This course is online via zoom

We know that oftentimes those diagnosed with a developmental disability are not treated equally and face many additional barriers. We must understand their abilities and differences while ensuring they are included in all aspects of their care. We need to be aware of the various resources available. We must be able to advocate, connect, educate, create opportunities and impact change for this particular population.

AT THE END OF THIS 2 HOUR COURSE, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO:

• Determine what services and supports are available in your community, including but not limited to services through the Arizona Department of Economic Security (ADES), Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD)

• Understand ALTCS(Arizona Long Term Care Services) and CRS (Children’s Rehabiliative Services)

• A basic overview of some system tools including a 504 plan, Individualized Education Plan, and Child and Family Team Meetings (CFT’s)

• Refine your system navigation skills and know the legal rights of the people you serve 

This course is online via zoom

Do you struggle with how to complete or manage your needed documentation? We will discuss some best practices and techniques to write quality documentation.

• Ensure awareness of legal requirements for medical records

• Understand ethical considerations for record keeping

• Recognize best practices for documentation, ISP goals, and billing codes.

• Reduce Fraud, Waste and Abuse in billing practices.

• Practice Documentation

This course is online via zoom

People who have experienced justice involvement and incarceration face unique hardships and challenges in society. Research shows that the level of support an individual receives directly influences how a person navigates their path to community integration. In this immersive course, family support professionals will gain invaluable knowledge and develop critical intervention skills to support individuals re-entering the community after incarceration.

AT THE END OF THIS 7-HOUR COURSE, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO:

• Reduce recidivism by facilitating successful reentry of the individuals served

• Outline the inner workings of the criminal justice system

• Evaluate the effectiveness of interventions at various points of contact

• Analyze the unique challenges and opportunities of reentry

• Explain the relationship between trauma-informed care and justice involvement

• Formulate how to support individuals as they navigate reentry

This course is online via zoom

What you need to know about your role as a mandated reporter and supporter

This training is intended to provide mandatory reporters in any profession an understanding of their role and requirements when it comes to protecting children.

By the end of the session, participants will better understand:

• How to Recognize child abuse and neglect

• How to Respond to child abuse and neglect

• How to make a Report of child abuse and neglect

• How to support parents and families in need

This training was developed by the Children’s Advocacy Center of Southern Arizona and Prevent Child Abuse Arizona

This course will take place online via Zoom

Together we will learn how Professionalism is undoubtedly critical for fostering harmony and composure in the workplace.

Regardless of your company’s unique culture, and whether you have a more formal versus more casual atmosphere, we want to be viewed and respected as professionals.

• Define workplace professionalism.

• Recognize the importance of professional image, conduct and attitude.

• Explore Consequences of unprofessional behavior.

• Identify common barriers.

PFCA is partnering with Summit Healthcare to host two professional development trainings. The event will occur April 29, 2025 from 9am - 3pm. PFCA will be providing a networking lunch for this IN PERSON training. There will not be virtual option for this training, advanced registration is required.

·       (9am to-12pm) Calm in the Storm Understanding Behaviors

Learn the important role of communications, empathy, body language, and how to avoid roadblocks in lessening intense behaviors. This course will present a series of skills that can be used to de-escalate and manage general and specific crisis situations.

• Getting/Giving Support before the crisis hits

• Calming the situation

• Least restrictive option

• Required Documentation

·         (1pm-to 3pm) Cultural Connections: Elderly, Aging, Senior Care

We all get older, but how can we support our aging members with dignity and compassion? Older adults living with psychiatric labels have unique needs in terms of wellness, health, and connections to communities of their choice.  They frequently face changes in their circumstances.

• Understand the aging process for mental and physical health

• Techniques to support elderly population

• Resources and programs specific to the population (dial a ride, meals on wheels, ALTCS, and more). 

Care coordination is an activity rather than a service. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) defines care coordination as “deliberately organizing consumer care activities and sharing information among all of the participants concerned with a consumer’s care to achieve safer and more effective care. This means the patient’s needs and preferences are known ahead of time and communicated at the right time to the right people, and that this information is used to provide safe, appropriate, and effective care to the patient. 

• Understanding the basics of system navigation and stakeholders to collaborate with  

• Recognize the difference between clinical vs. lived experience services.  

• Professional Collaboration and Coordination  

• Understanding requirements for Child and Family Team meetings (CFT’s) and Adult Recovery Teams (ARTs)  

• Understand the structure and purposes of a staffing 

• System Navigation 

• “Clinical” vs mutual help  

• Who’s on first? Professional Collaboration/Coordination  

• CFT, ART, and staffing basic overview 

Our health system is complex, as supporters we often collaborate and engage with different professionals and members. It can be important to understand the different mental health professionals’ roles and the clinical language they use at times. Additionally, it can be helpful to have a basic understanding of various mental health conditions including symptoms and observable behaviors. Our goal for this training is to prepare you with the skills for quality care coordination.

