Training • Consulting • Access to Resources

ACT FOR SUCCESS!

Courses Offered by Act-Cess Based on Target Group

(not limited to the list below)

Counselors/Clinical Staff

  • MOTIVATIONAL INTERVIEWING
  • NURTURED HEART APPROACH®/TRAUMA INFORMED CARE
  • MANAGING VICARIOUS TRAUMA 
  • INTRODUCTION TO DIALECTICAL BEHAVIOR THERAPY (DBT)
  • SKILLS TRAINING AND CHAIN ANALYSIS IN DBT
  • COGNITIVE BEHAVIOR THERAPY
  • MINDFULNESS-BASED STRESS REDUCTION SKILLS
  • CRISIS MANAGEMENT AND DE-ESCALATION
  • WELLNESS RECOVERY ACTION PLAN®
  • CLINICAL WORK WITH/CASE MANAGEMENT FOR LGBTQ +/GENDER ISSUES
  • ETHICS AND PROFESSIONAL BOUNDARIES SETTING
  • SUICIDE PREVENTION
  • STRATEGIES FOR ENGAGING AND BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH ADOLESCENTS
  • SUBSTANCE ADDICTION OVERVIEW 
  • ANXIETY AND OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDERS
  • TRANSITIONING FROM A CLINICAL TO MANAGEMENT ROLE

Service, Direct Care Staff

  • MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID NATIONAL CERTIFICATION CLASS
  • SERVICE EXCELLENCE – CUSTOMER SERVICE AND COMMUNICATION 
  • SUBSTANCE ADDICTION OVERVIEW
  • MANAGING VICARIOUS TRAUMA 
  • LGBTQ +/GENDER ISSUES
  • PATHWAYS TO HEALING PREJUDICE, DISCRIMINATION AND RACISM
  • DIVERSITY TRAINING FOR SOCIAL SERVICE PROVIDERS
  • CONFLICT RESOLUTION/RESTORATIVE PRACTICES
  • MINDFULNESS-BASED STRESS REDUCTION SKILLS
  • PROBLEM SOLVING – CRITICAL THINKING/ROOT-CAUSE ANALYSIS/DECISION-MAKING
  • PROFESSIONALISM/PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SERIES OF TRAINING
  • SAFETY IN THE COMMUNITY/AT THE WORKPLACE
  • ACTIVE SHOOTER/ASSAILANT TRAINING
  • DE-ESCALATION INTERVENTIONS
  • MEDICATION ERROR PROOFING; STREAMLINING MEDICATION ADMINISTRATION
  • NUTRITION/DYSPHAGIA/PREVENTING DIABETES 
  • DEALING W/ GRIEF, LOSS, BEREAVEMENT, SEPARATION/DIVORCE, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
  • BUSINESS WRITING
  • UNDERSTANDING PSYCHOTROPIC MEDICATIONS
  • COMPUTER TRAINING – WORD, EXCEL, POWERPOINT, ACCESS, OUTLOOK; ALL LEVELS

