We offer half-day, full-day and multiple-day training sessions on a variety of issues and topics. Below is a sampling of the sessions that we offer.  To tailor a series or presentation on a topic specific to the needs of your organization, contact us at 610-639-3389 or m.mjbernstein@verizon.net.

The Challenge of "Who" Leadership                                                                                                                                   We lead not by virtue of our title or position, but by virtue of who we are and what we stand for.  This multi-part series focuses on principles of leadership and its execution in activities such as coaching, managing conflict, communicating and listening well, decision-making and team development.  (This series is offered in three, four or five sessions)

Becoming Great: The Role of Coaching in Enhancing Performance, Productivity, and Potential                           For employees to truly succeed in their work, they need more than supervision.  The true art of coaching involves guiding, teaching and motivating others.  Designed for agency supervisors, this seminar session will focus on the “nuts and bolts” of coaching (building trust, listening well and giving feedback) and will demonstrate ways of empowering and inspiring others that help employees go from good to great.                   

How Adults Learn: Tips and Techniques for Consultants and Trainers                                                             Designed for supervisors and employees who conduct training in their agencies, this session will discuss the principles of adult learning and the factors that contribute to maximum retention in adult learners.  The session will also focus on identifying styles of learning and teaching strategies that meet those specific needs and preferences.

Taking the Reins: A Workshop for Aspiring Supervisors                                                                             This session is designed for agency personnel who are interested in becoming a supervisor or are curious about what it takes to be a supervisor in our field.   We’ll discuss the “real” role of the supervisor and the pros and cons of taking on this important position.    We’ll also examine the criteria for being an effective supervisor.  Participants will be encouraged to “look in the mirror” in assessing the positive characteristics that they would bring to this role and the areas in which they would need to improve in order to be an excellent supervisor. 

Facilitating Groups                                                                                                                                     The concept of synergy suggests that the performance of people working in groups is greater than the sum of their efforts in working alone.  This session will discuss ways of creating synergy in groups through careful and deliberate facilitation.  Topics to be explored include, how to make meetings fun (really!); joint decision-making; getting “buy-in” from staff members; and promoting the team identity.   

Embracing Diversity: Stirring the Melting Pot                                                                                            As our workplace becomes more diverse, we need to reinforce the practice of respect for individual differences, lifestyles and ways of looking at the world.  This seminar will propose strategies for working together through listening and understanding and through the sharing of values and ideas. 

The Art of Training: Keeping People on the Right Track                                                                       Designed for agency employees who teach or train other employees, this seminar will provide tips and techniques for making training sessions productive and enjoyable.  Topics will include icebreakers, teaching games, energizers, closers and dealing with difficult trainees.

Doing One Thing More: Promoting Excellence in Customer Service                                                           From the receptionist answering the phone to the Division Director meeting with funding sources, from the Direct Support Professional talking with parents to the Front Line Supervisor ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­addressing the needs of a supervisee, the principles and skills of customer service are the same. In this training session, you will develop and strengthen skills and strategies for providing excellent and consistent customer service that will enhance the reputation and commitment to quality that your agency has come to stand for.  We will review and discuss the four principles of excellent customer service and will focus on the tools needed to effectively listen, deal with anger, solve problems, create win-win situations and do one thing more. 

Overcoming Negativity: The Power of Positive Thinking                                                                     Negative attitudes drain our motivation and our ability to provide quality services in the work we do.  This powerful seminar will offer ways for participants to deal with their own negativity and the negativity of others in an effort to create a work environment where everyone thrives.  

Seeing the Cow: Strategies for Enhancing Creativity and Innovation on the Job                                         One of the great challenges that professional staff face is finding creative and innovative ways to support and enhance the quality of life of the people they support.  This dynamic and entertaining session will challenge you to think “laterally” and out of the proverbial box.

Burn, Baby, Burn?: Working with Stress                                                                                                 Most human service workers agree that there is not enough stress in their lives.  JUST KIDDING! If unchecked, stress can lead to physical and emotional problems and eventually to burnout and separation from the agency.  This seminar will go beyond the “pop” methods for reducing stress and will show how stress truly is in the eye of the beholder.

Fixing the Vending Machine: Successfully Negotiating Change                                                                     It has been said that change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.  This session will explore the dynamics of change and will offer tips and techniques for embracing, or at least coping, with change in the workplace. 

Time is On My Side: Strategies for Effective Time Management                                                                 The conscious and disciplined use of time can be a great aid in enhancing the quality of one’s personal and professional life.  In this session, we will explore how you spend your time, what causes you to waste time and what the real secret of time management is. 

