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JRI Training
Programs

Leading the Way in Trauma-Informed Education

Knowledge is the foundation of progress

We develop our training programs to empower professionals, educators, caregivers, and more with the skills to support and enhance trauma-informed care, resilience, and overall well-being in diverse settings. With a focus on continuous improvement, our training initiatives are at the forefront of transforming the field of mental health and social services. 

We also proudly work with Building Communities of Care (BCC), a comprehensive trauma-informed training program that equips organizations to create supportive, nurturing environments through individualized, strength-based approaches.
Commercial Sexual 
Exploitation of Children (CSEC)

Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC)

These training programs equip professionals with the knowledge and skills needed to effectively identify, prevent, and respond to the exploitation of vulnerable youth. From introductory courses to advanced clinical training, these programs cover various topics, including trauma-informed care, prevention strategies, and the intersection of technology with exploitation.

These trainings are essential for service providers, law enforcement, youth-serving professionals, and mental health care providers working with at-risk youth or survivors of commercial sexual exploitation.

To schedule these trainings for your organization or to request more information, please visit mylifemychoice.org/training or contact:

One-Day Introductory Training
Every day, young people are deceived, manipulated, coerced, and forced into the commercial sex industry. This multibillion-dollar industry is inherently harmful and systematically targets the most vulnerable in our communities. 

Our full-day introductory training gives service providers, law enforcement, and youth-serving professionals the tools needed to better understand, identify, respond, and ultimately, better serve victims of the commercial sexual exploitation of children.
Two-Day Facilitator Certification Training
Become a Certified Facilitator for the My Life My Choice Prevention Curriculum, an evaluated and nationally acclaimed exploitation prevention curriculum aimed at changing youths' perceptions of the commercial sex industry, building self-esteem, and personal empowerment. 

Participants learn to run psycho-educational groups with vulnerable youth in a variety of settings to prevent exploitation and re-victimization. It is the US's first comprehensive, survivor-led curriculum and has been used in 36 states. It is both gender-specific and gender-responsive.
One-Day Advanced Clinical Training
This training gives providers tools to develop trauma-informed clinical programming for youth who have experienced commercial sexual exploitation and provides a space to practice utilizing skills learned through role play, group discussion, and small group work. 

The one-day advanced clinical training is designed for mental health professionals, program-based clinicians, child welfare workers, community-based therapists, in-home therapy teams, and private practice clinicians.
Six-Week Advanced Training
This intensive online training is designed specifically for congregate care settings seeking to create a safer and more engaging environment for youth who have been, or are at risk of, commercial sexual exploitation. 

It’s a highly interactive course comprised of six 75-minute live sessions with an expert trainer and up to 60 minutes of asynchronous content/assignments between live sessions. Participants share current practices and experiences among providers from across the country. They will hear from young people impacted by CSEC and experts in congregate care, CSEC, and law enforcement.
One-Day Training in Collaboration with Children's Advocacy Center of Bristol County
Ninety-five percent of teens have a smartphone or access to one, and vulnerable youth who are most at risk offline are likely to be at greater risk online. This training takes a deep dive into the intersection of technology and exploitation. 

Designed for youth-serving professionals, this training will provide tools to familiarize themselves with the technology youth use daily. It will help participants better understand, identify, respond to, and ultimately, better serve those at greatest risk of commercial sexual exploitation.
One-Day Training in Collaboration with Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts
The extreme trauma commercially sexually exploited youth experience can impact their ability to build healthy relationships and exercise their bodily autonomy within intimate relationships. My Life My Choice and Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts have combined their expertise in commercial sexual exploitation of children and sexuality education to create an evidence-, trauma-, and survivor-informed one-day training. 

It’s designed to help a wide range of youth service providers use intentional and inclusive language to begin conversations with young people about sex and sexuality that reflect the realities of their lives.
10-week Online Certificate Program
This 10-week online certificate program is designed for mental health care providers working with youth and young adults who have experienced commercial sexual exploitation (CSE). Participants will learn and explore traditional and non-traditional approaches to working with survivors of CSE. 

