SVRI - Training and Online Classes

This workshop provides you a unique opportunity to prepare for the CRC exam and practice taking computerized tests similar to the CRC. The online learning format allows you to access material nearly anywhere and anytime Internet access is available.

With the recent creation of a CRC exam preparation course by CRC, we thought it would be helpful to clearly lay out the differences in the two courses, which you can see in the table below. For more information on the CRC Workshop: CRC syllabus (pdf )

The workshop is offered before each CRC Exam. 2010 schedule:

• Course starts January 28 for people taking the exam March 5-13
• Course starts June 1 for people taking the exam July 9-17
• Course starts Sept 2 for people taking the exam October 8-16

Continuing education credits are not provided for this workshop.

We recommend that your registration for the CRC exam is confirmed before registering for this workshop. SVRI is not affiliated with CRC and cannot provide you with assistance in applying.

The emphasis of this online course is on real ethical dilemmas provided by people working in the field of vocational rehabilitation.  Participants share an ethical dilemma and work through it using the relevant content provided in the course and the assistance of other participants. This approach allows participants to learn about other dilemmas faced in the profession and share their experience to help others. Participants also will explore their own values and perceptions of ethics to determine how that affects their ethical behavior.

Units:

• Basics of ethics and ethical principles
• Focus on the new CRC Code of Professional Ethics effective January 1, 2010
• Ethical decision making models
• A discussion of “microaggressions” to promote more culturally sensitive ethical behaviors (only for the 10 hour section)

Participants will work through these three content areas which will be provided in writing or in interactive Flash tutorials. Discussion activities are all written. Most of the time spent on the course will involve writing responses to discussion activities and reading/responding to others’ messages.

The overall objective for this training is to increase sensitivity to ethical problems that are work related and to enhance the practitioners’ ethical reasoning ability. Thus the content of this course will focus primarily on ethical awareness and ethical reasoning.

To accommodate as many people as possible, we offer three options:

• 5 hour option: This is for individuals who already have some ethics credits completed and only need a few more.
• 10 hour option: This is for individuals who want to complete all of their ethics credits at once. This course fulfills CRC's entire ethics requirement.
• Individualized option: If you need your ethics credits at a particular time when we are not offering a course or if you just need 1-2 hours, contact April Pierson for an individualized option at an individualized rate.

Next offering:

• July 8 - August 12
• Will be offered fall 2010 as well
  
• Individualized options available for an individualized rate

Do you hear contradictory information about benefits but don’t know what is true? This new course provides an easy-to-understand overview of the most common federal benefit systems for people with disabilities such as Title II (SSDI and retirement), Title XVI (SSI), Medicare, Medicaid, TANF, SNAP, COBRA, etc. Participants will gain a basic understanding of the major benefit systems and Social Security work incentives that people with disabilities can utilize in their return to work. They will also learn about the complexity of the systems and importance of providing accurate information that individuals might use in making informed decisions. The course facilitator, John Benbow, is an experienced trainer in the field of benefits and former Social Security employee.

Who should take this course?

A wide variety of participants would benefit from the course including vocational rehabilitation counselors, placement specialists, vocational evaluators, educators, advocates, etc. Participants will gain knowledge of benefits, but will not be a qualified benefits specialist after this course. 

Schedule:

• Will be offered again later in 2010; not scheduled yet
  

Credit Hours:

• This course will take approximately 25 hours to complete and is worth 25 CRC clock hours.

Register here for this course only: http://tinyurl.com/introbenesfeb232010

This course is a collaboration between Employment Resources Inc, the primary training facility for benefits specialists in Wisconsin, and the University of Wisconsin – Stout Vocational Rehabilitation Institute. It is the first in a series of courses on benefits.  Additional courses will provide more in-depth information and are anticipated to be available in 2010.

Did you know that mental health disorders are the leading cause of disability in the United States and Canada for those age 15-44? (NIMH). This new course provides an overview of the major types of psychiatric disabilities with a down-to-earth focus on what professionals need to know to provide effective services. Disabilities covered include depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, addictions, and dual diagnoses.

The course content was developed by Susan Reagles, Ph.D., who has more than 25 years experience providing counseling to individuals with post traumatic stress disorder, alcohol and drug abuse, and other psychiatric disorders. Dr. Reagles has worked at a psychiatric center, a medical family practice office, and was the director of an outpatient alcohol and drug abuse treatment center.  Dr. Reagles will also be facilitating the course and sharing her expertise in a threaded discussion format. 

Credit Hours:

• This course will take approximately 12 hours to complete and is worth 12 CRC clock hours.

 Schedule

• At least one additional offering will be scheduled for later in 2010

This course will provide an overview of the most common physical disabilities of people served in vocational rehabilitation and special education

• Multiple Sclerosis
• Epilepsy
• Cerebral Palsy
• Sensory Disabilities
• Spinal Cord Injury
• Chronic Pain
• Amputation
• Cumulative Trauma Disorders

Each disability overview includes a definition, terminology, functional limitations, and vocational/educational considerations.  Written material is supplemented with online videos for further clarification.

Assessment in this course will consist of written discussions, case studies, research into resources, and brief quizzes before and after each unit.

Who should take this course?

This course is appropriate for people from a wide variety of backgrounds.

• People with extensive experience with physical disabilities can gain a review of the basics, participate in extended learning opportunities, and share their experience with the group.
• People with little experience with physical disabilities can gain basic information that is focused on the necessities, explore resources to rely on later, and learn about others’ experiences.
• Occupations of typical participants: Vocational rehabilitation counselors, special educators, paraprofessionals, mainstream educators, job coaches, placement specialists, vocational evaluators, disability service advisors

Schedule:

• It will be offered at least one more time in 2010
  

Credit Hours:

• This course will take approximately 15 hours to complete and is worth 15 CRC clock hours.

Providing ethical services to people who are deaf or hard of hearing can present a unique challenge for service providers, whether they are new to the field of rehabilitation or seasoned professionals. The goal of this course is to enhance professionals’ abilities to understand and effectively provide services for individuals who are Deaf or hard of hearing.

Working with Individuals who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing focuses on communication and culture aspects. Units include Deaf Culture and Language, Working with Sign Language Interpreters, and Assistive Listening Devices. This course is appropriate for people with minimal experience with individuals who are Deaf or hard of hearing or those who would like a refresher. See the syllabus (pdf) for more information.

Credit Hours:  

This course will take approximately 13 hours to complete and is worth 13 CRC clock hours. Two of the thirteen hours in each course are ethics credits. RID credits can be received through PINRA. You must seek approval from a sponsor before the course starts to receive RID credits – we do not have preapproval from RID for this course. Contact April Pierson with questions.

Tour the Courses:

Course tour in Flash
Course tour in Windows Media Player

More information: PEPNet flyer (pdf format)

Vocational Services for People who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing is a more advanced course recommended for professionals who have some familiarity with psychometric testing or are willing to learn about testing concepts. The goal is to increase participants’ familiarity with the range of services available to individuals who are Deaf or hard of hearing and enable them to make effective referrals or increase their abilities to provide services themselves. Units include Employment Services, Psychometric Assessment, and Vocational Assessment. See the syllabus (pdf) for more information.

Credit Hours:  

This course will take approximately 13 hours to complete and is worth 13 CRC clock hours. Two of the thirteen hours are ethics credits. RID credits can be received through PINRA. You must seek approval from a sponsor before the course starts to receive RID credits – we do not have preapproval from RID for this course. Contact April Pierson with questions.

Tour the Courses:

Course tour in Flash
Course tour in Windows Media Player

More information: PEPNet flyer (pdf format)