Training

In order to increase the capacity of local towns, coalitions, and other organizations, SERAC provides a variety of evidence based training and topical presentations. Trainings are offered at low to no cost based on current grant funding. There are several options for youth, parents, school professionals, treatment providers, and community-based providers.

QPR: Question, Persuade, Refer Suicide Prevention

The ultimate goal of the QPR training is to help community members prevent suicide attempts and completions. As a result of this training, participants will be able to recognize risk factors and warning signs and understand the myths and facts associated with suicide. Knowledge of referral sources will be addressed as well as increasing intervention skills.

Length: 1 hour 30 minutes
Target Audience: Adults, youth

Connect Suicide Prevention Project

The goal of the Connect training is to improve skills for suicide prevention, intervention and postvention. Suicide will be examined as a public health issue and participants will understand their role as a Gatekeeper. Risk and warning signs will be thoroughly looked at as well as the expectations of professionals. Reducing stigma and encouraging treatment is a highlight of this program.

Length: 4 - 6 hours
Target Audience: Adults, youth, community and campus groups

Mental Health First Aid

Mental Health First Aid is a public education program that helps identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders. Mental Health First Aid is an interactive 8-hour course that presents an overview of mental illness and substance use disorders in the U.S. and introduces participants to risk factors and warning signs of mental health problems. The program builds understanding of the impact of these illnesses and disorders, and also overviews common treatments. The 8-hour course is a certification for Mental Health First Aiders to learn a 5-step action plan encompassing the skills, resources and knowledge to help an individual in crisis connect with appropriate professional, peer, social, and self-help care.

Length: 8 hour certification (or two 4-hour sessions)
Target Audience: Primary care professionals, employers and business leaders, faith communities, school personnel and educators, state police and corrections officers, nursing home staff, mental health authorities, state policymakers, volunteers, young people, families and the general public.

Youth Mental Health First Aid

Youth Mental Health First Aid is a public education program which introduces participants to the unique risk factors and warning signs of mental health problems in adolescents. The program builds understanding of the importance of early intervention and teaches individuals how to help a youth in crisis or experiencing a mental health or substance use challenge. The course teaches participants the risk factors and warning signs of a variety of mental health challenges common among adolescents, including anxiety, depression, psychosis, eating disorders, AD/HD, disruptive behavior disorders, and substance use disorder. Participants do not learn to diagnose, nor how to provide any therapy or counseling – rather, participants learn a core five-step action plan to support an adolescent developing signs and symptoms of mental illness or in an emotional crisis.

Length: 8 hour certification (two 4-hour sessions) ***If a certification is not needed, a 4 hour training is available.
Target Audience: Adults whom regularly interact or work with adolescents, but may also be appropriate for older adolescents (16 and older) so as to encourage youth peer to peer interaction.
Note: Youth Mental Health First Aid is not specifically designed for parents of youth with mental health challenges. Although parents & families may find the course content useful, the course provides a basic level of information and guidance, rather than more in-depth information on navigating the healthcare system, which parents may wish to explore.

Training for Intervention ProcedureS (TIPS)

TIPS is tailored to a specific setting where alcohol is being purchased or consumed: On Premise, Off Premise and Universities. TIPS training enhances people skills of the servers, sellers and consumers of alcohol. Program participants are trained by certified instructors to detect the signs of intoxication, properly check IDs and gain the confidence needed to intervene effectively to prevent alcohol-related problems. TIPS helps to reduce alcohol liability lawsuits and reduce penalties for alcohol violations. After completing the course examination participants will become TIPS certified.

TIPS for On Premise

This program is specifically designed for establishments where alcohol is being consumed. Employees will learn strategies that ensure responsible alcohol service, promote professionalism, and enhance customer service skills.

Length: 4 hours
Target Audience: Servers at restaurants, bars, hotels, grocery stores and other venders.

TIPS for Off Premise

This program is specifically designed for establishments where alcohol is being purchased and not consumed. Staff and personnel will learn strategies for preventing illegal alcohol sales to underage and/or intoxicated patrons.