Spanning evidence-based modalities, best practices in building and maintaining effective client relationships, understanding the impact different forms of oppression have on clients with histories of commercial sexual exploitation, and the frameworks and approaches for creating equitable and inclusive therapeutic relationships with clients.
Early Childhood

Early Childhood

We offer a diverse selection of training sessions designed to empower early childhood education professionals. Our comprehensive programs cover a wide range of topics, from social-emotional development to classroom management and trauma support.

We're happy to customize training to meet your specific needs if you don't see a topic you're looking for. Let’s work together to enhance the quality of care and education for young children.

Some training can be modified (shortened or extended) in length. Please contact us for more information. There may also be a travel fee for locations outside of our region.

If you’re interested in early childhood training for parents and guardians, we have the following sessions available:

  • Positive Solutions for Families
  • Active Parenting – The First Five Years
  • Positive Parenting for Young Adults
  • Circle of Security
  • Resource Parent Curriculum (from the National Traumatic Stress Network)
  • Anxiety Series
  • The Backpack Series (based on TACSEI & Pyramid Model Resources)
  • Potty Training Demystified Workshop
  • Helping Children Make Successful Transitions to Kindergarten Workshop

Please contact us for more information. The rate and number of sessions vary based on the curriculum.

For more information or to schedule a training you can contact:

Stacey Gay headshot
Stacey L. Gay, MS - IECMH-E®
508-828-1308 ext. 26300
This training focuses on identifying and utilizing appropriate teaching strategies to assist children with social-emotional development. The notion of identifying teachable moments is examined and its importance is emphasized. 

We will explore social-emotional teaching areas such as friendship skills, emotional literacy, emotional regulation, controlling anger and impulse, and problem-solving skills. Examples of activities are also provided to facilitate further teaching in these critical areas.
Time: 2 hours
Cost: $250 per hour for up to 30 participants / $5.00 per additional person
Competencies: 1, 2, 4, 5
The first portion of this training provides an understanding of the Pyramid Model, emphasizing the teaching pyramid. It explains the four interrelated levels of practice that can be used as a framework for addressing children's social-emotional development, assists staff in navigating and utilizing the Pyramid Model website, and highlights some materials that may be helpful to teachers/caregivers and families. 

The second portion of the training reviews the meaning of social-emotional development, explores the importance of relationships regarding social-emotional development, and examines what the "mentally healthy" child looks like.
Time: 2 hours
Cost: $250 per hour for up to 30 participants / $5.00 per additional person
Competencies: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
This training focuses on identifying and implementing the essential practices for effective classroom management in early childhood settings. These practices explore four foundational categories of classroom management: high-quality environments, visual supports, relationships, and emotional language and literacy.

This training aims to provide early childhood educators and administrators with a comprehensive view of the classroom essentials that are effective for optimizing the learning environment and decreasing challenging behavior. Utilizing a hands-on approach, this training provides trainees with an in-vivo experience to learn and apply each tool to maximize mastery of the material.
Time: 2 hours
Cost: $250 per hour for up to 30 participants / $5.00 per additional person
Competencies: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
This training first reviews the basics of social/emotional development and the meaning of challenging behaviors. The core of this training is self-reflection activities around handling challenging behaviors, identifying personal "hot buttons," creating a plan for when behaviors escalate, and suggesting post-conversations with other children who witnessed the challenging episode. 

This training concludes with participants having an opportunity to discuss personal experiences with challenging behaviors and develop individualized strategies to best support positive outcomes.
Time: 2-3 hours
Cost: $250 per hour for up to 30 participants / $5.00 per additional person
Competencies: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6
We often see children acting out, hurting others, endangering themselves, or displaying "odd" behaviors that don't seem to make sense. This training is designed to give participants a general knowledge of signs and symptoms often associated with trauma. 

