Care-Net Training Coming in August

The Pregnancy Care Center will be offering a high quality, updated training by a National Care-Net trainer on August 17-18, 2018, at Berrien Center Bible Church in Berrien Center, MI. This training is for all current and potential PCC volunteers at both the Niles and Benton Harbor locations as well as for church leaders or members who want to learn the skills needed to help people in crisis pregnancy situations.

The training will be led by Terry Williams, a Care-Net trainer from Texas who helped develop the updated curriculum.  A veteran of more than eight years as a pregnancy center director, Terry is a current board member at Texas Alliance for Life. Terry also mentors teenagers, young adults and women. Terry is called upon frequently to provide key testimony for pro-life legislation at the Texas state capitol and has been involved in several events and communications regarding pro-life legislative issues. Terry’s areas of expertise include Effective Volunteer Training, Advocacy, Reaching the Abortion-minded and Abortion-vulnerable Client, Board and Executive Director Relationships, and New Director Training.

While in Michigan, Terry will be meeting with the PCC board, meeting with and completing the training of the executive director, re-training current PCC staff and volunteers, and training all new and potential volunteers. According to Lisa Smith, client services director, “This training will get all of our board, staff, and volunteers on the same page, allowing us to minister more effectively in our community.”

This Care-Net training is not just for the Pregnancy Care Center. Anyone who desires to help people in his/her church and community could benefit from this training.

Says Smith, “The training contains a good amount of lay counseling — active listening skills and skills that help draw someone out — skills that are needed when working with someone in the middle of a crisis.”  For this reason, the Pregnancy Care Center has made this training available for leaders and members of local churches and other ministry organizations.

Training Topics Include the Following:

Coaching the Client in Crisis

• The ABCs of Crisis Intervention
• Child Abuse and Neglect
• Intimate Partner Violence
• Suicide
• Sexual Assault and Rape
• Human Trafficking
• When a Client Chooses Abortion

Effective Communication

• Listening Skills
• Good Questions
• Constructive Feedback

Pregnancy Education

• Guidelines for Sharing Medical Information
• Pregnancy Tests
• Signs and Symptoms of Pregnancy
• Fetal Development

Abortion Education

• Introduction to Abortion Education
• Reasons Women Choose Abortion
• Presenting Abortion Info with Compassion

Life-Affirming Alternatives

Cost of the training is $55, with a $30 deposit needed by July 15. This cost includes a training manual as well as 2 continental breakfasts and 2 lunches. Anyone who is interested in the training should contact the PCC at 269-684-6200.