Sometime in the weeks leading up to March 10, our Colleague Tammy sent us a list of coming “holidays” like International Day of Happiness (March 20) and more-than-worthy recognitions/celebrations like World Down Syndrome Day (March 21) and World Bipolar Day (March 30).
At the top of the list was a “holiday” we just had to kick the month off with…International Day of Awesomeness, IDOA, March 10.
So, last Friday, our Colleague Jenn sent out an email announcing IDOA. She started a trend that lasted all day by listing why each of the Colleagues in her department are so awesome. Email after email followed with Colleagues describing the ways in which the Colleagues in their departments are awesome. Needless to say, it was a pretty peppy office all day.
We continued the love on Monday, asking Colleagues to fill out a sheet, naming a Colleague and explaining why that Colleague is awesome. The results are below…
The Photos:
What began as Lawrence Rehabilitation Services Center, Incorporated, a small nonprofit in Lawrence back in 1979, has grown into the American Training family we know and love today.
How did we get here? A group of exceptional people with an intense love and passion for serving those in our community.
Below a few of our Colleagues, some who have been here since the very start, share some of their favorite moments and memories from the past 36 years.
Check out photos from throughout the years that show our growth as a family and the changes and growth in the places we’ve called home:
“Many years ago, in the early WOW! days, the Business Office had a poetry contest for Valentine’s Day. Attached is a poem I wrote reflecting StarWorks’ attitude at American Training. Although the purple walls and yellow stars are not here at Campanelli, the sentiment still rings true,” said Michaud.
The poem:
This Supporting Persons with Developmental Disabilities and Dementia Presentation Training will be held March 5, 2015, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at 6 Campanelli Drive in Andover.
Course Description
This one-day afternoon presentation is under review for Social Work Continuing Education hours for relicensure.
At the end of this session, you’ll be able to:
• Identify ways to create a comforting environment to support positive emotions
• Identify strategies to promote communication and determine two ways to reduce sundowning
• Identify problematic behavior vs. nuisance behavior
Meet Our Trainers
Allison Smith, MS and Robin Farago, OTR/L.
Allison Smith is a Behavioral and Mental Health Clinician at American Training, Inc. She began working at ATI as a Program Director for the Lowell Full Time Day Hab. and recently transferred into the clinical division. Allison holds a BA in Psychology and an MS in Social Cognition and Personality. Previous work experience includes providing cognitive based therapy for traumatically brain injured individuals and overseeing a rehabilitation day program in Pennsylvania. She is currently pursuing licensure as a Mental Health Counselor at Salem State University.
Robin Farago is an Occupational Therapist who has worked in affiliation with American Training for almost 16 years. She graduated as a COTA/L in 1988 and earned a BS in Occupational Therapy (OTR/L). Twenty six years of clinical practice has included working with a range of individuals from early intervention age to geriatrics, with a myriad of diagnoses and challenges with specificity and individualized needs for OT services.
Costs
The registration fee of $25 is due upon arrival. It includes the two-hour course, refreshments, and all course materials. Cash, credit card or checks are accepted. Inquire about discounts for Current Partners and Groups.
Registration
To register, please contact Danielle LaPointe at 978-655-6850 or at danielle.lapointe@americantraininginc.com.
Questions
Please contact Danielle LaPointe at 978-655-6850 or at danielle.lapointe@americantraininginc.com with any questions.
Search for other training opportunities on our events page.
Once again, we’re going big!
Presidents Day is Monday, February 16. We’re making it last all week long!
Check out our week of events below to celebrate and learn about Presidents.
In early February we launched a challenge that asked people to make the most of the heaping snow piles forming outside their windows.
We asked them to get out there and build their best snow creations then send them to us via our Facebook or Twitter accounts using the hashtag #ATIsnowjoy.
We planned to select two winners, each of whom would win a $25 gift card to a local establishment of her/his choosing. After looking through the few, but fabulous submissions, our judging committee selected three winners based on their creativity.
The Saddest Snowman, Colorful Little Bug, and Vanway Snowman took home the honors!
There’s no joy like snow joy!
Our entries:
More from the extreme sledding hill entry: Post by Donny Wise.
This Psychopharmacology Training will be held February 19, 2015, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. at 6 Campanelli Drive in Andover.
Course Description
This one-day morning course will cover psychopharmacology, the scientific study of the effects drugs have on mood, sensation, thinking, and behavior. This program has been approved for 1.5 Social Work Continuing Education hours for relicensure, in accordance with 258 CMR. Collaborative of NASW and the Boston College and Simmons Schools of Social Work Authorization Number 70450.
At the end of this session, you’ll be able to:
• Identify the clinical uses of the five major psychotropic medication classes: the antidepressants, mood stabilizers, anti-anxiety agents, antipsychotics and psychostimulants – how they work, and their common side effects
• Describe the different symptoms for prescribing medications
• Understand the purpose of a mental status exam
Meet Our Trainer
Janice Chasse-King, DNP, PMHCNS, BC is a Clinical Nurse Specialist. She graduated from Boston University Graduate School of Nursing with her Master’s in Nursing and currently holds a Doctorate as a Nurse Practitioner. She has been working in the field for over 30 years at various hospitals and clinics and is currently a full-time Attending at Steward Holy Family Hospital in Methuen, MA. In addition, she is a full-time professor of Psychiatric Nursing at Salem State University in Salem, MA. She co-authored the Instructor’s Guide to Psychiatric Nursing workbook in 2009 and received the Innovative Teaching Award of 2014 from the Massachusetts Association of Colleges of Nursing. She has been a guest lecturer since 2005 throughout the Commonwealth on topics such as “Psychopharmacology for the Mental Health Clinician” and “Current Trends in Psychopharmacology”.