A broad overview of the types of traumatic events that affect children are reviewed. It is the goal that trainees walk away with a better understanding of the complex nature of trauma and the way it can affect a child's social, emotional, and cognitive development as well as brain functioning.
Time: 2 hours
Cost: $250 per hour for up to 30 participants / $5.00 per additional person
Competencies: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6
Indulge your staff with training that focuses on the importance of self-care and its role in maintaining a balanced life. This training explores the concept of self-care, why it is beneficial, and how to incorporate self-care practices into daily life.

During the training, participants can complete a self-care assessment and engage in some self-care practices. With daily stress on the rise, learning how to connect with practices that nourish the mind, body, and spirit is more important than ever.
Time: 2 hours
Cost: $250 per hour for up to 30 participants / $5.00 per additional person
Competencies: 3, 4, 8
This training focuses on providing educators with preventative strategies to support children's transitions between activities, programs, and settings throughout the day. Educators will receive tips and resources to help during these transitions.
Time: 2 hours
Cost: $250 per hour for up to 30 participants / $5.00 per additional person
Competencies: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
This training includes a review of brain development and the impact of early childhood trauma. Participants will learn what vicarious trauma is and its effects on the physical, cognitive, emotional, and social domains of our lives, as well as strategies to cope with stress. They will also engage in a self-care activity to begin to identify self-care strategies.
Time: 2 hours
Cost: $250 per hour for up to 30 participants / $5.00 per additional person
Competencies: 1, 2, 4, 7
The first half of the training draws on the staff's experiences working with challenging families and encourages trainees to reflect on their biases and personal belief systems. Working with resistant families, families with cultural or religious differences, individuals suffering from substance abuse, as well as families who have anger management difficulties are discussed.

This training provides staff with tools for engaging and connecting with these families utilizing a strength-based perspective while maintaining professional boundaries and a positive attitude.
Time: 2 hours
Cost: $250 per hour for up to 30 participants / $5.00 per additional person
Competencies: 3, 4, 7, 8
This training provides educators and caregivers with information on typical development stages for children aged birth through six. It also helps caregivers learn the differences between a typical developmental stage and a temporary phase of challenging behavior.

Educators and caregivers also receive suggestions for resources, evaluations, and referrals when a child is displaying ongoing, concerning, challenging behavior in their care. Strategies to help all children strengthen social and emotional development are shared.
Time: 2 hours
Cost: $250 per hour for up to 30 participants / $5.00 per additional person
Competencies: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7
Professional Skills

Professional Skills

Enhance your professional capabilities with our targeted skill-building workshops. These trainings cover essential workplace competencies, from effective communication to goal setting and supervision techniques. Each session is designed to provide practical, actionable strategies that can be immediately applied in your professional environment.

To schedule any of these trainings for your organization or to request more information, please reach out to:

Rachel Weidenfeld headshot
Rachel Weidenfeld, MSW, MPH
857-399-1915 ext. 2423
In this session, participants can practice writing skills for use in electronic medical records and patient care plans. Practice notes are written and evaluated by peers.
This session covers some of the typical expectations in a professional work environment, such as punctuality, written and verbal communication skills, dress codes, collegiality and professional boundaries, and how to address conflict or confusion with colleagues. It includes self-assessment, discussion, and practice with scenarios.
This session will cover important skills of supervision, including:

Roles and responsibilities of leadership
Giving constructive feedback
Motivational interviewing skills applied to supervision

It also gives you the chance to troubleshoot challenging staff scenarios.
This session reviews the importance of boundaries in community, clinical, and home-based work and with clients dealing with multiple complex social and economic issues. Active participation and case scenarios build an understanding of the best choices staff can make in these challenging situations that may go outside of explicit policies.
This session reviews the purpose and process of setting good goals, including a reflection on participants’ own goal setting successes and challenges. We review SMART goals, accountability, support, empowerment, and theories of change planning.
Building Communities
of Care (BCC)

Building Communities of Care (BCC) Training

The Building Communities of Care (BCC) Training is a trauma-informed, systems-based approach designed by experts in mental health, education, trauma treatment, and residential and community-based care. This customizable program helps organizations create environments that foster healing, resilience, and positive development.