Length: 3 hours
Target Audience: Liquor and package stores, grocery stores and convenience stores

Essentials of Asset Building

The Developmental Assets® are 40 positive experiences and qualities that help influence choices young people make in order to help them become caring, responsible, successful adults and protecting them from risk taking behavior. The framework of Developmental Assets proves everyone is an asset builder for children and youth. This training will help participants learn about what they can do to be an individual asset builder and making the Developmental Assets an active part of their life. Participants will be able to understand the Developmental Asset approach, identify characteristics of effective asset builders, explore barriers, and share the message with others.

Length: 4 hours
Target Audience: Community members, coalition leaders and youth workers

CAP: Congregational Assistance Program/Community Awareness Program

The Congregation Assistance Program and the Community Awareness Program (CAP) is designed to help you gain more knowledge and connection with your community with the issues facing our society today. CAP sessions train individuals in organizations, churches and businesses to raise awareness of the real impact of addictions, gambling and suicide prevention. Participants will learn the signs and symptoms of behavioral health issues and the local resources that are available to help. This is not a clinical training, but will train you to recognize the possible warning signs and how to help.

Length: 3 hours
Target Audience: Designed for those working in non-clinical settings, foster parents, union stewards, school staff, office staff and lay ministries

A-SBIRT

A-SBIRT is a comprehensive, integrated, public health approach to the delivery of early intervention and treatment services that adolescent primary care providers can utilize to efficiently incorporate screening, brief advice, brief motivational interventions, referrals for further evaluation and treatment for alcohol and other drug use into routine adolescent visits.

Adolescent Girls and Opioids, a division of A-SBIRT, focuses on the unique issues young women may face when it comes to substance use.

Length: 3 hours
Target Audience: People who work with youth.

Narcan Training

This training provides information on opioids that include street drugs (like heroin) and prescription drugs (like Oxycontin). Opioid overdoses have become epidemic; in Connecticut, on average, two people die every day from an opioid overdose. By the end of this training you will learn how to administer naloxone, also known as Narcan, which can reverse an opioid overdose in a few minutes.

Length: 1 hour
Target Audience: Community partners, local prevention councils, and coalitions

Bank On Your Future

SERAC in collaboration with Chelsea Groton Bank has designed the program Bank on Your Future for local high schools. This program allows the opportunity for students to learn financial literacy as well as problem gambling awareness. Students will be in charge of planning for their future and learning how to spend their money wisely and not make poor decisions. This is a great chance to educate students on problem gambling awareness and how taking risks on an uncertain outcome can affect them not only in the present but in the future.

Length: 2 classes, up to 30 students
Target Audience: Students in grades 11-12

Stacked Deck (Youth Problem Gambling Prevention)

Stacked Deck teaches young people to approach life as smart risk-takers, weighing the pros and cons of their actions to determine the odds of achieving positive results. In 6 interactive lessons, the program teaches about the history of gambling; the true odds and the “house edge;” gambling fallacies; the signs, risk factors, and causes of problem gambling; and skills for good decision-making and problem-solving.

Length: 6 lessons (1 hour each) in classroom setting
Target Audience: Students in grades 9-12; college students

Additional Trainings

Current Drug Trends: This workshop has been designed and updated over the years to give the audience member appropriate and functional information on the issues of gambling, substance abuse, and mental health in Eastern Connecticut.

Energy Drink Risks & Awareness: Are these more harmful than helpful? Join us as we discuss alternative fuels and healthy alternatives to increase your energy.

Problem Gambling Awareness: “21”: This video docu-drama addresses the phenomenon of poker and on-line gambling on college campuses or prior to transitioning to college. This one-hour workshop includes a video and discussion points for students in grades 11-12 and college students.

Right Steps to Sports: This online certification program was created to give youth coaches a better understanding of their impact as a role model and a baseline understanding of youth substance use.

Vaping, Juuls, Mods, E-Cigs…What’s the Trend About? Nicotine delivery products come in all different types now but the addiction to nicotine is the same. We have also found many of the same chemical combinations in the vape smoke as compared to tobacco smoke.