Management

  • MANAGEMENT ESSENTIALS FOR SOCIAL SERVICES LEADER
  • TRANSITIONING FROM A CLINICAL TO MANAGEMENT ROLE
  • REIMAGINE, REENGAGE, RETAIN, RECRUIT – 4RS® TO SOLVE THE STAFFING CRISIS
  • PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT/PERFORMANCE REVIEW/COACHING
  • INTERVIEWING SKILLS
  • ENGAGING/MOTIVATING EMPLOYEES
  • EFFECTIVE SUPERVISION AND STAFF MANAGEMENT; DELEGATING & ACCOUNTABILITY
  • GOALS SETTING, PRIORITIZATON AND EFFECTIVE TIME MANAGEMENT
  • TRAIN THE TRAINER
  • PROJECT PLANNING/MANAGEMENT
  • AVOIDING HARASSMENT
  • CHANGE MANAGEMENT; LEADING IN A TIME OF CHANGE
  • MANAGING MULTI-GENERATIONAL/MOBILE/VIRTUAL WORKFORCE
  • TEAM EFFECTIVENESS
  • LEAN ENTERPRISE – TO STREAMLINE WORK PROCESSES/DOCUMENTATION; SPECIFICALLY, THE ONBOARDING, RECRUITMENT, HIRING AND TRAINING PROCESSES
  • VALUE STREAM MAPPING/PROCESS EFFICIENCY – WORK PROGRAMS/SOCIAL ENTERPRISES
  • WORKPLACE ORGANIZATION (5S) AND STANDARDIZED WORK
  • LEAN SIX SIGMA WITH CONCENTRATION IN NON-PROFIT/HEALTHCARE
  • ISO QUALITY CERTIFICATION, SIX SIGMA OVERVIEW/GREENBELT TRAINING
  • STRATEGIC THINKING, PLANNING, AND ACTION
  • BUSINESS PLANNING
  • MAXIMIZING REVENUES; REVENUE DIVERSIFICATION AND SERVICE IMPLEMENTATION
  • CAPACITY BUILDING & SUSTAINABILITY
  • FUND-RAISING AND DEVELOPMENT; GRANT WRITING: FUND DEVELOPMENT
  • SALES/MARKETING/BRAND MANAGEMENT/CUSTOMER SERVICE TO GROW BUSINESS
  • MAXIMIZING THE BENEFITS OF SOCIAL MEDIA TO YOUR BUSINESS
  • RELATIONSHIP BUILDING
  • SUPPORTIVE HOUSING BASICS, DESIGNING/DELIVERING SUPPORTIVE SERVICES
  • ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORD TRAINING/ MANAGEMENT 
  • BOARD DEVELOPMENT AND GOVERNANCE
  • VOLUNTEER MANAGEMENT
  • SUCCESSION PLANNING
  • FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT FOR NON-FINANCE STAFF

Note: Courses in bold type currently offer Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) CE (Continuing Education) credits

Internal/On-the-Job Training

The grant covers internal training delivered by internal trainers/company staff. Many other topics are covered. Act-Cess USA will be happy to help with a Training Needs Assessment.

CONTACT: Joe Runkle – (732) 669-9195; jrunkle@actcessusa.com

 

 

Courses Offered by Act-Cess Based on Company Goals

(not limited to the list below)

Workforce Skills Upgrade

  • COGNITIVE BEHAVIOR THERAPY
  • INTRODUCTION TO DIALECTICAL BEHAVIOR THERAPY (DBT)
  • SKILLS TRAINING AND CHAIN ANALYSIS IN DBT
  • MOTIVATIONAL INTERVIEWING
  • NURTURED HEART APPROACH®/TRAUMA INFORMED CARE
  • MANAGING VICARIOUS TRAUMA 
  • MINDFULNESS-BASED STRESS REDUCTION SKILLS
  • CRISIS PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION OVERVIEW
  • WELLNESS RECOVERY ACTION PLAN®
  • CLINICAL WORK WITH/CASE MANAGEMENT FOR LGBTQ +/GENDER ISSUES
  • SUICIDE PREVENTION
  • STRATEGIES FOR ENGAGING AND BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH ADOLESCENTS
  • SUBSTANCE ADDICTION OVERVIEW
  • ANXIETY AND OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDERS
  • TRANSITIONING FROM A CLINICAL TO MANAGEMENT ROLE
  • COMPUTER TRAINING – WORD, EXCEL, POWERPOINT, ACCESS, OUTLOOK; ALL LEVELS

