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• Relaxation and Introspection Techniques

  • When
    07/30/2024
  •  
    10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
  • Location
    Zoom Webinar
  • Spaces left
    41
  • Registered
    9 registrants

  Register

  We all know that too much stress is a bad thing and most of us would like to manage it better, but when we step into the chaos of our daily lives, the quiet voice of serenity in our heads gets a lot harder to listen to. Brain research shows how stress impacts a wide range of cognitive functions. Our clients have additional challenges that make it difficult for them to implement the changes we are helping them to develop. In addition, working with people in need can lead to secondary trauma and burnout. 

  This workshop offers strategies and tools for your survival kit that you can put into practice so they don’t require much thought or effort when they are really needed. You can also share these techniques with your clients to help them develop more resilience to the stress and trauma in their lives.

  Concepts in this workshop are based on research and methods from authors such as Jon Kabat-Zinn (Full Catastrophe Living) Martin Seligman (Flourish), Rick Hanson (Hardwiring Happiness), Daniel Siegel (Mindsight) and Herbert Benson (The Relaxation Response) as well as methods developed over years of personal and professional practice.

  ______
  

  Topics include:
  

  • Awareness: Internal and External

  • Breathing Check-ins and Other Fundamentals

  • Triggering the Relaxation Response

  • What Neuroscience has to say about Stress and Relaxation

  • Enhancing and Extending Positive Experiences

  • Environmental Prep: Feng Shui if it Feels Good

  • Explore Your Senses

  • Honor What Hurts

  • Declutter Your Destressing

  • Establishing New Routines

  • Sharing the Wealth: Who Brings You Joy?

  Participants will learn and practice breathing techniques, imagery, movement, body scans, focusing techniques and methods for designing a calming environment for themselves and their clients. Participants will leave with personalized techniques they can practice in their daily lives and incorporate into their professional practice, Click below to see a 3-minute clip from Joanne McLain presenting a mindfulness technique. 

  Two-Minute Meditation with Joanne.mp4

  
  

  ________________

  Presenter Joanne McLain is a counselor, coach, curriculum designer and writer. She has over thirty years of experience working with people to help them gain skills to create the life they want to live. You can find out more about Joanne HERE.

  Eligible for 1.5 hours Certificate of Completion.

  Show details
• Motivational Interviewing August 6,8,13,15

  • Start
    08/06/2024
  •  
  • End
    08/15/2024
  •  
  • Schedule
    4 sessions
  • Location
    Zoom webinar
  • Spaces left
    0
  • Registered
    32 registrants

  Join waitlist

  This evidence-based approach has consistently shown positive outcomes in dealing with resistance and defensiveness. Motivational Interviewing is a collaborative conversation style for strengthening a person's own motivation and commitment to change. It has been successfully used with populations where resistance is prevalent, including adults and adolescents who deal with legal problems, substance abuse and mental health issues. 

  Motivational Interviewing provides a “tool box” of techniques and strategies which will help you to be more effective in working with clients who bring a wide range of challenges. This is a four-day online training with a four-hour session each day. A broadband Internet connection and working webcam are required for participation.

   Attendees will: 

  • Understand the basic principles and skills of Motivational Interviewing

  • Experience a collaborative versus an authoritarian communication style and see how you can effectively decrease defensiveness in clients​;​

  • Learn and practice resistance skills​;

  • Learn and practice directive skills that help move a client towards positive behavior change​;​

  • Be able to elicit commitment language from a client that is correlated to positive outcomes​;​

  • Explore proven implementation strategies that help improve your Motivational Interviewing skills in the field​.

  _____
  

  Presenter: Avani G. Dilger, MEd, MA, LPC, BC-DMT, CAS 
  Avani specializes in substance abuse prevention and treatment with adults, teens and their families. She is the founder and director of the “Natural Highs – Healthy Alternatives to Drugs & Alcohol” nonprofit program. Avani has been training professionals in in Motivational Interviewing and other evidence-based practices worldwide for over 20 years. Find out more about Avani HERE.