• Recognizing the differences of mental health professionals.

• Understanding clinical terminatory and coordination of care.

• Identify mental Health Conditions including symptoms and observable behaviors.

This course will dive past the normal question of "what happened to you" to exploring other necessary questions, impact of our words and how to provide trauma informed care in the real world.

Trauma is common in the community, and it has major impacts on our health and wellness. It is essential as peer and family support specialists we have the knowledge and tools to provide support to individuals who may have experienced trauma. This course will dive past the normal question of "what happened to you" to exploring other necessary questions, impact of our words and how to provide trauma informed care in the real world. 

• Restate the definition, prevalence and impact of trauma Discuss the paradigm shift that is critical to becoming trauma-informed

• Identify ways in which trauma informed principles can be applied in daily work

• Utilize a trauma-informed approach and language while supporting individuals

• Understand evidence based practices for treating trauma

• Recognize the important role peer and family supports play in encouraging resiliency

• Recognize secondary trauma and prepare for how to handle it in healthy ways to prevent burnout and compassion fatigue

Learn Practical Strategies to Improve Behavior

Caring for children comes with challenges—but PAX Tools for Caregivers provide simple, effective strategies to create peaceful, supportive environments at home. This free, 2.5-hour workshop is designed for all caregivers, including foster parents, kinship caregivers, adoptive parents, and anyone raising children. Using trauma-informed, evidence-based tools, participants will learn how to support positive behavior, reduce stress, and strengthen relationships.

In this workshop, caregivers will learn how to:

• Use practical, trauma-informed strategies to support children’s emotional well-being.

• Promote self-regulation and resilience in everyday interactions.

• Reduce stress and conflict while strengthening family bonds.

• Create a nurturing home environment that helps children thrive.

Join us to gain easy-to-use tools that make parenting and caregiving more manageable, supportive, and rewarding!

This course will present a series of skills that can be used to de-escalate and manage general and specific crisis situations. Peer and Family Supports will learn the important role of communications, empathy, body language, and how avoid roadblocks in lessening intense behaviors.

AT THE END OF THIS 3-HOUR COURSE, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO:

• Recognize practices of providing support before crisis or escalation happens

• Expand knowledge of skills to calm any situation

• Learn the important role of communication, empathy, and body language, and how to avoid roadblocks

• Ensure least restrictive option is provided

• Understand the required documentation needed for an incident

This course will be virtual on zoom

Opioid use is at an epidemic level, and who better to answer the call of hope and support than peer and family support professionals. Opioid use has a deep and unique place in history, where it has been both romanticized and demonized. Today, we know that meaningful lives are devastated and even lost daily. This course provides an in-depth knowledge of how to support people who are living with opioid use dependency or disorder.

AT THE END OF THIS 8-HOUR COURSE, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO:

• Understand the why’s and how’s of the opioid epidemic 

• Differentiate the ways the brain responds to opioid use compared to other substances 

• Use high-end cultural competencies to build rapport with people who have opioid dependence 

• Utilize the principles of trauma-informed care to support people who feel trapped by their opioid use 

• Explain the principles of harm-reduction and appreciate the role that medication can play in a comprehensive approach to treatment

• Identify signs of a potential opioid overdose and how to administer naloxone  

In recent audits and provider reviews, it has become clear that there is need for clarification on requirements for Peer and Family Supports in Arizona. This course will focus on increasing organizational compliance and effectiveness with peer and family supports.

• Understand AHCCCS policy related to Peer and Family Support (AMPM 963 and 964)

• Explore supervision requirements and best practices

• Understand requirements for CEU’s

• Recognizing the value of peer and family supports as evidence based practices

• Increase clarity on Peer and Family Support reporting the AHCCCS and Health plans

Join us Virtually on Zoom

As a lived experienced professional, we know that personal disclosure creates rapport and supports individuals seeking services, yet it can be a challenge to find the appropriate balance. This class will create self-awareness and provide practical methods for the professional Peer worker to create a balance of sharing your story as needed for the individuals benefit.

AT THE END OF THIS 3-HOUR COURSE, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO:

• Identify the various benefits of sharing personal stories, including reducing stigma and providing hope.

• Gain insights into structuring a narrative that highlights personal growth and transformation.

• Review the unique boundaries and ethical risks for a lived experience professional

• Identify how to stay in scope and work as part of an integrated care team

• Ensure the members best interests are upheld while providing services

• Sharing appropriate length/content for healing 

• Gain practical tips for sharing personal stories effectively and publicly..