Improve Service Levels

  • SERVICE EXCELLENCE – CUSTOMER SERVICE AND COMMUNICATION
  • ETHICS AND PROFESSIONAL BOUNDARIES SETTING
  • MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID NATIONAL CERTIFICATION CLASS
  • LGBTQ +/GENDER ISSUES
  • PATHWAYS TO HEALING PREJUDICE, DISCRIMINATION AND RACISM
  • DIVERSITY TRAINING FOR SOCIAL SERVICE PROVIDERS
  • CONFLICT RESOLUTION/RESTORATIVE PRACTICES
  • PROBLEM SOLVING – CRITICAL THINKING/ROOT-CAUSE ANALYSIS/DECISION-MAKING
  • PROFESSIONALISM/PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SERIES OF TRAINING
  • MEDICATION ERROR PROOFING; STREAMLINING MEDICATION ADMINISTRATION
  • NUTRITION/DYSPHAGIA/PREVENTING DIABETES 
  • DEALING W/ GRIEF, LOSS, BEREAVEMENT, SEPARATION/DIVORCE, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
  • BUSINESS WRITING
  • UNDERSTANDING PSYCHOTROPIC MEDICATIONS

Workforce Retention

  • MANAGEMENT ESSENTIALS FOR SOCIAL SERVICES LEADER
  • CONFLICT RESOLUTION/RESTORATIVE PRACTICES
  • REIMAGINE, REENGAGE, RETAIN, RECRUIT – 4RS® TO SOLVE THE STAFFING CRISIS
  • PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT/PERFORMANCE REVIEW/COACHING
  • INTERVIEWING SKILLS
  • EFFECTIVE SUPERVISION; LEADERSHIP; DELEGATING AND ACCOUNTABILITY
  • GOALS SETTING, PRIORITIZATON AND EFFECTIVE TIME MANAGEMENT
  • TRAIN THE TRAINER
  • PROJECT PLANNING/MANAGEMENT
  • AVOIDING HARASSMENT
  • CHANGE MANAGEMENT; LEADING IN A TIME OF CHANGE
  • MANAGING MULTI-GENERATIONAL/MOBILE/VIRTUAL WORKFORCE
  • TEAM EFFECTIVENESS
  • SAFETY IN THE COMMUNITY/AT THE WORKPLACE
  • ACTIVE SHOOTER/ASSAILANT TRAINING
  • DE-ESCALATION INTERVENTIONS

Cost Containment

  • LEAN ENTERPRISE – TO STREAMLINE WORK PROCESS/DOCUMENTATION; SPECIFICALLY, THE ONBOARDING, RECRUITMENT, HIRING AND TRAINING PROCESS
  • VALUE STREAM MAPPING/PROCESS EFFICIENCY – WORK PROGRAMS/SOCIAL ENTERPRISES
  • WORKPLACE ORGANIZATION (5S) AND STANDARDIZED WORK
  • LEAN SIX SIGMA WITH CONCENTRATION IN NON-PROFIT/HEALTHCARE
  • ISO QUALITY CERTIFICATION, SIX SIGMA OVERVIEW/GREENBELT TRAINING

Revenue Generation

  • STRATEGIC THINKING, PLANNING, AND ACTION
  • BUSINESS PLANNING
  • MAXIMIZING REVENUES; REVENUE DIVERSIFICATION AND SERVICE IMPLEMENTATION
  • CAPACITY BUILDING & SUSTAINABILITY
  • FUND-RAISING AND DEVELOPMENT; GRANT WRITING: FUND DEVELOPMENT
  • SALES/MARKETING/BRAND MANAGEMENT/CUSTOMER SERVICE TO GROW BUSINESS
  • MAXIMIZING THE BENEFITS OF SOCIAL MEDIA TO YOUR BUSINESS
  • RELATIONSHIP BUILDING

Administrative/Miscellaneous

  • ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORD TRAINING/ MANAGEMENT
  • BOARD DEVELOPMENT AND GOVERNANCE
  • VOLUNTEER MANAGEMENT
  • SUCCESSION PLANNING
  • HIPAA POLICIES, TRAINING AND COMPLIANCE
  • SUPPORTIVE HOUSING BASICS, DESIGNING/DELIVERING SUPPORTIVE SERVICES
  • FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT FOR NON-FINANCE STAFF

Note: Courses in bold type currently offer ASWB (Association of Social Work Boards) Continuing Education (CE) credits.