  Eligible for 16 hours Certificate of Completion

  Show details
• MI for Supervisors & Champions - August 20 & 22

  • Start
    08/20/2024
  •  
  • End
    08/22/2024
  •  
  • Schedule
    2 sessions
  • Location
    Zoom Webinar
  • Spaces left
    16
  • Registered
    15 registrants

  Register

  

  Motivational Interviewing provides a “tool box” of techniques and strategies which will help you to be more effective in working with clients who bring a wide range of challenges. This one-day advanced Motivational Interviewing Training is the next step for teams who are serious about an evidence-based implementation of Motivational Interviewing skills. The development and maintenance of MI skills is a challenge for front-line workers. Participating in the workshops is a great start but ongoing feedback and mentoring are needed in order for most workers to use MI skillfully. This workshop can help enhance both supervisor MI skills and the quality and nature of the mentoring process. It’s a win-win for clients and agency staff alike.
  This advanced MI training is only for those who have already taken the Motivational Interviewing Basic Two-Day training series. The training builds on the two-day MI Skills Training and teaches supervisors and professionals who are passionate about MI how to keep the practice of MI alive within their teams. If you have not undergone the MI Basic Series, please register for that course instead of this one; we conduct MI Basic regularly.

  Participants will leave with an understanding of:
  • the research-based building-blocks of a successful MI implementation
  • MI coaching skills
  • how to facilitate MI practice sessions
  • a manual with tailored MI exercises to build & sustain their team’s MI skills

  _________

  

  Presenter: Avani G. Dilger, MEd, MA, LPC, BC-DMT, CAS 
  Avani specializes in substance abuse prevention and treatment with adults, teens and their families. She is the founder and director of the “Natural Highs – Healthy Alternatives to Drugs & Alcohol” nonprofit program. Avani has been training professionals in in Motivational Interviewing and other evidence-based practices worldwide for over 20 years. Find out more about Avani HERE.

  ________

  Eligible for 8 hours Certificate of Completion

  Show details
• Mandatory Reporting and Child/Elder Abuse

  • When
    08/26/2024
  •  
    10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
  • Location
    Zoom Webinar
  • Spaces left
    41
  • Registered
    9 registrants

  Register

  Human service providers, therapists and many other professionals are mandatory reporters. This presentation will provide an overview of mandatory reporting, and go into detail regarding concerns about child abuse and neglect, as well as the abuse, neglect, and exploitation of at-risk elders and adults. This workshop will also include information about emergency procedures and mandates that lead to breaking confidentiality to report individuals who express a serious threat to themselves, others, or target entities.

  Objectives:

  • Participants will be able to define mandatory reporting, and have additional understanding of who is required to report and what situations must be reported.
  • Participants will have an understanding of the Colorado Revised Statutes that are relevant to reporting child abuse and neglect, as well as abuse, neglect, and exploitation of at-risk elders and adults. An understanding of Colorado Revised Statutes that are relevant to danger to self or others and grave disability, as well as duty to warn.
  • Participants will be able to define physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, caretaker neglect, and exploitation, and be able to identify signs of each.
  • Participants will have an understanding of the consequences of failure to report.
  • There will be several case presentations, during which participants will apply their new knowledge about mandatory reporting to particular cases, utilizing a discussion format.  

  Presenter: Ashley Charbonneau, LCSW, LAC

  I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Licensed Addiction Counselor, and Colorado Sex Offender Management Board (SOMB) Full Operating Treatment Provider and Evaluator. I started Enso Counseling in 2016. I specialize in providing individual therapy to address substance abuse, healthy relationships, unhealthy sexual behavior, and trauma. Read more about Ashley HERE.

  Eligible for 3 hours Certificate of Completion

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• Working with System-Involved Youth

  • When
    09/05/2024
  •  
    10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
  • Location
    Zoom webinar
  • Registered
    8 registrants

  Register

  Colorado, like all states, faces complex challenges in addressing juvenile justice. With the number of youth arrests rising steadily, it's imperative for professionals working in juvenile justice to have a comprehensive understanding of the trends, dynamics, and best practices in this field. This training aims to equip participants with the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively engage with juvenile justice-involved youth in Colorado.

  Key Trends and Statistics: According to the Common Sense Institute, Colorado witnessed an alarming 27% increase in youth arrests in 2023 compared to 2021, totaling 8,578 arrests. While juvenile crime rates have generally declined over the past 15 years, there's a concerning rise in violent offenses. Notably, crimes against persons, including murder (210% increase), aggravated assault (17% increase), and robbery (12.3% increase), have seen worrisome spikes.

  National Context: Colorado's juvenile crime trends mirror national patterns. Delinquency case rates per 1,000 youth have fluctuated over the years, with significant increases in the mid-1990s followed by substantial declines by 2021. Notably, while male delinquency rates peaked in 1995 and then plummeted by 80% by 2021, female rates peaked slightly later in 1997, with a subsequent 76% decline. Despite improvements, there remains a disparity between male and female delinquency rates.

