Course Descriptions

Introduction to Trauma-Informed Care
Trauma-Informed Care is an approach to engaging people with histories of trauma.  It teaches participants how to recognize trauma symptoms in themselves and others and acknowledges the role that trauma has played in their lives. This training is designed as a practical overview covering a basic understanding of trauma/adversity, how it is experienced, and the connection of trauma to substance use.

The objectives are: define different types of trauma, explain the findings of the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) study, understand how trauma/adversity impacts individuals, discuss the relationship between trauma and substance use, identify symptoms of trauma that may indicate a trauma history via case study.

Intermediate Trauma Responsiveness – Skills and Practice

Going beyond the basics, this training gives you real skills to put your basic Trauma Informed Care training into practice. Utilizing the evidence-based communication tools in Motivational Interviewing and the Trauma-Informed Care principles, you will be better prepared to work with clients and avoid re-traumatization.

This is an intermediate level of training. It answers the question, “I have had trauma-informed care training; now what?“

Learn:

Practical Trauma Debriefing Skills to gain the confidence to work with distressed individuals. Sometimes you might be the first person they have ever told about their trauma, which can be profoundly triggering emotional experience.

Motivational Interviewing spirit (partnership, acceptance, compassion) and skills is a trauma informed approach, highlighting safety, trust, choice, and empowerment.

Increase Empathy and Compassion while maintaining professional Boundaries.

Recognize Vicarious Trauma and Empathy Fatigue symptoms and turn them into Vicarious Resilience. Allowing us to focus on their strengths and what they have overcome rather than what is wrong with them.

Emotional regulation is an essential trauma-responsive skill when working with those with a trauma history. Resting calm, centered, and grounded when others are ramping up allows the individual to regulate and gain control over their emotions. Trust and safety are established during this process, which leads to better engagement and retention.

Presenters: Sandra Rivers MA, CASAC-M, MINT Member

Lisa Ardner MA, CASAC-M, CARC, Certified MINT Trainer

Who should attend:
Criminal Justice Professionals, Human Services Providers, Medical Professionals, Managers/Supervisors

Basic and Advanced MI Skill Building Sessions. Know how to do MI, but don’t practice enough? Is it too long in between trainings to retain your skills? Our new sessions are designed to fit that crucial need. We will help you to stay connected with MI, and offer extreme flexibility at an affordable cost. Just an hour a week and we will cover topics that are essential to building your MI skills and offer you a chance to practice with our team of experts via Zoom.

Basic and Advanced MI Coaching Sessions (Zoom) – 1 hour/week – this is an ongoing class on Thursdays from 12:00pm to 1:00pm, called TVG Motivational Interviewing (MI) Lunch and Learn Coaching Sessions. Come as often as you like. Open to anyone who has completed any Basic MI class.  Ask us if you can benefit from this group that will be offering practice, peer feedback, case scenario studies, and MINT Member Trainer feedback.  What MI skills do you want to work on? We will partner with you to identify the topic and/or skills for that day. For more information and/or to register click here.

Basic and Advanced MI Virtual Classroom Training via Zoom. Rather than do voice over PowerPoint or simply record a training, we decided to use as much of the virtual classroom as possible. The result is a unique interactive learning experience which encompasses live classroom via Zoom, large group activities, breakout rooms, handouts, polling, whiteboard and individual coaching. 

The participant is introduced to the “spirit”, history, processes and fundamental skills of Motivational Interviewing through lecture, role plays and a diverse training presentation. The Motivational Interviewing, fourth edition is the text upon which all classes are based (Miller, Rollnick). Participants will have the opportunity to practice their new skills during this one to two-day session.

A review of the Basics, plus a workshop to improve upon reflections and complex reflections. The advanced training also brings the full spectrum of Motivational Interviewing to a conclusion by means of creating a sample interview recording which can then be evaluated for further skill-building in the practice of MI. Often, feedback and evaluation are done remotely which essentially extends the training into an indefinite period beyond the classroom.

This training provides further skill development to staff members to enable ongoing sustainability of Motivational Interviewing in your organization. We will help you identify internal candidates and provide an intense training experience that will leave them ready to train others in the practice of Motivational Interviewing. New staff, as well as those previously trained, will benefit from this teaching and coaching resource.

The refresher is designed to support the practitioner on his/her journey in acquiring MI “Proficiency” by boosting the skill level and reinforcing the method already begun in a Basic or Advanced student.

Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment
This SAMSHA sponsored training provides an introduction to brief motivational interviewing interventions in a variety of health care fields. TVG can assist your faculty, students and managers in this model of evaluation and treatment.

As a recipient of MITI training from the instrument’s designer, Theresa B. Moyers, TVG offers review, coding and coaching of recorded samples to provide supervision and improvement in your MI skills. Currently using Manual “‘MITI 4.2.1” Once you have reached a level of proficiency, you will receive a certificate of achievement from David Varalli acknowledging your accomplishment! This can be done independently from formal classroom training at a time chosen by the practitioner.

Learn what your primary personality traits are and how you interact with others. In this fun, team building exercise, you will see how you can be best supported in your work environment as well as in your personal life. You will also learn how to best support others based upon their preferences as determined by their “Real Colors”. Facilitator(s) are NCTI certified facilitators of the curriculum.

For any questions on the above courses, email David Varalli at david@thevaralligroup.com