Internal/On-the-Job Training

The grant covers training delivered by internal trainers/company staff. Many topics are covered. Act-Cess USA will be happy to help with a Training Needs Assessment.

CONTACT: Joe Runkle – (732) 669-9195; jrunkle@actcessusa.com

 

 

Course Descriptions

 

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Anxiety: Basics and Beyond

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is an evidence-based psychological treatment that is scientifically proven to reduce anxiety. This workshop will focus on clinical approaches to CBT for anxiety, assessment, considerations for treatment, interventions and rationale, and professional development case studies and role-play.  During this workshop you will learn how to use evidence-based cognitive and behavioral strategies to help clients identify and respond adaptively to key anxious thoughts and beliefs, build symptom tolerance, increase tolerance and reduce obsessions, compulsions, and avoidance.

 

Crisis Management and De-Escalation  

This class provides strategies of preventing and defusing crisis situations and an examination of staff behavior and its effect on the individuals served. It presents behavioral guidelines for positive interactions, antecedent interventions and de‐escalation techniques for crisis prevention. This is an interactive training where participants will study the elements of a crisis, discuss the importance of the relationship between counselor personal beliefs, culture, and values, and explore the capacity to intervene effectively in a crisis.

 

Diversity Training for Social Service Providers

Success in a multi-cultural social services field requires individuals to communicate effectively with people of diverse backgrounds and experiences. This class provides an overview of cultural competency, key tenets of cross-cultural communication, and identification of strategies to improve client outcomes. Participants will be encouraged to see their clients from a holistic perspective.  Discussions will focus on the broad framework that encompasses cultural competency and delve into the inter-sectionality of race, ethnicity, nationality, gender expression, sexual orientation and faith.  Strategies and best practices will be shared to increase cultural humility and ensure agency policy meets the needs of the client, provider and their organization.

 

It will be an interactive, participatory session which will demonstrate why workplaces emphasizing the importance of managing diversity, valuing employee/client differences, and sensitively responding to both employee and client needs are characterized by:

 

  • High levels of staff morale
  • A working environment free of discrimination & harassment
  • Low employee turnover and satisfied clients

 

Ethics and Professional Boundaries

Beginning with content on the ethical significance of professional boundaries, and the potential impact of boundary violations, this workshop will focus on navigating the complexities of a range of boundary situations which can challenge client- staff relations and compromise the integrity of service delivery. Guidelines for decision-making regarding boundary ambiguities will be provided.

 

Gender/Transgender Issues in Clinical-Work Settings

How is being transgender different from sexual orientation? What types of accommodations can be easily used to help transgender individuals? Working with transgender individuals can be rewarding. In this workshop, we will discuss advance interventions and techniques for dealing with common roadblocks to engagement, assessment, relationship building, legal and ethical dilemmas. Participants will learn appropriate terminology and affirmative clinical and non-clinical documentation.   The delivery of the class will be highly interactive.

 

Introduction to Conflict Resolution/Restorative Practices

This Conflict Resolution (CR) course will help trainees identify ways they may be contributing to these conflict situations, particularly in cross-cultural situations, and give them some strategies to adopt at work and in their personal lives. We will incorporate basic elements of Restorative Practice (RP) which is an emerging social science that studies how to strengthen relationships between individuals as well as social connections within communities. It ties together research in a variety of social science fields, including education, psychology, social work, criminology, sociology, organizational development and leadership.

 

Introduction to Dialectical Behavior Therapy

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) was originally an empirically validated, manualized treatment for individuals with Borderline Personality Disorder and other chronic mood and behavioral issues.  Over time the effectiveness of the treatment has led it to be adapted to a variety of other conditions in the mental health field.  During this presentation attendees will be introduced to the theory and implementation of DBT and how it can provide a new world view for clinicians and clients on what has traditionally been considered one of the most difficult client populations to treat.  Attendees will also learn about different levels of DBT treatment (e.g. DBT informed vs. comprehensive DBT) to help with referral decisions in the future.

