DEEP™ Frequently Asked Questions

DEEP™ is a multi-cultural, bilingual, diabetes self-management education (DSME) curriculum that has shown to successfully helps participants take control of their diabetes and reduce their risk of complications. DEEP™ was developed for low-income, racial, and ethnic minority populations and has been successfully implemented in Latinx, African American, Asian American, non-Hispanic White, and many other populations. The primary goal of DEEP™ is to improve the quality of life for people with diabetes.

Yes. DEEP™ is listed in the ADA Diabetes Support Directory under the “Practice-tested Directory.”

DEEP™ was nationally recognized by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) in its “Everyone with Diabetes Counts (EDC)” initiative. This program was a five (5) year program where CMS contracted with Quality Improvement Networks-Quality Improvement Organizations (QIN-QIO) across the country to provide DEEP™ in almost every state. DEEP™ staff at UIC trained the majority of QIN-QIO staff across the country on DEEP™. The Overall goal of the EDC program was to improve health outcomes and reduce issues of health disparities among people with diabetes.

The cost for a DEEP™ license is $600 for most community-based organizations and is good for five (5) years. It could be a little more for larger organizations. A license grants an organization access to intellectual property owned by the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC). All organizations that want to provide DEEP™ must have a license.

Register for a training session to become a Peer Educator or Lead Trainer. DEEP™ offers periodic trainings on-campus, more information about upcoming trainings can be found here. DEEP™ staff are also available to travel off-site to provide trainings for an additional fee. Our staff is also happy to work with you to find trainers in your area or virtual trainings to meet your needs.

Peer Educator (PE)

1. Must be affiliated with a licensed organization.
2. Be recommended for certification by a Senior Trainer or Lead Trainer
3. Must be certified to use DEEP™ with clients.

Lead Trainer (LT)

1. Must be affiliated with a licensed organization.
2. Be recommended for certification by a Senior Trainer
3. Must be certified to train Peer Educators

Senior Trainer (ST)

1. Must be affiliated with a licensed organization.
2. Have experience as a Lead Trainer in DEEP™, be trained, be observed, and recommended for certification.

Senior Master Trainer (SMT)

1. Must be affiliated with a licensed organization.
2. Have experience as a Senior Trainer in DEEP™, be trained, be observed, and recommended for certification.

1. Peer Educator trainings are 22 hours over three (3) days
2. Lead Trainer trainings are 27 hours over the course of four (4) days
3. If you are already a Peer Educator and wish to “Bride” to a Lead Trainer, the training is six (6) hours

Wherever you like! DEEP™ offers on-site trainings in Chicago and off-site trainings (additional fees apply) nationally and internationally. DEEP™ also works closely with Lead Trainers, Senior Trainers, and Senior Master Trainers nationally who provide in-person and virtual trainings (fees not associated with DEEP™). Our staff is committed to helping you find a training that is right for you.

Peer Educators

1. Understand the impact of diabetes in individual and community lives.
2. Have the knowledge and skills to educate patients in the DEEP™ topics using principles of adult education, role playing and other group activities to maximize the learning experience and to make the learning process more effective and relevant.
3. Be able to describe the different types of diabetes and understand the basic tenets of the disease.
4. Be able to identify diabetes risk factors and strategies to prevent them.
5. Be able to describe and explain how key organs are affected by Type 2 diabetes or medications.
6. Understand the numbers related to blood glucose, lipids, blood pressures, and HbA1c targets.
7. Be able to identify the benefits of glucose monitoring, how to use it and to interpret the findings.
8. Understand how to use food groups and portions to plan healthy meals; to read food labels; and the individual and community challenges in accessing and following a healthy diet.
9. Be able to identify types of physical activity and their benefits, and how to address barriers and challenges to regular physical activity.
10. Be familiar with the different types of medications used for diabetes management, and recommendations in addressing health literacy and cultural issues around medication use.
11. Be able to describe psycho-social issues affecting people with diabetes in the context of their social- cultural realities and social support networks and enhance their self-advocacy skills.
12. Have the knowledge and skills to access community resources, and teach how to work with a diabetes care team

Lead Trainers (in addition to Peer Educators)

1. Understand the importance of recognizing and accepting cultural differences and integrating and addressing cultural and linguistic competencies across all diabetes topics.
2. Have the knowledge and skills to educate Peer Educators in the DEEP™ topics using principles of adult education, role playing and other group activities to maximize the learning experience and to make the learning process more effective and relevant.

Senior Trainers (in addition to Peer Educator & Lead Trainer)

1. Understand the importance of recognizing and accepting cultural differences and integrating and addressing cultural and linguistic competencies across all diabetes topics.
2. Understand the knowledge and skills to educate Lead Trainers and Peer Educators in the DEEP™ topics using principles of adult education, role playing and other group activities to maximize the learning experience and to make the learning process more effective and relevant.

On-site (at UIC), breakfast and lunch and training materials

Printed curriculum ($75) or participants manual ($35), which can be bought from DEEP™ at the time of training or shipped.

Yes! DEEP™ can be taught online. Workshops are authorized by licensed DEEP™ organizations that use secure online platforms such as Zoom and WebEx. DEEP’s™ adult education principles are highly participatory, as such, organizations must maintain participant engagement during remote instruction and not turn to lecture formats (i.e., no PowerPoints!).

Yes. Certification gives individual trainers the ability to teach community participants workshops and/or trainer other facilitators. To teach or train others in DEEP™, a trainer must work for an organization that has a DEEP™ license and have an active certification with DEEP™. However, certifications are given to the individual, this means that once a trainer is certified, they are able to move from organization to organization and continue teaching as long as they have an active certification and the organization, they work for has a DEEP™ license. Initial certifications are valid for three (3) years, but you can recertify for one (1), two (2), or three (3) years after that. Please visit our certification page to learn more.