  Training Objectives:

  1. Understanding Juvenile Justice Trends: Gain insights into the evolving landscape of juvenile crime in Colorado, including recent trends, and contributing factors.
  2. Effective Intervention Strategies: Understand the “why” and explore approaches for intervening with youth, and utilizing community-based alternatives to incarceration.
  3. Empowerment and Strengths-Based Approaches: Learn strategies for empowering girls to recognize their strengths, resilience, and capacity for positive change, fostering a sense of agency and self-worth. Recognize the importance of intersectionality and cultural competency in addressing the diverse needs of girls from various racial, ethnic, cultural, and LGBTQ+ backgrounds.
  4. Community Framework for Systems Change: The Community Framework for Systems Change model provides a roadmap for deepening justice reform work in communities. Utilizing this model will provide participants a better understanding of youth needs and the system changes required. This change model is recognized nationally as a model for system reform, and helping to guide community-led strategic plans.
  5. Collaborative Partnerships: Learn to foster collaborative partnerships with key stakeholders, including law enforcement agencies, schools, community organizations, and mental health providers, to support comprehensive and coordinated responses to juvenile delinquency.
  6. Healing Centered Community Engagement: Learn to go beyond a trauma informed lens to Healing Centered Engagement which will help communities respond to trauma among justice- involved youth, with an emphasis on creating safe and supportive environments that see healing beyond the individual.

  Conclusion: By equipping participants with a deeper understanding of juvenile justice trends, interventions, and understanding, this training seeks to empower professionals to make meaningful contributions to the rehabilitation and reintegration of juvenile offenders in Colorado. Together, we can work towards a more just and equitable juvenile justice system that prioritizes the well-being and future success of our youth.

  Presenter: Dr. Vicky Basra, DSW

  

  Dr. Basra is President and CEO of the Delores Barr Weaver Policy Center, whose mission is to advance the rights of girls and elevate justice reform, gender equity, and system accountability through research-based community solutions, and bold policy – all with a girl-centered approach. She has extensive experience meeting needs of communities through the development of innovative programs and community engagement models. Vicky has previously been the Director of Family Preservation at Family Support Services of Northeast Florida (FSS) and the Director of Project Safe at Vanderbilt University. In March 0f 2013, she joined the Policy Center, from FSS, where she managed a team of ten direct reports and extended team of 30 staff. As a managing entity, the role included supervising in-house programs and external contracts with six local nonprofits. Vicky previously served as Senior Vice President for the Policy Center, responsible for the growth of the Continuity of Care Model, and implementing the Open Doors Model Program on the First Coast working closely with Voices for Florida. She is a recognized and accomplished non-profit executive with more than 20 years of experience in the vast array of non-profit leadership roles. Vicky has developed multiple programs including the first advocacy program to provide services victims/survivors of intimate violence, sexual assault and stalking on Vanderbilt University’s Campus. A passionate advocate for gender equality, and girls’ rights, Vicky is a sought-after trainer, thought leader, and architect of change. She has contributed to a number of research studies analyzing the impact of trauma on girls and young women and is a frequent contributor to news media on issues related to commercial sexual exploitation, diversity and women’s leadership and the impact of trauma on girls and young women. Vicky holds a Masters of Social Work and a Doctorate of Social Work from the University of Tennessee.

  Eligible for 3-Hours certificate of completion

  Show details
• Human Trafficking in Your Backyard

  • When
    09/20/2024
  •  
    10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
  • Location
    Zoom Webinar
  • Registered
    2 registrants

  Register

  

  Join the Laboratory to Combat Human Trafficking for a discussion about what human trafficking looks like in Colorado and how to recognize it when it shows up in the work you do. The crime of human trafficking intersects with many other vulnerabilities and experiences. Those who experience trafficking may also be victims of other crimes like wage theft, child abuse or domestic violence, they may be experiencing homelessness, or they may suffer from mental illness or substance misuse. Systemic racism and marginalization of some communities can lead to vulnerability to trafficking and other forms of exploitation. Because these vulnerable populations often come into the purview of social services, law enforcement, healthcare providers, public health and policy makers, it is vital for these professionals to receive this training. This training will explore root causes of trafficking and the myriad of intersecting identities, vulnerabilities, and social and systemic inequalities that can lead to trafficking. Understanding root causes and complex trauma is key to recognizing the crime in its many forms.