The Layperson Naloxone (NARCAN) training will teach you how to recognize the signs of an opioid overdose and how to administer the opioid overdose reversal drug Naloxone.

The Layperson Naloxone (NARCAN) training course is suitable for laypersons, including, but not limited to businesses, organizations, community members, educators, faith groups, government and health care professionals, parents and caregivers, pharmacies, school nurses, senior living facilities, sober living communities, treatment and recovery centers, and more.

TOPICS INCLUDE

• Recognize the signs of an opioid overdose.

• Demonstrate how to administer the opioid overdose reversal drug Naloxone.

• Discuss the role of harm reduction in the overall opioid public health crisis solutions / action plan / strategy.

• List a minimum of three overdose prevention tips for people who use drugs (PWUD)

This course includes pre-homework that is REQUIRED to receive the certification.

Youth Mental Health First Aid is designed to teach parents, family members, caregivers, teachers, school staff, peers, neighbors, health and human services workers, and other caring citizens how to help an adolescent (age 12-18) who is experiencing a mental health or addictions challenge or is in crisis. Youth Mental Health First Aid is primarily designed for adults who regularly interact with young people. The course introduces common mental health challenges for youth, reviews typical adolescent development, and teaches a 5-step action plan for how to help young people in both crisis and non-crisis situations. Topics covered include anxiety, depression, substance use, disorders in which psychosis may occur, disruptive behavior disorders (including AD/HD), and eating disorders.

Youth Mental Health First Aid teaches you how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges among adolescents ages 12-18.

AFTER THE COURSE, YOU’LL BE ABLE TO:

• Recognize common signs and symptoms of mental health challenges, including anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and attention deficit hyperactive disorder.

• Recognize common signs and symptoms of substance use challenges.

• Understand how to interact with a young person in crisis.

• Know how to connect a young person with help.

• Better understand trauma, psychosis, and the impact of social media and bullying.

This course consists of 1-2-hours of virtual self-paced content followed by 5 hours of live training via Zoom with yours truly. Youth Mental Health First Aid offers a 3-year certification.

PFCA is excited to offer Mental Health First Aid with our experienced trainers.

This course runs from 9:00am - 4pm. It will have pre-homework that is REQUIRED to attend.

Mental Health First Aid training is designed to give members of the public key skills to help someone who is developing a mental health problem or experiencing a mental health crisis.

Each course consists of 1-2-hours of virtual self-paced coursework followed by 5-6 hours of virtual instructor-led training via Zoom. Participants from anywhere in the globe are welcome to register! You must be 18 years of age or older to attend this course.

MHFA training is included on the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices.

MHFA Certification, which must be renewed every three years, teaches participants to:

• Identify the impact of mental health challenges on the well-being of adults in the U.S.

• Explain that recovery from a mental health challenge is possible.

• Recognize the potential risk factors and warning signs for a range of mental health problems.

• Use a 5-step action plan to help an individual in crisis connect with appropriate professional help.

• Interpret the prevalence of various mental health disorders in the U.S. and the need for reduced negative attitudes in their communities.

• Choose appropriate methods for self-care following the application of Mental Health First Aid in a crisis or non-crisis situation.

Care coordination is an activity rather than a service. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) defines care coordination as “deliberately organizing consumer care activities and sharing information among all of the participants concerned with a consumer’s care to achieve safer and more effective care. This means the patient’s needs and preferences are known ahead of time and communicated at the right time to the right people, and that this information is used to provide safe, appropriate, and effective care to the patient. 

• Understanding the basics of system navigation and stakeholders to collaborate with  

• Recognize the difference between clinical vs. lived experience services.  

• Professional Collaboration and Coordination  

• Understanding requirements for Child and Family Team meetings (CFT’s) and Adult Recovery Teams (ARTs)  

• Understand the structure and purposes of a staffing 

• System Navigation 

• “Clinical” vs mutual help  

• Who’s on first? Professional Collaboration/Coordination  

• CFT, ART, and staffing basic overview 

Do you struggle with how to complete or manage your needed documentation? We will discuss some best practices and techniques to write quality documentation.

• Ensure awareness of legal requirements for medical records

• Understand ethical considerations for record keeping

• Recognize best practices for documentation, ISP goals, and billing codes.

• Reduce Fraud, Waste and Abuse in billing practices.

• Practice Documentation

This course will Be virtual on Zoom.

If we learned anything from our history books, it’s these two things: we need vigilant advocacy to keep our society true to its citizens and that well‐planned advocacy works to change the hearts and minds of society. Peer and family support professionals have a specialized tool for advocacy: Our Story. Our story has the power to change laws, policies, and systems. Our story has the power to help us get our personal needs met. Our story has the power to demonstrate all the possibilities others can achieve through self‐advocacy. In this course, you will explore all the different forms of advocacy and develop a deep sense of how to respond when things aren’t as they should be.

