RC Basic Training - March 6-8, 2019 

The Risking Connection (RC) Basic training is an 18-hour foundational trauma training. It is a centerpiece of the Traumatic Stress Institute's Whole Systems Change Model to Trauma-Informed Care that organizations and service systems can adopt to implement and sustain trauma-informed care.

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Training Description

When a child depends on an adult for nurturance, safety, and love, he or she should not be taking a risk.  When betrayed by abuse, however, future relationships involve taking great risks – risks of continued disappointment and loss, shame, and further abuse. 

Studies reveal that two-thirds of the US population have experienced at least one traumatic event or adverse experience in childhood. Children and adults in human service organizations and systems have often suffered multiple childhood traumas, sometimes being hurt by parents, other caretakers, and by the system itself.

These people become highly skilled at pushing away others via a wide range of challenging behaviors and symptoms that hurt themselves and others. Their perplexing symptoms can test the skills of even the most seasoned professional. 

Working with traumatized people also poses risks to professionals.  Opening our hearts means feeling their suffering and exposing ourselves to the darkest sides of humanity.  It means investing in people who often don’t want our help, who frequently return to abusive environments, or who are in and out of programs through “revolving doors.”  

In order to heal, traumatized people need to risk forming connections with caring professionals that are different (enough) from those of the past.  They need relationships that are RICH – Respectful, Informative, Connected, and Hopeful.  Forming such relationships is no easy task because of the extreme behaviors survivors display, the powerful feelings they evoke in us, and their ambivalence about getting close to us.

Risking Connection is a training program created to provide professionals serving trauma survivors with a philosophy and method for working with these challenging survivors.  The 3-Day Basic Training is adapted from the original curriculum, Risking Connection: A Training Curriculum for Working With Survivors of Childhood Abuse (Saakvitne, Gamble, Pearlman, & Lev, 2000).

Risking Connection is unique in that it maintains that respect for, and care of, BOTH the consumer and the professional are critical.  Therefore, it focuses on the impact of vicarious traumatization (VT) on the treater as well as the treater’s complex responses to working with trauma survivors. 

Each day of this active-learning course includes lively presentations, small and large group discussions, application exercises, and activities designed to address self-care and well-being of treaters.  All participants receive a certificate of attendance at the end of the training. 

Training Overview

 Day 1

• The Lifelong Impact of Childhood Trauma
• Traditional Model vs. Trauma-Informed Model
• Working Within a Trauma Framework
• Understanding Symptoms as Adaptations
• How We Were Parented and How It Impacts Our Work
• Introduction to Vicarious Traumatization

 Day 2

• The Therapeutic Alliance: The Root of Healing
• Managing Frame and Boundaries with Trauma Survivors
• Strengthening Feelings Skills
• Principles of Crisis Management
• Responding to Crisis Behavior Before, During, and After the Crisis
• Crisis Work and Vicarious Traumatization

Day 3

• Understanding Our Strong Responses to Trauma Survivors
• Implementing a Risking Connection Approach in Treatment Programs
• Addressing and Transforming Vicarious Traumatization
• Making Organizations Better Places to Do Trauma Work

Training Cost

Per Person Training Fee:  $480
(includes all materials; continental breakfast, lunch, and snacks daily)

Per Person Training Fee + Continuing Education Credits:  $520

Continuing Education Credits

This event is co-sponsored by R. Cassidy Seminars to provide 18.75 CE hours.

Satisfactory Completion  Participants must have paid the continuing education fee, signed in, attended the entire seminar, completed an evaluation, and signed out in order to receive a certificate. Failure to sign in or out will result in forfeiture of credit for the entire course. No exceptions will be made. Partial credit is not available.

Psychologists R. Cassidy Seminars is approved by the American Psychological Association (APA) to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. R. Cassidy Seminars maintains responsibility for this program and its content. 

Social Workers R. Cassidy Seminars, ACE Provider #1082 is approved as a provider for social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) www.aswb.org through the Approved Continuing Education (ACE) Program. R. Cassidy Seminars maintains responsibility for the program. Approval Period: April 15, 2015- April 15, 2018. Social workers should contact their regulatory board to determine course approval. Social workers will receive continuing education clinical social work clock hours for participating in this course.

CA: The Board of Behavioral Sciences has deferred the CE course approvals to APA and ASWB for its licenses. See those approvals under Psychologists and Social Workers.

NY: R. Cassidy Seminars is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider (#0006) of continuing education for licensed social workers.

Counselors/Marraige and Family Therapists

CA: The Board of Behavioral Sciences has deferred CE course approvals to APA and ASWB for its licensees. See those approvals under Psychologists and Social Workers. 

Other States: If your state is not specifically listed, nearly all state Counselor and MFT boards accept either APA or ASWB approval, or are reciprocal with other state licensing board approvals such as those listed below. Check with your board to be sure. The Ohio Board includes Counselors.

Chemical Dependency Counselors Provider approved by NAADAC Approved Education Provider Program for designated contact hours. Approval #000654

CA: Provider approved by CFAAP/CAADAC, Provider #4N-00-434-0212 for designated CEHs. CAADAC is an ICRC member which has reciprocity with most ICRC member states.

Please Note Licensing Boards change regulations often and, while we attempt to stay abreast of their most recent changes, if you have questions or concerns about this course meeting your specific board’s approval, we recommend you contact your board directly to obtain a ruling.

Cancellation 

We will refund the registration fee minus a $30 processing fee for cancellations two weeks prior to the training.  No refunds will be made for cancellations inside two weeks. 

Space is limited to 40 registrants. The deadline for registration is the Friday prior to the week of the training.   

Hotel Accommodations in the Area

Fairfield Inn and Suites by Marriott 400 New Britain Avenue, Plainville, CT 06062. (860) 747-1188

Hartford Marriott Farmington 15 Farm Springs Road, Farmington, CT 06032. (860) 678-1000