Training – For people who wish to help others

Bringing Families Together – Reaching Goals Together

Our training team consists of people who have worked in the fields of conflict resolution, social work, counseling, training, curriculum development, staff development and most importantly – family conference coordinating and facilitating.

We bring more than 30 years experience working with children and families together to help you and your loved ones reach agreements.

A little about our training

We offer training that will compliment your agencies programs, your staff’s skills and techniques or help you develop new programs and train new staff for programs designed to assist families – either with issues around children and parenting or around aging issues and older adults. We offer presentations, workshops and retreats that are energizing and informative.

Overview

Over the years we have been involved with a variety of services and programs designed to benefit families. We’ve seen what seems to work, and what definitely is not working. We’ve been successful with a variety of services and programs and are now bringing them to families, agencies and organizations. As more organizations and communities implement and use facilitated meetings we understand that high-quality training and technical assistance significantly impacts the viability and effectiveness of the practice. Since 1986, the Minnesota Center for Conflict Resolution (MCCR) has been working with individuals, families and organizations to reduce conflict and resolve issues peacefully. Over the years we’ve branched out from strictly mediating disputes to starting peer mediation programs in schools; working with families, neighborhoods and businesses; aging issues with the Age-ing to Sage-ing™ program; Wraparound, Circles and then Family Group Decision Making processes; and now our Family Conversations program.

As families change and research advances new ideas and supports new and old beliefs, MCCR continues to look forward to new methods that tackle old problems. Family Conversations is our newest program… developed in 2003.

Who can benefit from using this process?
These are just some of the people, agencies, businesses and organizations who could make use of this process.

• Social Service agencies that serve families and youth
• Correction Facilities
• Mental health centers
• HMOs and other medical facilities
• Churches, synagogues and other faith communities
• Schools
• Older adults, retirees, seniors
• Adult children with aging parents or other relatives
• Hospice organizations
• Nursing Homes, assisted living buildings, retirement communities
• Faith Communities
• Veterans Administration
• Social services agencies that serve older adults
• Senior financial advisors
• Elder Law attorneys and financial planners

Follow-up and follow through

Once agencies or individuals participate in our training we continue to work with them to design, implement, and revise their Family Conversations and/or FGDM program. We are available for consultation after the training is completed – we don’t leave you on your own. We want you and your program to be successful. This follow up is done either in person or over the phone.

Training

We offer a variety of experiential training that combines FGDM processes and skills with gerontological information and Age-ing to Sage-ing ™ wisdom. We don’t waste your time with cute games and props that may be enjoyable at the time, but do little to enhance your skills and techniques in dealing with adults, older adults and/or children. We intertwine theoretical material with interactive exercises, large and small group discussions, lectures, opportunities to reflect on, and pursue, questions about families, children and older adults – and most important, the opportunity to practice what we’re learning. We teach to a variety of learning styles and are open to feedback as the training develops. We give feedback, ideas, comments and help to all who request it. Our goal is to make our training as safe and comfortable as our family meetings.

If you are an agency or organization, we tailor our training to fit the needs of your staff and clients. We work with you to develop sessions that will compliment what you already may be doing, or previous training. Our training mirrors Family Group in that it’s family- centered, strength-based and a collaborative problem solving process.

Our training include:

2-day Family Conversations training (FGDM experience necessary)

• A two-day training includes: information about aging and older adults - their social, emotional, physical, intellectual and spiritual sides. Types of cases and potential referral sources. Issues that face older adults and their families.
• We are available to travel to your location for on-site training.

3-day Family Group Decision Making training (for coordinators and facilitators)

• A three-day training includes: an overview of the FGDM models and processes. Types of cases and potential referral sources, including appropriate issues for families to bring to a Family Conference. Training is available for FGDM administrators, coordinators and facilitators. We are available to travel to your location for on-site training.

4-day Family Conversations training (no previous FGDM training)

• Combines the best of FGDM and Family Conversations training with time to practice and become comfortable with the process. We are available to travel to your location for on-site training.

Mediation and custom conflict resolution training – new skills and programs to address old issues

• We work with groups – families, schools, organizations, agencies, and businesses to teach skills and processes to your members. We are available to travel to your location.

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