Annual Training

 VSF Mandate- Knowledge is power!

In an effort to fulfil our objectives of :educating victims and public on support techniques that assist on the journey to recovery and supporting victims through emotional and practical support and after care, Annual Training is conducted in the topic of Crisis Intervention.

Our belief is that with each training session the probability increases that victims would be benefit from recovery-focused support and handling. Consequently, the more we invest in our communities by providing healthy techniques for handling crises, the more we can expect a healthy recovery from crises. So, position yourself, your organization and your communities to benefit from these training opportunities and be part of the solution.

We offer the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation (ICISF) courses, once a minimum of 30 persons are interested in any given course. Please do not hesitate to contact us to chat about your local Crisis Intervention training needs.  Check out our Training Calendar and register for this annual opportunity.

2018

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Assisting Individuals in Crisis and Group Crisis Intervention 2018-Cancelled

Crisis Intervention is NOT psychotherapy; rather, it is a specialized acute emergency mental health intervention which requires specialized training. As physical first aid is to surgery, crisis intervention is to psychotherapy. Thus, crisis intervention is sometimes called “emotional first aid”. Designed to present the core elements of a comprehensive, systematic and multi-component crisis intervention curriculum, this course will prepare participants to understand a wide range of crisis intervention services for both the individual and for groups. Fundamentals of Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) will be outlined and participants will leave with the knowledge and tools to provide several group crisis interventions, specifically demobilizations, defusings and the Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD). The need for appropriate follow-up services and referrals when necessary will also be discussed.

This  Basic Level I course is designed for anyone in the fields of Business & Industry Crisis Intervention, Disaster Response, Education, Emergency Services, Employee Assistance, Healthcare, Homeland Security, Mental Health, Military, Spiritual Care, and Traumatic Stress.

Program Highlights

  • Psychological crisis and psychological crisis intervention
  • Resistance, resiliency, recovery continuum
  • Critical incident stress management
  • Evidence-based practicehelp
  • Basic crisis communication techniques
  • Common psychological and behavioural crisis reactions
  • Putative and empirically-derived mechanisms
  • SAFER-Revised model
  • Suicide intervention
  • Relevant research findings
  • Large group crisis interventions
  • Small group crisis interventions
  • Adverse outcome associated with crisis intervention
  • Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD)

Completion of “Individual Crisis Intervention and Peer Support” & “Group Crisis Intervention” and

Certificate of Attendance will be issued from ICISF with continuing educational units from University of Maryland, Baltimore County UMBC (27 Contact Hours)
Due to the significantly low response as at the closing of registration of June 5th 2018, this training has been cancelled.

CISM Application with Children-  June 15 & 16 2017

Course Description:
Traumatic events involving children disturb and confuse both the children involved and the adult responders. Our children deserve the opportunity to heal from the frightening complications of childhood trauma. This course explores the developmental considerations and children’s trauma response from infancy through adolescence. Preventive, intervention and recovery strategies will assist the adult responding to traumatized children. This course will provide a venue for adults to gain comfort in their capability to assist traumatized children through a discussion of crisis management principles and the necessary modifications for children. Self-care for adult caregivers who recognize the need to heal our children is emphasized. Adults working with traumatized children must deal with their feelings of inadequacy as they seek to assist a child in crisis. Most adults do not feel prepared to deal with the intense reactions of children. Parents, caregivers, educators, crisis management professionals and emergency service CISM peer team members can benefit from the preventive and intervention guidelines and practical crisis management strategies offered in this course.

 

Course Highlights

  • Recognizing high-risk traumatized children
  • Partnership opportunities within the community
  • Assessment considerations with the traumatized child
  • Trauma and grief symptomatology
  • Developmental considerations pertinent to the traumatized child
  • Correct and ethical crisis intervention sensitive to a child
  • Development of crisis response plans
  • Adolescent suicide deaths and appropriate crisis response
  • Parental, family and community influences
  • Implications on caring adults when working with traumatized children

Completion of “CISM Application with Children” and receipt of a certificate indicating full attendance (14 Contact Hours) qualifies as a course in ICISF’s Certificate of Specialized Training Program.

Book your seat now!

School Crisis Intervention 2016

Responding to School Crises: A Multi-Component Crisis Intervention Approach

Educators nationwide and worldwide struggle to establish and manage School Crisis Response Teams in response to the recent escalation in frequency and scope of campus emergencies. Community CISM teams have much to offer, but much to learn about the unique milieu of schools. Similarly, schools can benefit from CISM technology and strategies. This course attempts to develop a common language and approach that fits within the broad goals and specific needs of school crisis management. Working together in multi-disciplinary teams, we explore organizing principles, develop specific skills and culminate in a large incident planning simulation.

The Group Crisis Intervention course is recommended as a prerequisite but not required, as an overview of techniques will be provided. This course is designed for anyone with working in or with those in an educational setting.