Conflict at Work: Issues in Conflict Management                                                                                    What is conflict?  Why are we so uncomfortable with it?  What are some healthy ways of handling conflict within an organization?   Explore the dynamics of conflict and learn how you can help work toward positive outcomes while thinking creatively about alternatives for handling conflict.

Working With Your “Boss”                                                                                                                 Having a problem with your supervisor?  Want to enhance an already good relationship?  This seminar examines relationship issues and offers practical tips for managing your boss and communicating effectively with her/him.

Setting, Achieving and Exceeding Personal and Professional Goals
In this interactive seminar, participants will discuss ways of “sharpening the saw” and will gain greater insight into the values and principles that motivate them in the work that they do.  We will also develop “SMART” goals for their personal and professional lives that are specific, measurable, appropriate, realistic and timely.

Sisyphus Dissed: Ten Ways Direct Support Staff can Gain Greater Satisfaction and Success in Their Work
Attendees will discover the importance of setting a vision and deciding what they want from their work.  They will learn the “tools of the trade” that are essential to success; examine the importance of listening and direct communication in learning from and working with each other; and will uncover the “hidden” quality that is essential for satisfaction and success on the job.

DISABILITY RELATED TOPICS

Making Choices, Large and Small                                                                                                           The activist Judith Snow said that choosing between two options, both of which keep you small, is not self-determination.  This session will explore ways in which we are inadvertently or unconsciously keeping people “small” in our homes and in our centers.  Attendees will leave this session with specific strategies for promoting more choice (and greater risk) for the people they support while ensuring an atmosphere of security, dignity, respect and belonging. 

Person Centered Planning: The Nuts and Bolts of Hopes and Dreams                                                      Person centered planning is at the heart of achieving the quality of life that a person desires.  In this unique session, we will look at the critical components of a person centered planning meeting and discuss how to prepare for, run or participate in one.  We will also examine ways of gathering information and understanding the needs and desires of the focus individual and how to advocate for him/her with other members of the team.

And Justice for All?  Ethical and Legal Issues Involving People with Disabilities                                            As people with disabilities increase their participation in all areas of the community, questions and concerns involving legal and criminal issues are coming to the forefront.  This timely session will examine this topic and will look at the realities and implications for people with disabilities who commit or are victims of crime.

Issues in Sexuality and Intimacy                                                                                                          Many of the people we support do not have the opportunity for warm and intimate relationships with others.  This frank session will discuss the issues and obstacles involved in this most sensitive subject and will offer ideas for counseling and educating people in making correct and appropriate decisions.  

The Phone is For You:  Issues in Adolescent Development                   
The period of adolescence is a difficult one, particularly for those with disabilities.  This session will explore the problems and issues faced by adolescents, effective ways of working with adolescents and their families, and the symptoms, characteristics and strategies for working with adolescents with attention disorders, behavioral and learning problems, bipolar disorder and depression.

The Customer is Always Right: Providing Quality Service                                                                            As professionals, we need to be responsive to people we support, their families, the agency, the community and each other.  This session will ask participants to examine their own level of customer service and to discuss the challenges of having to do so much for so many.

Self-Determination:  Are We There Yet?                                                                                                   The movement toward greater choice and independence for people with disabilities continues to grow.  This session will take a look at the latest in the area of self-determination, including support brokerage, choice models and innovative practices around the country.

Life Goes On:  Critical Issues in the Lives of Adolescents, Adults and Older People with Disabilities
The transitions from one stage of life to the next are often more difficult for people with disabilities.  For adolescents, adults and older people, the continuing struggle is for enhanced independence and increased quality of life.  This session will look at the latest information in areas such as transition from school to work, sexuality, marriage, parenting, residential options, and the effect of the aging process on people with disabilities.

Living in the Free World: Natural Supports in the Community and Workplace
To be truly included, a person needs to be not just a member in the community, but a member of the community.  In our work and leisure lives, the only way to achieve this is through the process of natural supports, i.e. partnering with individuals who are already part of the social fabric of that community.  This session will look at innovative strategies for building community, fostering meaningful relationships, and promoting greater success and stability in employment settings.

We Are Family: Working with Families, Siblings and Each Other
Professionals are often challenged by the demands of working with family members and with other professional staff.  In our relationships with others, we need to listen and understand and we need to be clear in our communication.  This session will offer ideas and techniques for enhancing working and professional relationships.  It will also provide greater insight into the challenges and triumphs of raising and living with a person with a disability from the perspective of parents and siblings.