Since 2001, Collective Impact has provided capacity building services to help organizations and communities achieve their mission, realize their vision, and thrive! Over the years, we have become the “go-to” place for meeting government agency and non-profit organization training and professional development needs. Our interactive, action-oriented approach to learning engages participants in an enjoyable experience and results in greater retention of educational content. Collective Impact provides an array of training and facilitation services. Click here to learn more about these services.
In light of the rash of sexual harassment allegations spreading across our nation, mounting mental health and substance abuse/addiction issues facing our families and communities, and a call for greater understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion … direct and meaningful action is needed now more than ever!
Collective Impact’s Training and Professional Development Services can help your organization better deal with today’s challenges and opportunities. Here are some examples of our Cultural Competence Capacity Building Training Workshops that address current real-life issues facing your organization and community today:
Strengthening Workplace Sensitivity
The County Council of Berkeley County, West Virginia contracted with Collective Impact to design and deliver a workplace sensitivity and community engagement training for uniformed law enforcement personnel and other full & part-time County employees.
The intent of this training workshop is to raise awareness of the importance of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) within the workplace, as well as with residents, community partners, and other stakeholders. The interactive training pushes participants to face biases, prejudices, and assumptions in a proactive and positive manner. It encompass definitions and examples of harassment and discrimination and clarification of laws addressing these areas. It also provides interactive activities focusing on addressing inappropriate behavior, valuing differences, heightening cultural awareness, and creating a culture of diversity, equity, inclusion, and respect in the workplace. Building cultural competence through strengthening workplace sensitivity is important for government agencies and non-profit organizations to be able to thrive in today’s complex and challenging world.
Participant Quotes:
"Allowed the opportunity to disagree with another opinion with respect and changed my outlook."
"Provided officers with techniques and skills to engage with the community in a more positive manner."
"Truthfully, this was the most knowledgeable, engaging, least painful training I've ever set through with any job. It was actually a pleasant experience."
“I have worked in the county for 14 years and have always hoped a class such as this would be implemented. Thank you!"
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA)
MHFA is a public education program that introduces participants to risk factors and warning signs of mental illnesses, builds understanding of their impact, and overviews common supports. This 8-hour course uses role-playing and simulations to demonstrate how to offer initial help in a mental health crisis and connect persons to the appropriate professional, peer, social, and self-help care. The program also teaches the common risk factors and warning signs of specific types of illnesses, like anxiety, depression, substance use, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, and schizophrenia. Mental Health First Aid is included on the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP).
Like CPR, Mental Health First Aid prepares participants to interact with a person in crisis and connect the person with help. The program offers concrete tools and answers key questions, like “what do I do?” and “where can someone find help?” Certified Mental Health First Aid instructors provide a list of community healthcare providers and national resources, support groups, and online tools for mental health and addictions treatment and support. All trainees receive a program manual to compliment the course material.
Mental Health First Aid teaches participants a five-step action plan, ALGEE, to support someone developing signs and symptoms of a mental illness or in an emotional crisis. Participants learn how to apply the ALGEE Mental Health First Aid action plan in a variety of situations, including when someone is experiencing:
Overdose or withdrawal from alcohol or drug use
Panic attacks
Suicidal thoughts or behaviors
Non-suicidal self-injury
Acute psychosis (e.g., hallucinations or delusions)
Reaction to a traumatic event
MHFA certification is beneficial for first-responders and others who work with youth and/or the general public on a regular basis
Participant Quotes:
“Interactive and engaging training that helps to break the stigma of mental health.”
“This training really applies to our everyday job of working with at-risk youth.”
“Every organization that works with people needs this training to raise awareness of mental health and its impact in the workplace.”
“Great Workshop! This information was exactly what we needed.”
Generational Cohorts in the Workplace
In a time where there are multiple generations in the workforce, organizations need to be keenly aware of how understanding the various age groups within your staff, on your Board, and among those you serve greatly influence how well you proactively deal with change, successfully impact your mission, and survive beyond sustainability.
The United States population as a whole is growing older as two generations – the Traditionalist and Boomers - are rapidly aging. In fact, the number of people aged 65 and over is projected to rise nearly 30% over the next 15 years, and 42 % by 2050.