Program HighlightsClose up of a graduation cap and a certificate with a ribbon

  • Prevalence and effects of crisis on school performance
  • The comprehensive nature of crisis management
  • Developing a crisis plan
  • Intervention techniques
  • Effects of traumatic stress on learning and the school milieu
  • Specific goals of crisis response
  • Unique role and needs of building administrators
  • Mitigating the effects of a crisis
  • Responding to and managing a school-based crisis
  • Signs and symptoms of excessive stress

Completion of “Responding to School Crises: An Integrated Multi-Component Crisis Intervention Approach” and receipt of a certificate indicating full attendance (14 Contact Hours)

Continuing Education Information

Two-Day Course: 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., 14 Contact Hours; 14 CE Credits for Psychologists; 14 PDHs for EAPs; 14 CE Hours for Calif. MFTs & LCSWs; 14 Contact Hours for National Certified Addiction Counselors; OR 1.4 General CEUs from UMBC

Stay tuned for further details… Join our training mailing list  at training@tntvsf.org and like us on facebook

 Assisting Individuals in Crisis and Group Crisis Intervention 2015

Crisis Intervention is NOT psychotherapy; rather, it is a specialized acute emergency mental health intervention which requires specialized training. As physical first aid is to surgery, crisis intervention is to psychotherapy. Thus, crisis intervention is sometimes called “emotional first aid”. Designed to present the core elements of a comprehensive, systematic and multi-component crisis intervention curriculum, this course will prepare participants to understand a wide range of crisis intervention services for both the individual and for groups. Fundamentals of Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) will be outlined and participants will leave with the knowledge and tools to provide several group crisis interventions, specifically demobilizations, defusings and the Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD). The need for appropriate follow-up services and referrals when necessary will also be discussed.

This  Basic Level I course is designed for anyone in the fields of Business & Industry Crisis Intervention, Disaster Response, Education, Emergency Services, Employee Assistance, Healthcare, Homeland Security, Mental Health, Military, Spiritual Care, and Traumatic Stress.

Program Highlights

  • Psychological crisis and psychological crisis intervention
  • Resistance, resiliency, recovery continuum
  • Critical incident stress management
  • Evidence-based practicehelp
  • Basic crisis communication techniques
  • Common psychological and behavioural crisis reactions
  • Putative and empirically-derived mechanisms
  • SAFER-Revised model
  • Suicide intervention
  • Relevant research findings
  • Large group crisis interventions
  • Small group crisis interventions
  • Adverse outcome associated with crisis intervention
  • Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD)

Completion of “Individual Crisis Intervention and Peer Support” & “Group Crisis Intervention” and

Certificate of Attendance will be issued from ICISF with continuing educational units from University of Maryland, Baltimore County UMBC (27 Contact Hours)

Advanced Assisting Individuals in Crisis & Advanced Group Crisis Intervention 2014

This Advanced Level II course is designed to provide participants with the latest information on critical incident stress management techniques and post-trauma syndromes, the Advanced Group Crisis Intervention builds on the knowledge base which was obtained through the Group Crisis Intervention course and/or in publications. At the conclusion of this course, participants will have been exposed to specific, proven strategies to intervene with those suffering the ill effects of their exposure to trauma. Emphasis will be on advanced defusings and debriefings in complex situations.

Designed for EAP, human resources and public safety personnel, mental health professionals, chaplains, emergency medical services providers, fire-fighters, physicians, police officers, nurses, dispatchers, airline personnel and disaster workers who are already trained in the critical incident stress debriefing format. It will also be useful for those working extensively with traumatized victims for various walks of life.This course requires previous training and experience.
ICISF’s “Group Crisis Intervention” Level I should be viewed as a prerequisite.

Course Highlights

  • Relevant research findings
  • Managing complex group oriented crisis interventions
  • Nature and importance of incident assessment
  • Strategic intervention planning
  • Comprehensive, integrated, systematic and multi-component CISM
  • Concepts of enhanced group processes
  • Significantly delayed interventions
  • “Multiple incident CISD”
  • Suicide of a colleague
  • Small group crisis support sessions after a disaster
  • natures & definitions of a psychological crisis and psychological crisis intervention
  • nature and definition of critical incident stress management and its role as a continuum of care.
  • empathic communication techniques
  • practice of psychological triage
  • SAFER-Revised model of individual psychological crisis intervention in s suicide scenario
  • SAFER-Revised model of individual psychological crisis intervention in a “follow-up” or referral scenario
  • risks of iatrogenic “harm” associated with psychological crisis intervention and will further discuss how to reduce those risks
  • principles of self-care

 

 What’s Next…

Upon completion of these training modules you have the opportunity to join our Critical Incident Support Team (TT-CIST), which is registered ICISF -CISM team in the Caribbean. You can help make a difference to crisis response in Trinidad & Tobago. Our nation needs YOU!

Training testimonials

  • ‘A highly recommended course: well organized, multi-modal delivery, engaging and experienced facilitators, and great material; loads of practical tools to add to any skill bank! …’   Jan- Clinical Psychologist, July 2014
  • ‘This course exceeded my expectation and opened my mind to the the need and potential for CISM in my organization and community.’…    Danielle- Vocational Counsellor, July 2014