BCC uses a systems model to explore the multiple factors that influence an individual's well-being by examining people within their broader social contexts, rather than focusing solely on individual behavior.

Our Systems Approach Considers:

- Individual Factors – What makes each individual unique, and what do they need to thrive?
- Community Factors – How do the setting, staff, and caregivers contribute to a nurturing environment?
- External Factors – What role do larger societal forces play in shaping care and treatment?

Through an interactive and tailored learning experience, BCC training provides the knowledge and practical tools necessary to build relationships, de-escalate crises, implement strength-based interventions within supportive environments, and more.

Because this program is highly customizable, we do not offer pre-set training sessions. Instead, we collaborate with organizations to develop workshops that address their specific needs.

To develop a custom BCC workshop and schedule this training for your organization, please reach out to:

Corey Meurer headshot
Corey Meurer, BCC Director of Operations
Peer Resources

Peer Resources

Our peer-focused training is designed to empower and equip individuals with the skills and knowledge needed to support their communities effectively.

To schedule any of these trainings for your organization or to request more information, please reach out to:

Rachel Weidenfeld headshot
Rachel Weidenfeld, MSW, MPH
857-399-1915 ext. 2423
In collaboration with the Boston Public Health Commission
This training provides a comprehensive peer training for any HIV+ peer staff. We also offer shorter workshops on a variety of topics relevant to peer HIV work.
Cultural Responsiveness

Cultural Responsiveness

In our increasingly diverse society, cultural competence is crucial for effective service delivery. These trainings are designed to enhance your ability to work sensitively and effectively across various cultural contexts. They will equip you with essential skills for providing inclusive, respectful care.

To schedule any of these trainings for your organization or to request more information, please reach out to:

Rachel Weidenfeld headshot
Rachel Weidenfeld, MSW, MPH
857-399-1915 ext. 2423
In this session we discuss the ways that cultural experiences affect people’s relationships with health care and medicine, including their interactions with health care in their family life growing up. 

We review a number of issues that can arise when there are cultural differences between patients and care providers and how to be an effective advocate for your clients and liaison with their medical teams.
This session prepares staff to provide high quality services to LGBTQ people. We will cover:

Language of gender identity and sexual orientation
Health disparities and specific challenges faced by sexual- and gender- minorities in accessing care
The way structural barriers may have intersecting impacts on members of these groups who have overlapping identities

We will also practice ways to be receptive and supportive of all our clients.
This session is an overview of the challenges and benefits of doing home visits. We emphasize staff and patient safety and confidentiality, as well as cultural difference and recognizing the privilege of entering someone’s home. The session includes video demonstrations, role plays of real scenarios, and guidance on best practices.
Working with and 
Motivating Clients

Working with and Motivating Clients

Empower your team with advanced skills in client engagement and motivation. These trainings cover essential techniques in group facilitation, motivational interviewing, harm reduction, and community health work. Each is designed to enhance your team's ability to connect with, support, and motivate clients towards positive change.

To schedule any of these trainings for your organization or to request more information, please reach out to:

Rachel Weidenfeld headshot
Rachel Weidenfeld, MSW, MPH
857-399-1915 ext. 2423
This training helps participants develop their group facilitation abilities, with an emphasis on managing challenging participants, logistical planning, keeping momentum in a group and other topics. The session includes discussion and facilitation practice.
This session is an important introduction to direct service work and is highly recommended. We will discuss:

The stages of behavior change, including client motivation
Factors that may keep people in unhealthy patterns
Harm reduction and strategies
Techniques to assist clients in recognizing their reasons and readiness to change

This session also incorporates training on the Brief Negotiated Interview, an evidence-based intervention that has been shown to be an effective tool for brief sessions on behavior change. This is recommended as full day training, but can be done in shorter sessions.
This session helps participants put the CHW role in context in public health. We will review and discuss the roles, responsibilities, tasks, and interventions of a CHW, expanding upon them based on the site's job description.
Health Literacy - Disease 
Management

Health Literacy - Disease Management

Enhance your team's ability to address complex health issues and improve patient outcomes with our comprehensive health literacy and disease management training. These sessions cover a wide range of topics, from HIV and aging to medication adherence and navigating the healthcare system. Each training is designed to equip healthcare professionals with the knowledge and skills needed to effectively communicate with patients and support their health management journey.

