Introducing The Arc’s updated Training Center

The Arc recently opened a new Training and Development Center, all freshly remodeled to increase the number of staff that attend each training, in most cases doubling our class sizes.

The training program has been reconstructed to a 2-week program to start employment with The Arc. Training includes CPR, first aid training, medication administration, PANE (Preventing Abuse and Neglect Agency Competency), defensive driving, and crisis management.

All our staff are employed at The Arc have been trained in some capacity by our Training and Developmental Specialist, Sandra Hanzok. Sandra has been employed by The Arc since 1987, when she was hired as a Day Program Instructor at our now-named Lihn Center. After a year she transferred to our Pennsauken Day Program. In 1988, Sandra was asked to start training new staff, and one class led to another. In 1995, she became the Assistant Supervisor at her day program while continuing to train staff. She joined our Occupational Training Center on a permanent basis in 2022.

Sandra is the reason our trainings are successful. She enjoys teaching and all staff enjoy being taught by her. She is funny, smart and has memorable stories from her many years of experience to share.

“I’d like to see the training department grow so that more trainings become available to our staff in order to provide the highest quality of care for the individuals we support,” Sandra said. “For example, classes in cooking simple meals, basic computer skills, and healthy living could not only broaden their independence, but also it would open the opportunity to create more friendships and build on self-esteem.”