The National Center for START Services® is updating the START Coordinator Curriculum for 2025. The START Coordinator Curriculum was developed to ensure that START team members are equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to be effective specialists in the mental health aspects of IDD.
This is our first full, comprehensive overhaul of the curriculum in the history of the center. We are excited to share both updated content and a new learning platform. The goal remains the same: to establish an understanding of our mission, values, guiding principles, and approaches, including how these guide daily practice.
The START Coordinator Curriculum includes:
Coordinator Training Group (CTG)
Coordinator Training Groups (CTGs) are synchronous (live and interactive) online learning forums facilitated by NCSS staff that are designed to deepen a Coordinator’s understanding and application of the content presented in the Coordinator Course. CTGs meet virtually via Zoom once a week. The CTG schedule corresponds with the Coordinator Certification Course.
Coordinator Certification Course
This online course consists of recorded trainings and reading assignments that provide in-depth training on the mental health aspects of intellectual and developmental disabilities and the START model, including overviews of the specific assessments, tools, and approaches utilized by START Coordinators. The curriculum was developed by the National Center for START Services® which includes people with the lived experience of IDD-MH and their families, University of New Hampshire (UNH) faculty, and START network partners from across the country.
What is Changing and Why
Important Links
Available through June 2025:
- 2024 START Coordinator Course
- 2024 START Online Resource Area
- SIRS Resource Area
- START Telehealth Study Resource Area
- START Therapeutic Coaching Course
- Resource Center Supports Course
What's Next
1. Ensure Communications Are Received
Coordinate with your employer’s IT department to add notifications@instructure.com to the list of safe senders.
2. Set a Completion Goal
NCSS recommends that all active START team members complete the new course content by June 2025. See the below FAQ’s for more information.
3. Select a Review Approach
Facilitated by NCSS: Enroll as an Auditor in a CTG Cohort
- Team members can enroll as auditors in an upcoming Coordinator Training Group cohort.
- Auditors have no attendance or final presentation requirements.
- NCSS facilitators will guide auditors through the new material.
- Email ncss.training.iod@unh.edu and request to enroll as an auditor.
Facilitated by START Program Clinical Director: Review Content as a Team
- Clinical directors can assign content for weekly team review.
- Use the NCSS review guide to facilitate discussions and team debriefs.
Facilitated by START Clinical Team Leads: Independent Content Review
- Each team member reviews the content independently.
- Clinical Team Leads or START team leadership can create individualized review plans with each team member to support completion.
Create your own journey
- START programs are welcome to develop an alternative process that works best for them.
- Feel free to reach out to NCSS project facilitator or the NCSS training department with any questions. We are here to support you.
Frequently Asked Questions
On January 10, 2025, active START team members will receive an invitation from Canvas to log in.
- Check your email (or Spam/Junk Folder) for the course invitation. The sender of the email will be Extended UNH (notifications@instructure.com).
- Click on the blue “Get Started” button from the email. See screenshot below.
- Enter your email address (if not automatically entered).
- Enter a password that you wish to use.
- Click the Register button.
- You will find your course listed on your dashboard under the “Published Courses” section.
- Click on the dashboard course tile to enter.
- To login to the course site again, visit https://mycourses.usnh.edu/login/canvas.
Please Note: the course will not be live until your series is scheduled to begin.
You will need to view all the new curriculum over time. Your team should ensure there is a procedure to have all coordinators who are certified review the new content prior to your certification renewal. Please work with your supervisor to allow time in your schedule to complete the new trainings.
You will continue your course in Moodlerooms until the end. Following the end of your course, you should work with your supervisor and team to watch the new content in canvas.
You should review all new course content before applying for certification. If you or your team require you to be certified before you are able to review all the new course materials, please have your supervisor contact the NCSS training department: sara.stanton@unh.edu
Information will be sent out in the same manner it is now. Following your completion of their staff change form, they will get invited to canvas for the course materials and get enrolled in a CTG course.
Staff hired between January – June will also receive credentials for Moodlerooms so they can access any materials located in Moodlerooms.
All materials will be moved into canvas by the end of June 2025.
Prior to your initial certification application or certification renewal, you will need to watch all the new content in canvas. Your team will make a plan to ensure the team has the ability to watch this content and benefit from its changes.
If you or your team require you to be certified before you are able to review all the new course materials, please have your supervisor contact the NCSS training department: sara.stanton@unh.edu
Congratulations! Prior to certification renewal, you will need to watch all the new content in canvas.
NCSS recommends that all active START team members complete the new course content by June 2025.
Prior to your certification renewal, you will need to watch all the new content in canvas. Your team will make a plan to ensure the team has the ability to watch this content and benefit from its changes.
If you or your team require you to be certified before you are able to review all the new course materials, please have your supervisor contact the NCSS training department: sara.stanton@unh.edu
That’s great! We are excited your team is doing this as a group. In order to confirm that you’ve reviewed all the videos from the course, please complete the “weekly survey” at the end of each week once you’ve watched all the videos in that week.
Contact sara.stanton@unh.edu and alyse.scura-mohammed@unh.edu with specific questions