 

Introduction to the Nurtured Heart Approach®

The Nurtured Heart Approach is a set of principles and strategies designed to bring out the best in children and adults.  This course provides an introduction to The Nurtured Heart Approach which has been proven to create transformation very quickly and in inspiring and enduring ways. The individual learns to believe and build confidence in the success that flows from fully investing intensity, intelligence and life force into positive action.

 

It is grounded in three stands:

  • Stand 1 teaches us to do our best to stop rewarding undesired behaviors with our attention and connection – NO, I will not energize negative behavior
  • Stand 2 teaches us various ways to grow the desired behaviors and qualities in others and ourselves – YES, I will energize positive behavior and qualities
  • Stand 3 teaches us the importance of clear rules and limits and how to deliver them – Absolute clarity regarding the RULES AND THE CONSEQUENCES

 

The Nurtured Heart Approach is a brilliant way to use language and energy to increase positive and peaceful relationships at homes, in schools and in communities.

 

Management Essentials for Social Services Leader

Although an organization’s most important resource is its staff, effectively utilizing/managing staff to ensure both success and employee satisfaction is not always done in an optimal manner. This course targets managers and managers-in-waiting. It provides specific strategies to maximize staff performance, resolve staff conflicts and prepare for future need to fill key/management roles within the company.

 

Topics include, among others:          

  • Role as a manager
  • Qualities of an effective manager
  • Making the transition from peer to manager
  • How to Engage the Teams

 

Managing Vicarious Trauma

Vicarious trauma is the emotional residue of exposure that human service workers may get from working with people as they are hearing their trauma stories and become witnesses to the pain, fear, and terror that trauma survivors have endured.  This affects workers in a wide range of ways similar to the clients they are working with and supporting and may manifest and express itself in the form of depressive or anxiety symptoms, difficulty sleeping, increase substance use, and so on. This workshop provides a comprehensive overview of vicarious and secondary trauma while identifying healthy ways to manage the stress of their work and to reduce burnout.

 

Tools and skills for managing vicarious trauma will also be practiced, providing an opportunity to find accessible and individualized solutions to support a holistic work/life balance. Trainees are expected to take home a customized plan. Agencies are expected to improve staff retention and service delivery via increasing competency to manage vicarious trauma and secondary traumatic stress.

 

 

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Overview

This experiential workshop offers the opportunity to receive an introduction in the use of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR).

 

Participants will be exposed to the growing body of theory and research that is placing mindfulness-based interventions on the cutting edge of strength-based efforts to promote health, balance, and well-being. They will experience both formal and informal mindfulness meditation approaches.  Participants will leave with practical knowledge of how to integrate mindfulness techniques into their professional work with clients to reduce symptoms of stress, anxiety, depression and pain.

 

 

Motivational Interviewing Overview Workshop

Motivational Interviewing (MI) is an evidence-based psycho-therapeutic approach that moves an individual from a state of indecision or uncertainty and towards finding motivation to change and accomplish established goals. It is collaborative goal oriented style of communicating with particular attention to the language of change. It is designed to strengthen personal motivation for and commitment to a specific goal by eliciting and exploring a person’s own reasons for change within an atmosphere of acceptance and compassion. Originally developed for addiction, it is now applied on a range of mental and physical health issues.

 

In this Motivational Interviewing Overview Workshop, trainees will learn the “spirit” of MI, the Processes of MI, and developing basic MI skills such Open-Ended Questions, Affirmations, Reflective Listening and Summaries (O.A.R.S.).

 

Pathways to Healing Discrimination, Prejudice and Racism

This workshop will teach the impact of racism, prejudice and discrimination in our nation, community, at work and home.    Within a safe environment, participants will be encouraged to discover their own racial unconscious and conscious bias. During this highly interactive workshop, participants will become aware of the impact of power structures and privilege that hinder social equity.  The facilitator will provide an opportunity to reflect, discuss, and share ideas on how to uproot systemic racism.  