On the other hand, a younger generation has been entering the workforce by storm – the Millennials! On top of that, add in the “other” generation – Gen Xers - to the mix and we have fertile ground for an explosion of values, beliefs, workstyles, innovation, creativity, and everything in between. This fun and interactive workshop explores the importance of cultural competence in the workplace in general, with a specific focus on similarities and differences among the various generational cohorts in the workplace.
Participant Quotes:
“Loved the interaction and activities”
“Fun and useful training that will help us understand each other better and hopefully get along better on the job”
“Great workshop. Great insight into the similarities and differences among our team”
“I am ready to advocate for this training in my County”
Allies for LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer)
With an increasingly diverse workforce, rapidly shifting community demographics, and an ever-changing client/customer base, many organizations struggle to help their established workforce, volunteers, and/or board members successfully adapt. More than half of all Fortune 500 companies provide some form of diversity training that includes sexual orientation and gender identity, but this is not the case for nonprofit organizations or governmental agencies where the need for sensitivity training is even more needed due to the range and different types of services provided to the general public and oftentimes, vulnerable or marginalized populations.
This interactive training workshop is an introductory resource for organizations and community members on how to create an environment that is inclusive and welcoming of diversity to ensure that LGBTQ people are treated with dignity and respect and provided equal opportunity. It provides activities focusing on sexual orientation, gender identity, LGBTQ vocabulary and inclusive language, the coming out process, community resources, and issues of risk and challenges specific to LGBTQ people (i.e., health disparities, social isolation, propensity for violence and suicide, community and work safety, etc.).
Participant Quotes:
“Handled difficult topics in a very professional and non-threating way”
“I learned a lot and hope to apply what I learned in the workplace and at home”
“Thanks you … have needed this kind of training for some time and this was a great start”
“I learned that it is a long process to change organizational culture, but I think we are ready”
“Really good training and topic, thank you!”
If you can’t find the specific topic you are looking for on our website, let us know and we can design and deliver the right training workshop to meet your specific needs!
Collective Impact has been working with the Northern West Virginia Center for Independent Living to help the organization develop a strategic plan for the future as well as engage in succession planning for the planned departure of its founding Executive Director who has lead the organization for nearly 30 years.
During this engaging and productive process, Collective Impact is becoming more educated about the variety of needs of people with disabilities as well as the numerous services, resources, and supports available to the disabilities community. Did you know that in the United Stated, 12.6% of adults have some type of disability? Did you know that in West Virginia, the number is even higher, with 19.4% of adults having some type of disability? And in West Virginia, adults with disabilities are more likely to smoke (21.9%) and be obese (43.3%).
The challenges facing people with disabilities is overwhelming, but many of these challenges are being met daily by organizations like NWVCIL. A BIG shout out to the good folks at NWVCIL for your passion, tenacity, and strong work on improving the lives and communities of people with disabilities in the mountain state!
A needs assessment was conducted by Collective Impact to fully assess the need and potential use of a sustainable Home Preservation Program throughout Kanawha and Putnam Counties for Habitat for Humanity of Kanawha and Putnam. A diverse group of stakeholders was convened to explore possibilities for development of a home preservation program to serve Kanawha and Putnam Counties in West Virginia. Collective Impact, LLC was enlisted to facilitate planning, conduct relevant research, hold focus groups, collect and analyze survey data from local agencies and organizations knowledgeable of home preservation needs, survey a sample of homeowners related to their needs for home preservation assistance, and prepare the needs assessment report. Habitat for Humanity brings people together to build homes, communities, and hope.
“Bruce Decker was extremely flexible and accommodating. His Collective Impact team did a very thorough and professional study for us.” ~ John David - Director, Southern Appalachian Labor School (SALS), Oak Hill, WV
The Teachers College of Columbia University was the first and largest graduate school of education in the United States and is perennially ranked among the nation’s best. With financial support from the Wallace Foundation, the Teachers College engaged in research relating to collective engagement around education reform. The report describes development in the new generation of cross-sector collaborations for education and presents findings from a scan of initiatives across the United States. In this report, Collective Impact, LLC is identified as the first entity to coin the term "Collective Impact" in the early 2000's (page 6, footnote 7). This is an instructive example of how cross-sector collaborations have been bubbling up for several decades. Read the article by clicking here!
