Our Services
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Work force development
I have been delivering professional development training for approximately 15 years that meet DAPAANZ and Social work professional body standards. Each training combines a combination lived experience, professional experience, and clinical understanding, I can tailor make trainings to suit your line of work, and available times. A large proportion of my training’s are Drug and Alcohol Practitioners Association Aotearoa New Zealand (DAPAANZ) recognized.
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Alcohol and other drugs
Training on this topic can be anything from a 1 hour information session to a full 2 day clinical training, and anything in between. Whatever you choose you will get accurate, evidence based and up to date information. Included in the trainings is information on why we use from a biological psychological and social perspective, how certain drugs work on us, signs symptoms and interventions strategies.
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Methamphetamine
I have been recognized as one of Aotearoa/New Zealand’s leading trainer/educators on methamphetamine and have been part of the fight against methamphetamine since my recovery from it in 2005.
I have been part of delivering this training for the Te Ara Oranga Northland’s methamphetamine project, as well as delivering this training for many schools as part of its year 13 curriculum, and health conferences.
Like all my trainings, I can tailor make to suit; for example GP services may only be able to spend an hour on professional development, whereas schools may want it tailored to suit lecture times. Mental health and addictions practitioners for their professional development may require a half day or full day.
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Cannabinoids
This training takes a modern look at cannabis, synthetic cannabinoids the endo cannabinoid system, and medical cannabinoids. It can be delivered lecture or workshop style depending on the audience; I delivered this training to year 10 students through to Procare G.P’s.
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Motivational Interviewing
“Motivational Interviewing is a collaborative goal-oriented style of communication with particular attention to the language of change. It is designed to strengthen personal motivation for, and commitment to, a specific goal by eliciting and exploring the person’s own reasons for change within an atmosphere of acceptance and compassion.” - Miller and Rollnick, 2013
This can be delivered at beginner, intermediate or integrated levels normally half or full days, but have found that 90-minute Zoom sessions have become quite popular.
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Non Violence Crisis Intervention – Communication de-escalation
This is an essential training for many service industries, how to work assertively and safely managing our own and or clients escalation. Working with good active listing skills, overcoming communication barriers, looking at body language, voice tone use, as well as systems and environments. I have delivered this training for both nonclinical and community teams
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Suicide Intervention and risk assessment
This workshop/training can be delivered to clinical assessment teams, support workers or to the community, either half day or full day sessions. From understanding suicidal ideation, completion, though to how to assess risk and appropriately supporting someone that’s struggling.
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Cognitive behavioral therapy for addictions
From beginner to integrated, these trainings are for the beginner a refresher or for those that want to enhance their CBT skills, can be delivered online, face to face either half or full day.
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Self-care in the helping profession
A 90 minute zoom or half day, and suits anyone working in the helping profession. This can be delivered to a diverse range of professionals, form peer support specialist’s, clinical teams to businesses that want to look after their staff; learning skills to help relax and abate vicarious trauma, stress and burnout.
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Depression Anxiety and PTSD
This topic can be delivered all together or separately, 90-minute sessions to full day workshops, from assessment to intervention strategies all covered. This has been delivered in the community settings many times and is not limited to specialists.
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Peer support working with clinical/management teams
With lived experience, consumer and peer support roles growing fast within mental health and addiction clinical settings as well as the community with the likes of hope navigators, this training is designed for both peer and clinical/management teams to understand each other’s roles and aligns with the 2021 competencies.
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Co existing problems (CEP)
Co existing problems CEP is a more modern terminology for dual diagnosis or co existing disorders, acknowledging that people who struggle with mental wellbeing and addiction often have more than this going on for them. This training looks at the interaction between mental health and addictions, assessment, and interventions.
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Group facilitation
This training looks at the art of facilitation group process dealing with conflict and more. This training can be delivered to those starting up in group work/facilitation or can be tailored to those already running groups and wanting to upskill.
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Youth Education, Schools, University
Over the last 14 years I have had the pleasure of educating in schools, alternative education, universities, sports clubs, and Mess NZ is a Ministry of Education recognized provider.
I deliver Methamphetamine training for year 13 health science, meeting and exceeding the curriculum requirement, AOD training for year 10 to 12. Often working with different Universities to deliver AOD content to students or those who look after students during their stay.
These trainings are often between 1 and 2 hours and can be delivered for a small class to several hundred in an auditorium.
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Community development
I have a passion for community and don’t believe that specialists mental health and addiction services alone can curb the tide of those struggling. I believe we need to develop the capacity of our communities to self-heal. This happens by giving the resources and skills to the community themselves, supporting them with pathways to funding, and offering them training and supports in areas they identify. I have had the privilege of being part of several grass roots driven projects from initial consultation, through to continued ongoing training and support.
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Peer/lived experience supervision
Peer Support specialists, Hope navigators, change agents, consumer representatives the peer, lived experience, consumer workforce is growing fast, and just as our clinical team’s access supervision to abate vicarious trauma, burnout and support professional and personal development so does our peer workforce. If you are looking for someone who has lived and clinical experience and has been delivering peer supervision for many years, lets see if we fit.
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Consultation
Since 2006 I have been part of many large and small projects in a consulting role, from championing for the first AOD peer support roles in NZ in 2006 on the board of ALAC representing addiction and mental health voices, to being part of Taranaki DHBs peer lead procurement process for an addiction service the first of its kind in NZ. If you want to develop a service to help whanau young or old who are struggling with mental health and/or addictions and Co existing problems and want support to develop this aligning it with evidence and best outcomes, give me a call.
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Counselling
I usually only take on a few clients at a time with all the other work I do and try and work with our young men who are in the justice settings, however I do know many services in NZ, if I am unable to take you on as a client, I can point you in the right direction.
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Trauma informed Care
Trauma informed care acknowledges the high prevalence of trauma experiences in persons who receive, Mental Health, Addictions, and general health services. This training is either half or full day, and can be delivered in both clinical and non-clinical settings. This training provides a thorough understanding of the profound neurological, biological, psychological, and social effects of trauma on those we work alongside.
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Other ways we can tork together
Over the last 10 years I have been asked to develop trainings and workshops to meet the needs of community organizations, and have these ready to deliver over and above the core trainings above, these include:
Managing ADHD behaviors
Alcohol and the Brain including FASD
Alcohol ABC
Managing annoying people
A conversation around anger
Self-esteem and assertiveness -skills