Course #160: Safety Training - Professional Training
Revision 1.1, Nov 20 2009


NOTE: THIS NEW CLASS DESCRIPTION IS STILL UNDER DEVELOPMENT, AND WILL ALMOST CERTAINLY CONTINE TO CHANGE.

Course Content Overview:

  • Spiritual Emergency
  • Mental Illness Diagnosis
  • Suicide
  • Evil

Prerequisites
Completed courses #100, 111, 121, 130, 140, 150.

Course Description
This course is designed to fill in the gaps for students who have not gotten formal training as a therapist. It is also designed to increase the background of therapists in areas that are not normal covered in their training, such as information in spiritual emergency. Most of this course is taught by organizations other than the Institute - however, specialized treatment for spiritual emergencies and the problems with evil are taught by the Institute.

Required Spiritual Emergency Coursework
This requirement can be met by taking a web based course or by reading and taking a test.
  • The web based course "DSM-IV Religious and Spiritual Problems" is at www.spiritualcompentency.com. The textbook is Stanislav Grof's Spiritual Emergencies. Recommended but not required is the course "Ethical Issues in Spiritual Assessment".
  • Alternatively, the required reading is Stanislav Grof's Spiritual Emergency and Emma Bragdon's A Sourcebook for Helping People with Spiritual Problems. Recommended reading is Grof's The Stormy Search for the Self, Bragdon's The Call of Spiritual Emergency, and Yvonne Kason's A Further Shore: How Near Death and Other Extraordinary Experiences Can Change Ordinary Lives.
  • Learn ISPS techniques for healing specific spiritual emergencies.

Contacts for Suicide Training Classes
In Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Norway, UK and the USA we highly recommend the two day "Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training" (ASIST) workshop to meet our certification requirement about certification. It has proved excellent, being a type of 'suicide first aid' course. Information is available at www.livingworks.net, with a list of upcoming dates at www.livingworks.net/AS.php.

Contacts for Mental Illness Training Classes
  • In the USA, a one day class called 'Emergency Mental Health: Assessment and Treatment is available in Columbus, Cleaveland, and Canton (approximately $149US). It meets both the crisis and suicide requirements for certification. The sponsoring company is Cross Country Education at 1-800-397-0180, at www.crosscountryeducation.com.
  • n Australia, www.mhfa.com.au gives a two day course in 'mental health first aid' (approximately $120AU includes manual). The Red Cross also runs mental health workshops, www.redcross.org.au. You might also contact the Mental Services help line at 1800 332388.
  • In the UK, go to www.mentalhealthfirstaid.csip.org.uk - a two day course in 'mental health first aid'.

Other Recommended Training (not required)
  • Standard First Aid certificate - useful for therapists, to be able to discriminate between heart attack symptoms (or other acute medical problems) and client regression symptoms.
  • Sexual Abuse Training - this is specifically for therapists who intend to either work in this field, or to meet the sexual abuse 'scope of practice' requirements of the Institute, and is ethically required for therapists who plan on working with this client group. In the USA, we highly recommend the Bradock Body Process Training for Professionals Working with Sexual Trauma: Specific Tools for Self Care. Ojai, California. 805-640-3744. www.braddockbodyprocess.com.

Course length
7 days (cumulative)


Revision History
1.1 Nov 20 2009: Changed the title from Mental Health for Therapists #150 to Safety Training #160.
1.0 July 7, 2009: First description of this course.