 

This intensive process will prepare participants to focus on healing and meaningful action to resolve and address the consequences of racism.

 

Problem Solving Essential Tools in the Social Services Field

The goal of this class is to increase the capability to problem solve in the social services field. It will discuss a variety of tools including root cause analysis, critical thinking, decision-making and process improvement. Key take-aways are:

 

  • Increased ability to problem solve objectively, individually and collectively; make more thorough and well-informed decisions; identify and validate root causes; and know how to avoid and test assumptions – all these to prevent problem recurrence.

 

  • Higher capacity to anticipate problems, objectively analyze how work is getting done and therefore improve process efficiency.

 

Discussions will cover Problem-Solving steps, methods and tools to decrease errors, unfavorable conditions and challenging situations, and therefore increase service quality and integrity. 

 

Service Excellence for Social Service Providers

This training includes theory and practice in the art and science of customer service excellence for social service providers. Customers are both external and internal, and may include patients/clients/persons served, families, staff, co-employees and government agencies. This highly interactive workshop style presentation is designed to provide the participants the skills and structure to support service excellence. Customer contacts will be discussed and action plans will be formulated at the end of the session.

 

Topics include, among others:

  • The professional and personal benefits of providing great service
  • Different customer types/personalities and how to effectively work with each type
  • The difference between customer needs, wants and requirements
  • Service excellence techniques to engage and empower the customer
  • Dealing with difficult behavior and diffusion/de-escalation techniques

 

Skills Training and Chain Analysis in DBT

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) was originally an empirically validated, manualized treatment for individuals with Borderline Personality Disorder and other chronic mood and behavioral issues.  Over time the effectiveness of the treatment has led it to be adapted to a variety of other conditions in the mental health field.  One of the core functions of DBT is teaching clients skills to reach a “Life Worth Living.”  The current presentation will review all the skill modules contained in the DBT® skills training handouts and worksheets: Second Edition (Linehan, 2014), provide guidance on teaching the skills effectively, and educate attendees on how to manage therapy interfering behaviors (TIBs) in skills training and individual sessions.  In addition, attendees will be introduced to the concept of chain/behavioral analyses, a key method for changing behavior in DBT.

 

Strategies for Engaging and Building Relationship with Adolescents

Adolescence is a challenging time for adolescents, their parents and professionals attempting to help them navigate it.  This training will present some of the reasons why engaging them is so difficult and how parents and professionals can more effectively accomplish this.  Topics include:

  • Definition of engagement
  • Reasons why adolescents are so difficult to engage
  • Three keys to engagement
  • Seven ways we inadvertently close communication
  • Seven key active listening skills
  • Brainstorming ways to negotiate the five most common roadblocks to engagement
  • Ten tips for successful engagement
  • Definition of trauma/chronic stress; Understanding the effects of trauma and the three effects on brain/body from chronic stress, and ten tips for professional self-care and
  • Ten tips for professional self-care and twelve de-escalation strategies.

 

Substance Addiction – Overview Workshop

This workshop will review the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5 (DSM-V) criteria for several types of addictions including classification of substances such as depressants (excluding opiates), stimulants, and hallucinogens. Routes of administration, risks of overdose, and co-occurring mental health issues will be discussed for each classification of substance. Research on Medication Assistance Therapy (MAT) and traditional therapeutic approaches such as motivational interviewing (MI), dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and mindfulness strategies will be explained.

 

Suicide Prevention

This training will provide participants with an overview of the basics of brain health as well as an in-depth discussion around suicide that will include, facts and myths, current suicide statistics in the US and around the world, gender and cultural differences, risk factors, warning signs, protective factors, general guidelines for interacting with a person with suicidal ideation, using motivational interviewing strategies, and some practice scenarios from the Columbia suicide severity rating scale instrument.