Ethics and boundaries are essential protection for ourselves and the individuals we serve. Together we will navigate some professional ethics and boundaries to provide clarity in what can feel gray.

· Develop understanding of essential ethics and boundaries

· Explore how to engage in ethical behaviors and practices

· Understand how to set appropriate boundaries with members while maintaining a positive relationship

· Reducing countertransference

· Recognizing need for effective warm hand offs

This course is online via zoom

People who have experienced justice involvement and incarceration face unique hardships and challenges in society. Research shows that the level of support an individual receives directly influences how a person navigates their path to community integration. In this immersive course, family support professionals will gain invaluable knowledge and develop critical intervention skills to support individuals re-entering the community after incarceration.

AT THE END OF THIS 8-HOUR COURSE, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO:

• Reduce recidivism by facilitating successful reentry of the individuals served

• Outline the inner workings of the criminal justice system

• Evaluate the effectiveness of interventions at various points of contact

• Analyze the unique challenges and opportunities of reentry

• Explain the relationship between trauma-informed care and justice involvement

• Formulate how to support individuals as they navigate reentry

Arizona has one of the 3rd largest American Indian/Native Population in the US. Learning about and celebrating Indigenous culture is one way to foster and encourage cultural pride. It is often essential to develop relationships based on mutual trust and active participation. This unique population has some different options related to their health care and liaisons to support.

• Build knowledge of the 22 federally recognized tribes/indigenous communities.

•  Understand important considerations for providing culturally mindful services

• Learn how the health care systems can differ including connecting with the tribal liaisons 

Strong facilitation skills can transform problems into opportunities. In this course, you will practice weaving key facilitator competencies into a flexible facilitation approach. You will develop strategies to facilitate challenging scenarios through planning, feedback, discussion, and practical application. 

• Expand knowledge for increased member engagement and 1:1 supports 

• Develop competencies for effective group facilitation 

• Discuss strategies for adjusting facilitation in a virtual environment 

• Design strategies to adjust your facilitation approach for different audiences 

• Member engagement techniques  

• Effectively engaging in 1:1 services  

• Facilitating groups to meet members needs while being engaging 

Our health system is complex, as supporters we often collaborate and engage with different professionals and members. It can be important to understand the different mental health professionals’ roles and the clinical language they use at times. Additionally, it can be helpful to have a basic understanding of various mental health conditions including symptoms and observable behaviors. Our goal for this training is to prepare you with the skills for quality care coordination.

• Recognizing the differences of mental health professionals.

• Understanding clinical terminatory and coordination of care.

• Identify mental Health Conditions including symptoms and observable behaviors.

This Course will take place online via Zoom

It can be a truly fun and rewarding job to support youth and young people in their journey, yet it also can be filled with several unique challenges. Your ability to work collaboratively with young people is a key factor in determining their success toward achieving their own goals and growth. When you are able to lean into chaos and roll with resistance using some grit and some tenderness, you can foster health, healing, and fun.

• Learn the values and virtue of effectively engaging with young people.

• Explore creative collaboration approaches for working with young people.

• Gain an understanding of a youth advocacy model that emphasizes how youth workers can support young people’s skill development.

• Learn how to empower youth to be self-advocates and take the lead.

• Youth Involvement Protocol

This course will take place online via Zoom

We all get older, but how can we support our aging members with dignity and compassion? Older adults living with psychiatric labels have unique needs in terms of wellness, health, and connections to communities of their choice. They frequently face changes in their circumstances.

This course will take place online via Zoom

It’s essential that we can support our members in moving from interdependence to independence. We want to ensure they can build their resilience and self-sufficiency.

·    Understand and recognize the causes of interdependence and institutionalization

·    Identify why it is essential to increase member independence and growth

·    Understand the importance of risk taking for those we serve

·    Exploring ways to promote independence with those we serve 

The course on the 8 dimensions of wellness with a focus on social determinants of health provides an in-depth exploration of various aspects of well-being, including physical, emotional, intellectual, spiritual, environmental, financial, occupational, and social wellness. Through this course, students will gain a comprehensive understanding of how these dimensions interconnect and impact overall health and quality of life. Additionally, the course will delve into the social determinants of health, examining how factors such as socioeconomic status, education, employment, social support networks, and access to healthcare services influence individual and community well-being. Students will learn strategies for promoting wellness across these dimensions and addressing disparities in health outcomes related to social determinants.

· Discovering wellness by looking at needs and the whole person.

· Learning the 8 Dimensions of wellness

· Understanding the cross-section of 8 Dimensions and Social Determinants of Health (SDOH)

· Promoting growth with each dimension for those we support.