Training

Trauma-Responsive Connection

This signature training series engages participants in enhancing the connection with those who have experienced chronic or complex trauma. The series is typically offered in four 1-2 hour sessions but can be adjusted to meet the needs of the participants:                     

1. Overview of  Trauma
2. Trauma Responses
3. Healing and Resilience
4. Vicarious and Secondary Trauma

Mental Health First Aid

As a Certified Adult, Youth, and teen Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Instructor, I teach a course on how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders. My MHFA certification also includes a designation for the Higher Education population. Find out more about Mental Health First Aid here.

Custom Mental Health Workshops

These workshops are tailored to the audience's needs and may include Mental Health 101, Understanding Depression and Anxiety, Mental Health in the Black Community, Vicarious Trauma, and Self-Care.

Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA)

For CASA, I train volunteer advocates appointed by the Juvenile Court to represent the best interests of abused and neglected children and youth. To date, I have personally trained over 1,000 members of the community. Find out more about CASA here.

Stewards of Children®

Learn how to prevent and respond to one of the most prevalent health problems facing children today: child sexual abuse. Find out more here.

Umatter® Suicide Prevention

After losing my childhood best friend to suicide, I vowed to spread awareness about suicide prevention. This training helps participants learn about and promote mental wellness by addressing bullying, substance use, and suicide prevention.

QPR Gatekeeper 

QPR stands for Question, Persuade, and Refer — the three simple steps anyone can learn to help save a life from suicide. Just as people trained in CPR and the Heimlich Maneuver help save thousands of lives yearly, people trained in QPR learn how to recognize the warning signs of a suicide crisis and question, persuade, and refer someone to help. QPR can be learned in our Gatekeeper course in about one hour. Learn more about QPR here.

Online Safety for Children and Youth

As caregivers and other supportive adults, it is essential to be informed of and talk to children and youth about online safety. In this training, learn strategies to stay informed, monitor usage, and keep the lines of communication open to keep youth safe.

All Children – All Families, a program of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC)

This national training program offers foundational material and advanced content tailored for direct service professionals and caregivers on best practices for affirming LGBTQ+ children, youth, and families. Find out more about this training here.

Mandated Reporter Training (Maryland)

In Maryland, we are all obligated to report suspicions of abuse (Maryland Family Law 5-705). There are specific legal requirements for individuals who come into contact with children and youth because of the nature of their work. As a mandated reporter, you are part of the state-wide safety net that provides life-saving interventions for vulnerable children in our communities. This training provides the information you need to a) understand relevant Maryland laws and your role under the law, b) recognize signs of abuse and neglect, and c) how to go about making a report. 

Positive & Adverse Childhood Experiences (PACEs) 

The science of PACEs refers to the research about the stunning effects of positive and adverse childhood experiences (PACEs) and how they work together to affect our lives and our organizations, systems, and communities. There are five parts to the science of positive and adverse childhood experiences: 1) the burden of childhood adversity on individuals, organizations, systems, and communities, 2) the impact of toxic stress from ACEs on the brain, 3) how toxic stress from ACEs damages our health., 4) how toxic stress from ACEs is passed on from generation to generation and in systems through decades, and 5) and how the brain and body heal through positive childhood experiences, and how we can prevent ACEs.