All Crisis Center volunteers who wish to answer calls
that come to us through our Crisis Lines begin with
forty hours of training.
Before working on the Suicide or Crisis
telephone lines, potential phone counselors learn how
to assess for lethality and de-escalate situations where
individuals are at risk. They work on listening closely
and communicating empathy through a medium that is entirely
verbal.
Volunteers also learn more specific
skills and information about rape:
- sexual abuse
- domestic violence
- addictions
- grief
- common mental health problems and their treatment
- resources available to our callers.
After the initial training, volunteers
spend several hours listening to crisis calls before
answering calls themselves.
Ongoing training is given each year
to help our phone counselors continue to develop their
knowledge and skills.
Over the past 35 years the Crisis Center
has honed its core training and added new areas of conversation
as needs have arisen. The Crisis Center is accredited
through the American Association of Suicidology and
our training is reviewed by the AAS for its relevance
and efficacy.
Some of our training is open to the
public. The training we offer can be counted as continuing
education for social workers in Tennessee. The upcoming
continuing education opportunities at the Crisis Center
are listed below.
Need Two CE Hours?
Lesbian,
Gay,
Bisexual, and
Transgender Person Sensitivity
Training
We welcome you to participate
in this two hour training to:
- practice
the use of LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender,
and questioning) sensitive language,
- recognize
the issues particular to this community, and
- discuss
ways of communicating openness and safety to LGBTQ
persons.
When will this sensitivity
training be offered?
Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2pm-4pm
Saturday, Dec. 4 , 9am – 11am
Monday, Dec. 6, 9am - 11am
Tuesday, Dec. 7, 7pm - 9pm
Thursday, Dec. 9, 6pm - 8pm
Why should you participate
in our LGBT Sensitivity Training?
- Because you recognize that the language
you use gives your clients clues about your openness
to discussing topics related to sexuality.
- Because you know that familiarity with the issues
facing LGBTQ persons would help you demonstrate
empathy by helping you ask more relevant questions.
- Because you would like to participate in a conversation
with your colleagues about particular ways to communicate
openness and safety about these topics.
- Because the NASW
Code of Ethics and the APA
Ethics Code encourage you to seek education
about social diversity, including sexual orientation.
See an excerpt from their online Codes of Ethics
below.
What will this sensitivity
training not cover?
- This sensitivity training will not try to cover
the complex moral, religious, and ethical claims
set forth by various religious, political, mental
health, and human rights organizations regarding
the moral or ethical status of LGBTQ persons. Instead
it will assume that whatever your religious or ethical
position on this matter, you desire to treat LGBTQ
individuals in a sensitive and empathetic manner.
- This sensitivity training will not cover particular
methods of therapy. We are not teaching particular
therapeutic strategies. Rather, we will be discussing
language and awareness of issues that will be helpful
in many contexts.
How can you participate?
- Print and complete a registration form.
- Include a check, money order, or credit card information
payable to the Crisis Center for $30 per person.
- Mail your registration form to Crisis Center,
attention Bren Keith, PO Box 40752,
Nashville, TN 37204
- Contact Bren Keith, CMSW, or Stephanie Barger
if you have any additional questions:
Bren Keith: 615.724.1328 or Bren@CrisisCntr.Org
Stephanie Barger: 615.298.3359, ext. 223 or StepBarg@CrisisCntr.Org
Where will this sensitivity
training be offered?
- The Crisis Center’s location is confidential.
We will send you directions once we have received
your registration. You may also call the Crisis
Center for directions.
- If your organization or group would like to participate,
contact us to negotiate off-site training and a
group rate.
Below is an excerpt from the
current National Association of Social Workers Code
of Ethics.
To read more go to: http://www.socialworkers.org/pubs/code/code.asp
"1.05
Cultural Competence and Social Diversity
(a) Social workers should understand culture and its
function in human behavior and society, recognizing
the strengths that exist in all cultures.
(b) Social workers should have a knowledge base of their
clients' cultures and be able to demonstrate competence
in the provision of services that are sensitive to clients'
cultures and to differences among people and cultural
groups.
(c) Social workers should obtain education about and
seek to understand the nature of social diversity and
oppression with respect to race, ethnicity, national
origin, color, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital
status, political belief, religion, and mental or physical
disability.”
Below is an excerpt from the American
Psychological Association’s Ethical Principles
of Psychologists and Code of Conduct.
To read more go to http://www.apa.org/ethics/code2002.html
“2.01
Boundaries of Competence
(a) Psychologists provide services, teach, and conduct
research with populations and in areas only within the
boundaries of their competence, based on their education,
training, supervised experience, consultation, study,
or professional experience.
(b) Where scientific or professional knowledge in the
discipline of psychology establishes that an understanding
of factors associated with age, gender, gender identity,
race, ethnicity, culture, national origin, religion,
sexual orientation, disability, language, or socioeconomic
status is essential for effective implementation of
their services or research, psychologists have or obtain
the training, experience, consultation, or supervision
necessary to ensure the competence of their services,
or they make appropriate referrals, except as provided
in Standard 2.02, Providing Services in Emergencies.
Click here for a
printable registration form. (.pdf)
(requires the
FREE Adobe Acrobat Reader - click
here to download) |
