with varying abilities in the mid-1980s with the introduction to Gentle Teaching and one of its founders, Dr. John McGee.  This experience provided the foundation for what has since evolved into our Culture of Gentleness Training Initiatives.   The premise of our movement focuses on improving outcomes by incorporating compassion as an alternative to the reactive and restrictive practices that are commonplace in working with those who present with complex needs many of whom are experiencing, or have experienced, an existence of disconnectedness, fear, trauma, isolation, and loneliness.

This philosophy is at the heart of all of our offerings from the safe delivery of medications to how to respond when challenging interactions arise.  We work frequently with leaders, clinicians, and organizations in learning more about supporting cultural change that can lead to better outcomes. Some of these settings have included hospitals, schools, law enforcement, psychiatric hospitals, homeless shelters, community outreach organizations. We strive to educate all levels within an organization from direct support to executive leadership on the value of creating a Culture of Gentleness.

Our History and Experience

Easterseals MORC Training has been a long time leader in providing high quality, interactive training, built upon best practices in providing care to those receiving behavioral health services and the promising practice of our Culture of Gentleness philosophy. Since our inception in 1982, we’ve trained over 300,000 people and we currently have over 12,000 people attend our training annually.  As the majority of the Easterseals MORC Training Team started in this field providing direct care, we understand the complexity of the role and are honored to provide training to such a vital workforce. We believe that high quality training is the investment you make into the culture of your organization and a direct link to high quality care.

Easterseals MORC was recognized as an international leader of the Deinstitutionalization Movement of the 1970s and 1980s,  and continued this legacy from 2009 – 2014 by being selected by the State of Michigan as the training entity assigned to assist with the closure and transition of Michigan’s last publicly funded institution for people with Intellectual Disabilities.  Easterseals MORC designed and implemented a 5-year transitional training initiative that has positively influenced the system of care throughout Michigan and beyond.  Today, Easterseals MORC Training continues to be on the frontlines on issues facing the behavioral health system.  We are consultants to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services-Direct Care Advisory Group, heading up the “State Training Guidelines Workgroup,”  and also working with the Community Mental Health Association of Michigan, International Gentle Teaching Network, grant initiatives, workgroups, task forces, and committees in an effort to influence how people experience care.