Current IEI Trainings
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IEI Trainings are designed for mental health, behavioral health, vocational rehabilitation service providers, and mental health consumers. They are offered throughout *southern New Jersey. A wide range of topics from basic skills to advanced practice are available each season and are taught by experienced IEI staff.
*Currently, our trainings are being offered through Zoom and are open to anyone interested.
Our trainings are split into prevocational and career services. These interactive trainings give you the tools to facilitate preparatory activities for use with individuals or in a group setting. Activities include breakout rooms, polls, and group discussions. All participants are expected to engage.
There is no fee required for these trainings, however pre-registration is required. Registered participants will be notified in advance of any changes or cancellations via email or phone.
You can view the training offerings below. Offerings are updated seasonally.
NOTE: If a training has less than 3 attendees present, it will be canceled.
Career Services Trainings:
These interactive trainings are designed for practitioners working in vocational services and other rehabilitation and behavioral health settings to improve career services outcomes. This series also includes trainings that cover topics and resources for employee and student wellness.
Currently these trainings are free to anyone, but in the future, there may be a cost to attend if you are out of the state of New Jersey.
IEI Trainings are designed for mental health, behavioral health, vocational rehabilitation service providers, and mental health consumers. IEI trainings may be eligible for most professional license and certification post approval continuing education credits. Please follow up with your specific license or certification body for additional information. A fee may apply for your specific credential.
Earn Continuing Education Credits
Our trainings are eligible for CRC/CEU credits offered by the New Jersey Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services. Participants MUST attend the entire training to apply for these credits.
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PART 1 November 13, 2024
1 PM – 2:30 PM EST
Virtual Training“If you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” This quote, often attributed to Albert Einstein, illustrates the importance of working with our inherent skills, interests, and preferences, not against them. The same goes for the Career Services that we provide. In this session, we will explore strategies to utilize strengths-based focus, communication, and skill development to promote successful outcomes in Supported Employment and Supported Education services. Learn to apply appreciative inquiry to your career services provision to promote the development of a career trajectory that is truly in line with individuals’ strengths, skills, and interests.
PART 2: November 20, 2024
10 AM – 11:30 AM EST
Virtual TrainingIn this interactive session, we will build upon the skills learned in part 1 around appreciative interviewing skills. In this session, we will further develop strategies to utilize strengths-based focus, communication, and skill development activities to promote successful outcomes in Supported Employment and Supported Education services. Learn to apply appreciative inquiry to your career services provision to promote the development of a career trajectory that is truly in line with individuals’ strengths, skills, and interests.
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November 14, 2024
10 AM – 11:30 AM EST
Virtual Training**Attendees should have a basic understanding of Motivational Interviewing prior to attendance at this session.**
Career service professionals frequently face the challenge of job seekers/students who struggle with commitment to employment or educational goals. Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a powerful, evidence-based technique designed to help individuals overcome these hurdles by fostering internal motivation and clarifying their personal goals. This advanced training session will provide in-depth insights into sophisticated MI techniques tailored for career services. Topics will include responding to sustain talk, using a decisional balance to weigh the pros and cons of change, and employing the Importance, Confidence, and Readiness (ICR) scale to measure motivation. Participants will gain practical skills to better engage job seekers/ students, address ambivalence, and support sustained career decision-making and goal achievement.
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December 4, 2024
10 AM – 11:30 AM EST
Virtual TrainingThe creator of the mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) program, Jon Kabat-Zinn, defines mindfulness as: “awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally”. In this session, we will explore mindfulness as a practice, with a focus on the utilization of mindfulness techniques and strategies in our work to support the vocational goals of individuals living with mental health conditions.
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PART 1: December 5, 2024
10 AM – 11:30 AM EST
Virtual TrainingDisclosure of a non-apparent disability in higher education is complex, influenced by concerns over confidentiality, fear of stigma, and the perceived openness of instructors and peers. This session will help practitioners understand the factors involved in making disclosure decisions, the importance of considering these factors, and strategies for managing the disclosure process effectively. Attendees will develop a strong foundational knowledge to confidently guide students in navigating disclosure in various academic contexts.
PART 2: December 12, 2024
10 AM – 11:30 AM EST
Virtual Training**Attendance at session one is a prerequisite for registration for session 2**
Building on the foundational knowledge from Part 1, this session offers mental health practitioners practical experience using a disclosure workbook. Practitioners will engage in hands-on activities to help students identify their disclosure preferences, handle unexpected inquiries, and communicate their needs effectively. By the end of this session, attendees will be equipped with practical tools and strategies to support students in navigating disclosure situations confidently, enhancing their engagement and academic performance.
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December 11, 2024
10 AM – 11:30 AM EST
Virtual TrainingMental Health crises significantly impact a person’s employment. Mental health crises include an increase in symptoms, feeling extremely overwhelmed, loss of productivity, increased absenteeism, and being not able to work or perform at work. This training will explore situations that lead or contribute to a crisis and discuss warning signs of a mental health crisis. Finally, the training will focus on developing a crisis plan, using the SAMHSA Action Planning for Prevention and Recovery tool that helps to identify 1) how the person feels when well, 2) symptoms, 3) supporters, 4) health care providers, and medications, 5) treatment, 6) planning for care treatment, 7) treatment options, 8) what the person needs from others, and 9) recognizing recovery.
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December 17, 2024
10 AM – 11:30 AM EST
Virtual TrainingMany professional organizations provide ethical guidelines as the foundation for ethical behavior and decision making. Career service and vocational rehabilitation practitioners provide services with individuals who may have mental health conditions or other invisible disabilities. This session will explore the critical ethical decisions related to individuals with invisible disabilities when supporting the return to work and school. Attendees will identify strategies to apply ethical guidelines and practices in their role as career services providers.