  Learning objectives:

  • How to identify human trafficking situations and potential victims (including mandatory reporting requirements)
  • Innovative ways communities across the state are responding to human trafficking
  • How to connect to local anti-trafficking and victim support resources in Colorado
  • Support with developing protocols at your agency or organization

  Part Two - Beyond identification to supporting survivors

  We will now have a better understanding of how human trafficking presents in Colorado and in our work. In the second half of the training we will break out into groups based on sector and discuss challenges and promising practices in supporting survivors. We will then offer additional training on screening, motivational interviewing, harm reduction, safety planning, and making strong, trauma-informed referrals. We will then discuss protocol development within agencies and in communities.

  Learning objectives

  • How being trauma-responsive and victim-centered can improve your practice
  • How to utilize harm reduction and safety planning
  • Recognizing the stages of change and using motivational interviewing
  • How to use screening tools and develop internal protocols

  Learning outcomes (These are measured by specific questions about the definition in a pre and post survey).

  1. Participants will understand the legal definition of human trafficking. 
  2. Participants will feel comfortable identifying red flags and/or behavioral cues of a trafficking victim who presents in their professional setting. (Measured by a specific question about the definition in a pre and post survey).
  3. Participants will feel comfortable implementing appropriate steps if they suspect a client/patient is a victim of human trafficking (measured by a specific question about the definition in a pre and post survey).

  Eligible for 3-hour Certificate of Completion

  Presenters

  

  Kara Napolitano is a human rights advocate and trainer. She began her career working internationally in Africa, the Middle East and South Asia and has spent the last 10 years working locally in the US to support survivors of labor exploitation. She currently works for the Laboratory to Combat Human Trafficking (LCHT), working alongside communities in rural and urban Colorado to build equitable and inclusive responses to human trafficking through evidence-based training and coalition building. She has trained more than 38,000 professionals including teachers and school staff, child welfare professionals, healthcare providers and law enforcement across rural and urban Colorado on how to recognize and compassionately respond to labor and sexual exploitation.

  Kristina Wilburn is the Associate Manager of Training and Education for the Laboratory to Combat Human Trafficking. She holds a Master of Social Work from University of Denver and Juris Doctorate from Valparaiso School of Law. Previously, Kristina worked with the Office of Alternate Defense Counsel for the state of Colorado and is also a professor at University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work. She has held diverse roles focusing on human trafficking, domestic violence, child protection, child custody, forensic social worker, elderly law, and criminal law. In 2023 and 2024, Kristina helped bring awareness of human trafficking to over 5,000 people with an emphasis on agencies serving systems-involved youth throughout the state.

  This event is co-sponsored by

  
  

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• Motivational Interviewing - Sep 24/26 - Oct 1/3

  • Start
    09/24/2024
  •  
  • End
    10/03/2024
  •  
  • Schedule
    4 sessions
  • Location
    Zoom webinar
  • Spaces left
    14
  • Registered
    17 registrants

  Register

  This evidence-based approach has consistently shown positive outcomes in dealing with resistance and defensiveness. Motivational Interviewing is a collaborative conversation style for strengthening a person's own motivation and commitment to change. It has been successfully used with populations where resistance is prevalent, including adults and adolescents who deal with legal problems, substance abuse and mental health issues. 

  Motivational Interviewing provides a “tool box” of techniques and strategies which will help you to be more effective in working with clients who bring a wide range of challenges. This is a four-day online training with a four-hour session each day. A broadband Internet connection and working webcam are required for participation.

   Attendees will: 

  • Understand the basic principles and skills of Motivational Interviewing

  • Experience a collaborative versus an authoritarian communication style and see how you can effectively decrease defensiveness in clients​;​

  • Learn and practice resistance skills​;

  • Learn and practice directive skills that help move a client towards positive behavior change​;​

  • Be able to elicit commitment language from a client that is correlated to positive outcomes​;​

  • Explore proven implementation strategies that help improve your Motivational Interviewing skills in the field​.

  _____
  

  Presenter: Avani G. Dilger, MEd, MA, LPC, BC-DMT, CAS 
  Avani specializes in substance abuse prevention and treatment with adults, teens and their families. She is the founder and director of the “Natural Highs – Healthy Alternatives to Drugs & Alcohol” nonprofit program. Avani has been training professionals in in Motivational Interviewing and other evidence-based practices worldwide for over 20 years. Find out more about Avani HERE.

