Get certified to care — the right way, in Maine
This fully state-aligned 40-hour program walks you through every skill, standard, and scenario Maine DHHS requires — in plain language, at your own pace, so you can step into a PSS role with real confidence.
I want every student to walk into their first day on the job feeling like they truly belong there — confident, prepared, and ready to make a real difference.
— Dr. Clarence Merchant II ThD PhD
What you'll learn
What you'll be able to do
- Demonstrate all core personal care tasks — bathing, dressing, grooming, and mobility assistance — in alignment with Maine DHHS PSS standards
- Identify and properly respond to signs of abuse, neglect, and exploitation as required under Maine's mandatory reporting laws
- Apply infection control and universal precautions protocols to keep both clients and themselves safe in home-based settings
- Communicate effectively with clients, families, and supervising nurses using person-centered, dignity-first language
- Complete accurate service documentation and daily activity logs that meet MaineCare billing and compliance requirements
- Recognize medical emergencies, follow emergency response procedures, and understand their defined scope of practice as a PSS in Maine
How it works
A school that adapts to you
This isn't a set of static videos. Every lesson is generated live and tuned to where you actually are.
We learn your level
A quick placement check tailors your starting point so you're never bored or lost.
Lessons adapt as you go
Each lesson is written for your pace and your goal, adjusting as your skills grow.
Your AI coach keeps you moving
Checkpoints, feedback, and gentle nudges turn progress into a real result.
The curriculum
What's inside your school
6 modules · 28 lessons
The PSS Role in Maine
Establishes who a Personal Support Specialist is, what Maine DHHS authorizes them to do, and the professional standards that govern every shift.
- 1.1The PSS Profession and Maine DHHS StandardsIncluded
- 1.2Scope of Practice and SupervisionIncluded
- 1.3Worker Rights, Responsibilities, and Professional ConductIncluded
- 1.4Introduction to Person-Centered CareIncluded
Communication and Client Relationships
Builds the interpersonal and documentation skills needed to work respectfully with clients, families, and the care team.
- 2.1Person-Centered, Dignity-First CommunicationIncluded
- 2.2Working with Families and the Care TeamIncluded
- 2.3Active Listening and De-escalation BasicsIncluded
- 2.4Service Documentation and Daily Activity LogsIncluded
- 2.5Electronic Visit Verification and ComplianceIncluded
Safety, Infection Control, and Emergency Response
Equips learners with the precautions, home-safety practices, and emergency protocols required for safe in-home care delivery.
- 3.1Standard Precautions and Infection ControlIncluded
- 3.2Home Safety Assessment and Hazard PreventionIncluded
- 3.3Body Mechanics and Safe Client HandlingIncluded
- 3.4Recognizing Medical Emergencies and Calling for HelpIncluded
- 3.5Emergency Response Procedures and PSS LimitsIncluded
Personal Care Skills
Provides hands-on instruction in all core ADL assistance tasks a PSS performs, aligned with Maine DHHS personal care standards.
- 4.1Bathing, Showering, and Skin CareIncluded
- 4.2Grooming, Oral Care, and Hair CareIncluded
- 4.3Dressing, Undressing, and Adaptive ClothingIncluded
- 4.4Mobility Assistance, Transfers, and AmbulationIncluded
- 4.5Toileting, Continence Care, and Catheter AwarenessIncluded
Health Maintenance and Supportive Care
Addresses nutrition, medication awareness, chronic condition basics, and the observation skills that keep clients healthy between nurse visits.
- 5.1Meal Preparation, Nutrition, and Special DietsIncluded
- 5.2Medication Awareness and the PSS RoleIncluded
- 5.3Observing and Reporting Changes in Client ConditionIncluded
- 5.4Supporting Clients with Common Chronic ConditionsIncluded
Abuse Prevention, Mandatory Reporting, and Client Rights
Prepares learners to recognize, respond to, and report abuse, neglect, and exploitation as required under Maine law.
- 6.1Types of Abuse, Neglect, and ExploitationIncluded
- 6.2Maine Mandatory Reporting Laws and Your Duty to ReportIncluded
- 6.3Preventing Abuse as a PSSIncluded
- 6.4Client Rights and Grievance ProceduresIncluded
- 6.5Putting It All Together: Competency Review and Next StepsIncluded
Who it's for
Is this you?
Career changers
Ready to leave a desk job behind and do work that actually matters — this course gives them a clear, structured path into a meaningful new career.
Informal family caregivers
Already caring for an aging parent or relative at home, they're ready to make it official, get trained properly, and open the door to paid PSS work.
First-time healthcare workers
No clinical background, no problem — this program is built from the ground up for people entering the healthcare field for the very first time.
New Mainers seeking employment
Looking for stable, community-based work with real demand, they'll find this course gives them both the credentials and the practical confidence to get hired.
Returning workforce adults
Coming back to work after raising kids or a gap in employment, they need a flexible, self-paced credential that fits real life — this is it.
CNA and HHA hopefuls
Using PSS certification as their first foot in the door of professional caregiving before pursuing additional healthcare credentials down the road.
Questions
Frequently asked
Your teacher
A note from your teacher
Dr. Clarence Merchant II ThD PhD
If you're reading this, there's a good chance you already care deeply about helping people — maybe you've been looking after a family member, thinking about a career change, or you're just ready to turn that natural instinct to help into something real and recognized. I want you to know: you're in exactly the right place.
I also know that "formal training" can sound intimidating, especially if healthcare hasn't been your world before. You might be wondering whether you'll understand the regulations, whether you'll be able to keep up, or whether this is really something you can do. My answer to all of that is: yes, you can — and I designed this course specifically to prove that to you.
Everything in this program is written the way I'd explain it to you face-to-face. We don't hide behind clinical language or make simple things sound complicated. When we talk about Maine DHHS standards, we talk about what they mean in a real home, on a real Tuesday morning, with a real person who's counting on you. We cover personal care skills — bathing, dressing, transfers, continence care — with the kind of practical detail that actually prepares you, not just checks a box. We go through infection control, emergency procedures, and mandatory reporting laws in a way that makes you feel ready, not rattled.
The documentation and compliance pieces — daily activity logs, service notes, Electronic Visit Verification — are things a lot of new PSS workers get anxious about. We take our time with those too, because getting them right protects you, your client, and your employer. You'll finish this course knowing exactly what good documentation looks like and why it matters.
What I want most for every person who goes through this training is simple: I want you to walk into your first day on the job feeling like you belong there. Not because you passed a test, but because you genuinely know what you're doing and why. The people you'll care for deserve a PSS who feels confident — and so do you.
Come on in. Let's get you ready.
— Dr. Clarence Merchant II ThD PhD
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- 6 modules, 28 lessons
- AI-adaptive lessons tuned to your level
- Quizzes & checkpoints to lock in progress
- Your own AI learning coach
- Learn on any device, at your pace
- 30 days of full access