SoAHEC/BHETC is actively involved in coordinating learning opportunities for health professionals, particularly in the under served areas of New Mexico. Continuing education events are offered throughout the state as a service to health professionals who must maintain licensure and stay up to date with the constantly changing health care environment both within New Mexico and on a national level.
SoAHEC/BHETC meets the educational and training needs of health professionals, agencies, and organizations through coordination and partial sponsorship of continuing education (CE) events. SoAHEC/BHETC sponsor and cosponsor events for a variety of health professionals; including counselors, emergency medical services personnel, health educators, nurses, physicians, and social workers. Other audiences include community health workers (Promotoras), consumers, health science faculty and students, and health services administrators. There is a formal application process and specific requirements for eligibility and to apply for partial sponsorship for a continuing education event (see attachment). Non-CE events may also be eligible. Awards normally do not exceed $2,500.
SoAHEC and BHETC have also developed a series of bilingual trainings that can be customized to meet the target audience’s needs. As the demand for trainings in Spanish increase around the border region, SoAHEC and BHETC fill a very important role in the provision of trainings in both Spanish and English. At present the training topics that SoAHEC/BHETC offer to communities and other interested parties include:
Team Building
The Team Building begins with a discussion of what does the concept of a team mean to the participants, followed by a self assessment of how each individual rates as a team member. Several exercises follow that have to do with the components of a successful team and segue into understanding conflict, practicing active listening skills, and use of negotiation skills in sample situations. The training concludes with action commitments by each of the participants. Including the evaluation, the average length of this training is 6 to 7 hours. Offered in English/Spanish
Communication Skills
The Communication Skills training begins with self assessment activities where the individual gains an understanding of their own communication style. It then discusses high risk vs. active listening skills with several practice exercises/group work, and segues into giving and receiving feedback, the use of I statements, and concludes with each participant writing a plan of action and personal commitment to improving their communication skills. Including the evaluation, the average length of this training is 5 to 6 hours. Offered in English/Spanish.
Conflict Resolution
The Conflict Resolution training begins with group discussion around what is conflict, what are the principal causes of conflict, common emotions during a conflict, recognition of what things that are said or done that pushes the buttons of each individual, and ways to control the anger that often arises during conflict. Self assessments are done by each of the participants to determine and recognize their own conflict management style, and followed by tips on how to clarify perceptions in a conflict. The remainder of the activities involve active listening exercises, use of I statements, factors for consideration before attempting to resolve conflict, and role playing conflict situations. Including the evaluation, the average length of this training is 5 to 6 hours. Offered in English/Spanish
Group Facilitation
The Group Facilitation training first describes how a facilitator differs from a presenter, mediator, trainer, and then discusses the actual roles that a facilitator should play within a group setting. Discussion includes the Seven Deadly Sins of Facilitation and hands on practice of various methods used to elicit feedback and encourage participation from all members of the audience. There is discussion around how to avoid group process traps and how to utilize group process skills. This training is an effective follow-up to the Effective Meetings training, as there is quite a bit of overlap between the two. This training can be conducted in the afternoon as Part 2 of the morning Effective Meetings training, or can be stand alone. Including the evaluation, the average length of this training is 3 to 4 hours. Offered in English/Spanish
Time Management/Organizational Skills
The Time Management training begins with a self assessment test on how each participant utilizes their time. They are also asked to keep a daily log of activities for a couple of days to help them identify how they are currently utilizing their time. This leads into discussion around time wasters such as phone calls, unexpected visits, mail, e-mail, and unproductive meetings, and follows with tips on how to save time. Each participant is required to develop their own individual action plan by the end of the day based on their self assessment and recognition of areas that need improvement. The action plan includes how they can create more time for themselves, including developing a To Do List, prioritizing tasks in order of importance, and the development of short and long-term goals. Including the evaluation, the average length of this training is 5 hours. Offered in English/Spanish
Assertiveness Skills
Effective Meetings
The Effective Meetings training starts out with the identification of what constitutes an effective meeting. Discussion and activities that follow include individual behaviors in a group setting, establishing an effective meeting climate, developing an agenda, meeting roles (i.e. facilitator, scribe, timekeeper), and tips for meeting closure. Individual activities and group role plays are included in this training. Including the evaluation, the average length of this training is 3 to 4 hours. Offered in English/Spanish.
Grant Writing The Grant Writing training consists of identifying potential funding sources for community-based programs; the planning necessary prior to the actual writing of the proposal, and discussion on all components of a typical application for funding, including a project abstract or narrative, organizational capability, needs statements, setting goals and objectives, describing the methodology (action steps) involved in attaining the goals, drafting a proposed budget, and emphasizing a strong evaluation component to measure accomplishments (or lack thereof). Including the evaluation, the average length of a basic training is a full day (7 hours). A more detailed training can be provided on a 2nd
full day (5 to 6 hours), which includes critiquing actual proposals, reviewing Request for Proposals (RFPs), and doing an Internet search for funding sources. Offered in English/Spanish
Cultural Competency SoAHEC is in the process of developing a 1-to 2-day training module on cultural competency, targeting the health professions workforce. This training will deal with identifying ways for the professionals to gain a better understanding of the culture[s] of their clients, assessing their own cultural sensitivity and biases, learning about different cultural perceptions of disease and death, role playing actual case studies, and developing action steps to improve their cultural understanding and provide more culturally appropriate care and service provision to their clientele. The anticipated completion date for this module is Spring 2004.
Basics of Evaluation
Working with Communities & Setting Priorities
Working with Groups and the People in Them
As of this writing (February 2004) SoAHEC/BHETC are developing in collaboration with a Training Team representing six counties, a series of Cultural Competency modules specific to the border population. With the support of the federal Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the Training Team is receiving an ongoing series of train-the-trainer workshops and has contracted with two professional curriculum writers to develop a minimum 16 hours of cultural competency training materials that can be broken into four ½-day sessions or two full-day sessions. SoAHEC and the Training Team intend to conduct a minimum of two pilot trainings in the month of May 2004 and with appropriate feedback from the participants, modify the materials and package the trainings for offering by the end of June 2004.
For more information on the Improving Health Initiative (IHI) trainings, please contact:
Southern AHEC (505) 646-3441 Ext. 10, 11, or 12 soahec@nmsu.edu
or Diana Abeyta LCC Montañas del Norte AHEC (505) 454-5367
If there is interest in bringing a SoAHEC/BHETC training to your area, please contact us.
For more information on the content of SoAHEC and BHETC’s trainings, please see the Publications page of this web site for a detailed description of each training session or click on the link below.