  Eligible for 16 hours MINT Certificate of Completion, valid worldwide.

  Show details
• Addiction Treatment and Co-occurring Disorder

  • When
    10/16/2024
  •  
    9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
  • Location
    Zoom Webinar
  • Spaces left
    45
  • Registered
    5 registrants

  Register

  Have you recognized mental illness and substance abuse in working with participants?  Perhaps you weren't sure which symptom needed which approach. Learning more and developing resources and partners to address co-occurring disorders can help you provide more efficient, targeted services and referrals, and help your participants feel better.

  For those who seek to enhance their ability and understanding of Addictions and Co-occurring Disorder; this workshop will present a solid foundation for recognizing substance abuse as well as understanding and working with these issues. "Co-occurring Disorder" is descriptive of people who struggle with both a mental health disorder and a substance use disorder. It is often difficult to tease out a co-occurring disorder, especially when the person is in acute phases of instability.

  There are numerous issues we will discuss related to the struggle of managing this disorder. Stigma and stability issues consistent with the individuals specific combination of disorders, support access, legal, medical health, and cultural uniqueness create a complexity for the care providers approach and management of services for these clients. We will discuss basic strategies, and practical guidelines for providing early intervention, stability and integrated services for Co-occurring Disorder clients.

  Participants will leave with:

  • The ability to identify symptoms of substance abuse and mental health disorders;
    
  • A working definition of the “co-occurring disorder” and a look at the stigma attached to that definition;
    
  • An understanding of the most common difficulties (and clues) in recognizing co-occurring disorders
    
  • Practical strategies in managing co-occurring clients, including; basic CBT skills, Medication compliance concerns, high risk stability, sobriety management, and multiple systems coordination;
    
  • An understanding of the stability concerns with co-occurring disorder clients; and
    
  • Approaches to practical and culturally sensitive assessment.
    

  
  

  Presenter: Tracy L. Hutchinson, LPC, MAC, LAC 

  Tracy has been working in the field of Addictions and Mental Health for the past 40 years. Currently, through her Counseling and Consulting private practice, Tracy is a facilitator of professional growth and development for team building. See more information about Tracy HERE.

  Eligible for 6 Hours Certificate of Completion.

  Show details
• Verbal De-Escalation

  • When
    11/18/2024
  •  
    9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
  • Location
    Zoom Webinar
  • Spaces left
    50
  • Registered
    Be the first

  Register

  De-escalation of disruptive behavior has become an essential skill, pertinent to all staff providing human services. The need for safe, effective techniques to manage the disruptive client is no longer limited to those who work with severe mental illness in residential or hospital settings.

  To add to the problem, the current de-institutionalization trend has injected thousands of individuals who once were treated on an inpatient basis, into a society which is not quite sure how to manage their behavior. Outpatient mental health facilities are being asked to service clients who formerly had inpatient care. Frequently, staff at a community-based treatment centers do not have the training or experience to manage the aggressive behaviors of clients who were once institutionalized.

  This training provides attendees with a safe, non-harmful techniques, designed to aid human service professionals in the management of disruptive clients. Strategies and specific skills for dealing with clients in varying stages of escalation will be presented and discussed. Non-restraining physical protective maneuvers will be reviewed, demonstrated and discussed. Principles of debriefing and using teaching moments will also be addressed.

  ___________
  

  De-escalation will be presented in three phases:

  • Phase 1 Avoiding escalation through Self Care and Awareness;
  • Phase 2 Anatomy of crisis development and de-escalating skill sets; and
  • Phase 3 Exit maneuvers and debriefing skills.
  

  By the end of the webinar, learners will be able to:

  • Recognize the importance of self-care in how it relates to escalating/de-escalating any situation;
  • Apply de-escalation techniques effective in approaching and reducing the • tension of an agitated person;
  • Understand the impact of their reactions on the agitated person;
  • Utilize tools to control their anxieties during interventions toward maintaining the best possible professional attitude; and

  • Describe nonverbal, para-verbal and verbal skills to maintain the best possible care and welfare, as well as safety and security, for all involved.

  _____________
  

  Presenter: Tracy L. Hutchinson, LPC, MAC, LAC 

  Tracy has been working in the field of Addictions and Mental Health for the past 40 years. Currently, through her Counseling and Consulting private practice, Tracy is a facilitator of professional growth and development for team building. See more information about Tracy HERE.

  
  

  Eligible for 6 hours Certificate of Completion
  

  Show details