To schedule any of these trainings for your organization or to request more information, please reach out to:

Rachel Weidenfeld headshot
Rachel Weidenfeld, MSW, MPH
857-399-1915 ext. 2423
This session covers a variety of topics including long term chronic health issues that often affect an older HIV+ population. The training is often delivered as a series of workshops and includes a bound, illustrated workbook available in several languages.
The session covers many aspects of PrEP treatment, including current prescribing guidelines, likely side effects, best candidates for PrEP, how to discuss it with patients, and can be tailored toward prevention staff, case managers, or medical providers/MDs/RNs.
This session offers an introduction to the topic of HIV, HCV, and STIs. In this session we review current epidemiology, transmission and risk, symptoms, stigma, disease progression, treatment, and prevention.
This session focuses on the many patients who struggle with adherence to medications and medical treatment plans. We include skill building on adherence assessments, monitoring tools such as pill boxes, ways to offer pharmacy support, and tools to help clients address the complicated emotional barriers to adherence.
This session includes pre-medical visit planning, the role of a patient advocate in the medical and social service visits, and post-visit planning, and tools are distributed to facilitate more efficient medical visits. 

Communication with providers is reviewed through different case scenarios. Proper utilization of the ER, urgent care, and outpatient care is discussed in a group exercise.
This session introduces the primary tenets of health literacy and its impact on care and treatment outcomes. We use the teachback model as a way to ensure that patients leave medical visits with as much understanding as possible.
Trauma-Informed Care

Trauma Informed Care

Our trauma-informed workshops provide essential training for professionals working with vulnerable populations. Each intensive 2-hour session focuses on practical, evidence-based approaches to understanding and addressing trauma, from foundational concepts in trauma-informed care to specialized topics like de-escalation techniques and cultural responsiveness.

Led by experienced facilitators, these workshops can be customized for various settings, including schools, community-based services, and caregiver environments. Whether you're looking to build core competencies in psychological first aid, develop stronger self-care practices, or enhance your cultural responsiveness, our workshops offer concrete tools and strategies you can implement immediately in your work.
This training is intended to provide individuals with the information necessary to support strong, attainable trauma-informed practices and resiliency when working with vulnerable populations and to develop an understanding of the impact of the stress response and vicarious trauma on the individuals we serve and on ourselves. Topics include; what is Psychological Trauma, The Human Stress Response Continuum, Common Physical and Emotional Reactions to Stress, Impact on Frontal Lobe and Perceptions of Safety and Stress Response vs Trauma Reactions. Audience: The content within this workshop can be individualized to meet the needs of various settings and personnel including but not limited to: school settings, community based services and supports, and caregivers.
Time: 2 hours
Cost: $500.00 p/hour
Psychological First Aid is an intervention consistently used in the disaster mental field but can also be applied to work with individuals experiencing various levels of dysregulation in the moment. As a result, it a valuable tool for professionals to have access to in their work to support individuals and coworkers across settings and populations. The material is beneficial to all levels of professional experience. This training will provide an introduction to the core actions of Psychological First Aid Audience: The content within this workshop can be individualized to meet the needs of various settings and personnel including but not limited to: school settings, community based services and supports, and caregivers.
Time: 2 hours
Cost: $500.00 p/hour
This workshop teaches participants a variety of strategies to be able to support an individual who is escalating. Participants will learn the importance of individualized interventions which will include both verbal and non-verbal responses and approaches. * A follow up workshop focusing on practical application of interventions and experiential practice is available upon request following completion of this workshop. This workshop is recommended to be held in person but could be adapted to a virtual format if necessary. Audience: The content within this workshop can be individualized to meet the needs of various settings and personnel including but not limited to: school settings, community based services and supports, and caregivers.
Time: 2 hours
Cost: $500.00 p/hour
This training is intended to provide individuals with concrete tools to support strong, attainable self-care practices. This interactive session will focus on supporting participants in identifying the domains of wellness that are most impacted by the work and to establish flexible and realistic ways to take care of themselves both within their work environment and outside of work. A conversation about accommodations needed in the face of the pandemic is included.
Time: 2 hours
Cost: $500.00 p/hour
Agencies serve a wide variety of clients with staff from diverse backgrounds and it helps to have a framework for discussions about cultural issues. While examining issues of culture it is important to address issues of power, privilege, intersectionality, identity and the responsibility we have to continue educating ourselves on these matters. During the training participants will be asked to resist the urge to defend past actions, learn the difference between intent and impact and consider who they look to as experts on cultural matters.
This workshop will give participants the opportunity to deepen their understanding on conflict as both a challenge we face and an opportunity for growth. The group will review various styles of responding to conflict to identify times when styles are helpful and necessary vs not. A review of both what escalates conflict and what moves toward resolution will be explored to increase our attunement to these dynamics in the moment.

