Group Facilitation Tools and Strategies for Managing Tough Issues & Loud Voices
Dates: April 20, 2023
Meets: Th from 9:00 AM to 12 N
Location: GRAND RAPIDS - BIK 230-235
COURSE: $49.00
Sorry, we are no longer accepting registrations for this course. Please contact our office to find out if it will be rescheduled, or if alternative classes are available.
We are living in an environment where hard things are frequently being said in the loudest way. This seems especially true in public meetings and in organizational group settings. People seem desperate to talk, to be heard, and to feel understood. Michael Nichols in his book, The Lost Art of Listening, says, "Nothing hurts more than the sense that people aren't really listening to what we have to say". Respecting everyone's input and right to be heard can be one of the social worker's most challenging tasks because feelings seem to have evolved into facts for the person experiencing them. Feelings, of course, are not necessarily facts. Yet, we all seem to hold tightly to our own and are increasingly unwilling to compromise. This workshop will review some basic strategies, that will assist social workers in their role as mediators and group facilitators, to better address tough issues and manage the loudest voices.
Notes:
Payment & Registration (RECENTLY UPDATED):
- Payment is due upon registration. If a participant registers for a course and has not paid the registration fee, we will send a reminder email to pay the fee. If there is no response and the fee has not been paid within 7 days, the participant will be dropped from the course and may re-register and pay if space is available.
- This is a recent change in our policies to ensure equitable access to courses that have high demand and long waitlists.
- Registration Deadline: Three days prior to the program by 5pm.
- Waitlist Policy: Our social work programs, excluding the DHHS programs, may fill up due to interest in the content. If the course becomes full, we will have a limited wait list. Those who get on a wait list for a course, you will be notified as soon as possible if a seat becomes available and payment must be made upon enrollment. When the typical registration period ends two days prior to the begin date, all those on the list will be notified we can no longer accept people into the class.
Cancellations:
- Participants may cancel their registration at any time by calling our office at 616-331-7180 or emailing learn@gvsu.edu. Participants seeking a refund must cancel their registration at least 48 hours prior to the program. You may either receive a full refund back on your card, or we can place a credit on your account for a future program. Refund requests received within 48 hours of the program are not eligible for a refund. If GVSU needs to cancel the event, participants will receive a full refund.
Social Work Continuing Education Credits:
- Participants seeking Social Work Continuing Education credits will need to arrive by the start time of the program, and must stay until the end. Partial credit will not be awarded.
- Participants must complete the post-event evaluation to receive SWCE credit.
- Certificates will be emailed to participants 1-2 business days after the program. Participants who have not received their certificate (and it is not in their spam/junk folder) should email learn@gvsu.edu.
- Grand Valley State University School of Social Work, an accredited social work education program, is authorized by Administrative Rule 338.2965 to award Michigan social work continuing education contact hours.
| Fee: | $49.00 |
|---|---|
| Hours: | 3.00 |
| CEUs: | 3.00 |
Fee Breakdown
| Category | Description | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Fee | COURSE | $ 49.00 |
| Fee-Alternate | GVSU Field Education Supervisor | $ 36.00 |
| Fee-Alternate | GVSU Faculty/Staff | $ 15.00 |
GRAND RAPIDS - BIK 230-235
A parking pass will be emailed to you two days prior to the event. Please see the link below for maps to Grand Valley State University locations: https://www.gvsu.edu/maps.
Building Address: Bicycle Factory 201 Front Ave. SW Grand Rapids, MI 49504
Robert Lathers
Robert Lathers, LMSW has over 45 years experience in social work with 35 of those years in clinical supervision and administration. He recently retired as CEO of a leading-edge rural community mental health center. He has been a live-in residential house parent for adolescents, a case-manager, a clinical supervisor and a program director for several agencies both rural and urban.
He has presented at over 200 State and National professional conferences during his career on issues related mostly to child welfare, family therapy, jail diversion, and serving veterans and their families. He is a long-time Adjunct Professor for the GVSU Graduate School of Social Work teaching courses in Public Policy and Human Service Administration.
Mr. Lathers is the recipient of numerous awards including his community's Citizen of the Year and a local Child Abuse and Neglect Council's Person of the Year. He is the 2018 Recipient of the prestigious Hal Madden Award for Distinguished Service in the field of Mental Health presented by the Community Mental Health of Association of Michigan. He is also the recipient of the 2019 Distinguished BSW Alumnus Award from the GVSU School of Social Work. He earned his MSW from Western Michigan University.