Prevocational Services Professional Development:
This series is designed for NJ practitioners working in supported employment, supported education, vocational services, partial care/partial hospitalization, and other behavioral health and rehabilitation settings. The focus is on preparatory activities designed for use with individuals or in group settings. The series starts in the Fall and continues through the Spring of each year.
Completion of all modules in the Prevocational Series will result in a Certificate of Completion, which is required for mental health agencies by The Division of Mental Health & Addiction Services (DMHAS) and Medicaid.
NOTE: The Pre-Voc trainings are for New Jersey providers ONLY. Please do not register for these if you are from out of state. If you have questions, email us: iei@shp.rutgers.edu
Registration for the Pre-Voc Series Group is CLOSED.
NOTE: ONLY register for this series if you are a NJ practitioner!
This is a 12 session, 24 training hour series from September to April. You will receive a certificate of completion when you complete all sessions. This certificate is required for mental health agencies in NJ to ensure staff competency.
Registration for the next cohort will open again in Fall 2025.
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September 10th, 2024
10 AM – 11 AM EST
Virtual TrainingAttendees will examine the importance of recovery, explore the relationship of work and recovery, and identify empowerment strategies that promote work and careers. Additionally, attendees will learn information to counter common myths about work and mental illness and describe the benefits and barriers of returning to work.
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All sessions from 10 AM – 11 AM EST
Virtual Training
The S1 communication series is inclusive of skills that are essential to know for the remainder of the series; it’s important for attendees not to miss a part.9/17: Part 1 – Relationship Building & Engagement
9/24: Part 2 – Active Listening & Reflecting
10/1: Part 3 – Readiness Development
10/8: Part 4 – Putting it all Together; Skills Application
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October 15th, 2024
10 AM – 11 AM EST
Virtual TrainingThis session focuses on assisting job seekers with developing career goals and objectives. We’ll review the importance of developing goals that are consistent with job seekers’ interests, preferences, and career-related values as well as identifying the elements of SMART goals. Additionally, we’ll practice developing SMART goals. Please come prepared with a goal in mind, either your own or a job seeker’s, so that we can apply SMART goal planning during the call. We will also review strategies to include consumers as an integral part of identifying the information that should be included in the overall recovery and career goal planning.
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All sessions from 10 AM – 11 AM EST
Virtual Training10/22: Part 1
10/29: Part 2This two-part session will explore employment development from a career-oriented perspective in order to assist people in achieving productive job matches. It will include approaches to facilitate the process for people who are determining their values, interests, preferences, and in increasing their knowledge of the work world.
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All sessions from 10 AM – 11 AM EST
Virtual Training11/5: Part 1
11/12: Part 2These workshops will look at supports from two perspectives. First, participants will learn why family members are invaluable resources and how they can engage family members through the vocational process. Second, you will learn about community resources that are available to assist people with mental illness overcome barriers to work.
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November 19th
10 AM – 11 AM EST
Virtual TrainingAs employment specialists and job developers, we provide assistance in the job search while also supporting individuals in learning and using key job seeking skills, such as completing applications, resume writing, interviewing and locating employers. This session will provide resources and strategies to support job seekers’ self-directed job searches. Discussions will clarify the employment specialist’s role in supporting independent job searches as well the tools to promote job seekers’ engagement in the job development process.
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All sessions from 10 AM – 11 AM EST
Virtual Training1/14: Part 1
1/21: Part 2Explore employment for persons who experience both a mental illness and substance use disorders. These sessions will review the impact of alcohol and drugs on psychosocial functioning. Strategies for working with individuals with co-occurring disorders who are seeking employment will be reviewed.
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All sessions from 10 AM – 11 AM EST
Virtual Training1/28: Part 1
2/4: Part 2Oftentimes, consumers are unsure about returning to work because of concerns regarding the impact of work on Social Security and other entitlements. This training provides an overview of the definition of disability according to SSA guidelines and distinguishes between Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). In addition, trainees will examine how work may impact SSDI and SSI recipients’ benefits and the resources available to support job seekers in understanding work incentives and Social Security planning.
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All sessions from 10 AM – 11 AM EST
Virtual Training2/11: Part 1
2/18: Part 2
2/25: Part 3These trainings provide an overview of the six dimensions of wellness and discusses strategies to maintain health in each dimension. We will introduce the Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) as a self-directed recovery tool that is created by an individual to pursue their path to recovery as well as discuss other relapse prevention strategies that can be utilized to increase employment success.
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March 4th, 2025
10 AM – 11 AM EST
Virtual TrainingThis session will explore the common goals that clinical and vocational providers share, review the role of clinical staff in the return-to-work process, and discuss approaches to increase collaboration between employment programs and clinical staff.
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All sessions from 10 AM – 11 AM EST
Virtual Training3/11: Part 1
3/18: Part 2
This training will examine the benefits and challenges of offering employment support groups, provide information on how to start a group, and offer tips on making the groups effective and interesting for participants.
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All sessions from 10 AM – 11 AM EST
Virtual Training3/25: Part 1
4/1: Part 2
4/8: Part 3This training will examine how skills groups differ from support and other types of groups (e.g., psycho-education, mutual self-help). Learn group leadership skills for successful employment skills groups as well as the steps for teaching skills in effective and interesting groups.
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If you are unable to attend our regular training series due to work conflicts, we offer the following options:
- Joining Your Team Meetings: Our trainers can join team meetings at your organization and present on a scheduled topic.
- Monthly Professional Development Seminar: These can be scheduled monthly or as-needed. You have the option to choose one of our offered topics or work with IEI to create something custom for your organization.
- Lunch & Learn: Get some skill and professional development in during your lunch hour. For more information on any of these options, email us at iei@shp.rutgers.edu