Understanding Conflict
Styles of Responding to Conflict
The Impact of Fight/Flight/Freeze on how we respond
How Conflict Escalates
Conflict Resolution Resources
Self-Assessment/Goal Setting
Tara Sagor headshot
Tara Sagor, CAGS, LMHC
(781) 559-4900
If you are interested in trainings not listed here in trauma informed organizational change and consultation, please reach out to Tara Sagor at 
[email protected].

Watch Our Trauma Informed Training Video

Explore our video on trauma-informed trainings, designed to equip you with the skills to support others effectively while ensuring a safe and nurturing learning environment for all.

JRI Provides Frameworks and Training that 
Build a Foundation for Effective
 Trauma-Informed Care

Meet The Trainers.
Tara Sagor headshot
Tara Sagor
Director of Training and Trauma Response
Adam Edwards headshot
Adam Edwards
Associate Director of Curriculum Development
Deborah Jackson headshot
Deborah Jackson
Associate Director of Training and Consultation
Corey Meurer headshot
Corey Meurer
BCC Director of Operations
Mary Chao headshot
Mary Chao
Harm Reduction, Motivational Interviewing and Vaping trainings
Stacey Gay headshot
Stacey Gay
Program Director, Early Childhood Training and Consultation
Lisa Aguiar headshot
Lisa Aguiar
Early Childhood Training
and Consultation
Heather Anapo headshot
Heather Anapo
Early Childhood Training
and Consultation
Emily Bailan headshot
Emily Ziobro Bailin
Early Childhood Training
and Consultation
Merrie MacKenzie headshot
Merrie Mackenzie
Early Childhood Training
and Consultation
Judith Roth headshot
Judy Roth
Early Childhood Training
and Consultation
Lakia Small headshot
Lakia Small
Early Childhood Training
and Consultation
Rachel Weidenfeld headshot
Rachel Weidenfeld
JRI Health trainer
Our training programs are part of a broader cycle of continuous improvement and empowerment—a journey that starts with knowledge and culminates in real-world impact. When you train with us, you become a part of a movement toward greater resilience, healing, and social justice.

JRI offers trauma-informed conflict trainings at schools.

JRI was featured on Channel 5 for our work in providing training that fosters a safer and more supportive school environment across Massachusetts.
View the channel 5 feature
CARF accreditation badge
Joint Commission International Quality Approval gold seal.
JRI's intensive residential treatment programs, clinics, and community-based services are accredited by the Joint Commission. JRI's residential schools, group homes, day habilitation and Huntington at Symphony are accredited by CARF.
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