Costs
The registration fee of $25 and is due upon arrival. It includes the two-hour course and a continental breakfast. Cash, credit card or checks are accepted. Inquire about discounts for Current Partners and Groups.
Registration
To register, please contact Danielle LaPointe at 978-655-6850 before 4:30 p.m. or Jodi Howshan at jodihowshan@americantraininginc.com after 4:30 p.m.
Questions
Please contact Jodi Howshan at jodihowshan@americantraininginc.com with any questions.
This MAP Training will be held April 7 and 8, 2015, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 6 Campanelli Drive in Andover.
Course Description
This two-day course will prepare and qualify you to take the MAP test.
At the end of this session, you will be able to:
• Safely administer medications as regulated by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health
• Administer a liquid oral medication, use an oral medication cup, oral dosing syringe, and dropper
• Properly document, record, and store medication
Meet Our Trainer
Meghan Fisk is a Bachelor’s prepared registered nurse, with over 2 years experience, providing quality care to diverse individuals. She has dedicated her career to acute, advanced cardiac care as well as intellectually disabled populations.
Costs
This 2-day course is $250 per person. This price includes training, lunch on the first day, and all course materials. Please note that D&S Diversified Technologies may require you to pay additional testing fees if you are not covered by the Department of Mental Health (DMH) or Department of Developmental Services (DDS)
Registration
To register, please contact Danielle LaPointe at 978-655-6850 or daniellelapointe@americantraininginc.com.
Questions
Please contact Danielle LaPointe at 978-655-6850 or daniellelapointe@americantraininginc.com with any questions.
Tuition must be paid prior to beginning the course and you must present a current photo ID.
Search for other training opportunities on our events page.
After hearing of our friendly Biggest Loser competition, our local Title Boxing Club in North Andover, invited us to stop by for a workout session on a Friday night.
We went. We sweat. We drank lots of water. And we loved every second of it! And to top it all off, we each burned nearly 1,000 calories in that one hour session.
We left there floating on air and feeling like we could take on the world! We can’t wait to return.
A special thank you to Ami who set us up with the experience and Brandon, our trainer-extraordinaire!
Check out more about Title Boxing Club via their website and Facebook page.
In support of Heart Disease & Stroke Awareness, all of our locations went red today for National Wear Red Day, a day designated to increase awareness for the number one and four killers of women, and the number one and five killers of men, both respectively.
We participated by wearing our brightest and boldest. But we didn’t just show our support, we also raised awareness by sharing facts, statistics, and tips for getting healthy.
Find out more: the facts, the stats, tips for healthy living, and how you can get involved.
Check out the photos from our Wear Red Day below and on WCVB’s ULocal (make sure you scroll through)!
Our WOW! Magic culture reaches far beyond those we serve to those we call Colleagues, the exceptional people we’re privileged to share our days with. We learn from them, teach them, grow with them, and even love them.
So we asked our Colleagues…what do you love about working here? What is your favorite part of being a part of the American Training family?
Here’s what they had to say…
“As a Colleague who has been with American Training since 2006 I love working for our company because I am blessed to work with committed, thoughtful, genuine, resourceful and good-natured Colleagues,” said Renee Ghembaza, Director of Highfields and TASH.
“I like working here becuase I love the teamwork we have here. And I love seeing our Guests smile,” said William Webster, Vanway Driver.
“I love working for American Training because I have the opportunity to interact on a daily basis with some Exceptional people. Whether it be with their talent, creativity, humor or compassion they absolutely make my day, every day,” said Hiedi Keefer, Assistant Director of Specialized Housing.
“I work with a great team. We’re all in sync and help each other out whenever needed. I’ve been put in a position to succeed,” said Donny Wise, Training Specialist.
“I love working here because it teaches me so much about myself,” said Adam Jackson, Assistant Site Director and Lead Job Coach.
“I love working at ATI because I am reminded, on a daily basis, how strong, selfless and kind the human spirit really is,” said Carol Sholik, Vocational Counselor and Grants Coordinator, LARE Institute.
“I honestly love working here because of the people and the flexibility,” said Dave Moynihan, HR Generalist.
“I like working here because our Colleagues watch out for each other and treat each other like family,” said Gail Roberts, VP and Director of Day Services.
“I like working for ATI because I love working with our Guests and I especially like what the company stands for,” said Eluid Vazquez, Vanway Driver.
“I love that our work means so much. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t receive a heartfelt thanks from one of our Students or Graduates for helping them obtain a meaningful job,” said Cheryl Watson, Career Placement Specialist and Supervisor, LARE Institute.
To celebrate this major accomplishment and our exceptional Colleagues who made it happen, we threw a WOW! Magic Best 25 party. Check it out here.