The Thriving Students program trains New Mexico educators in evidence-based approaches to fostering student success, inclusion, and achievement. Our trainings and consultations specialize in assisting educators to address the needs of students who have serious social, emotional, and academic challenges. By accessing trauma-informed strategies and the tools of positive psychology/education, educators are empowered to shift their paradigms and approach these challenges in the most constructive and meaningful way.

THE PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO:

• Change the trajectory of students experiencing failure and exclusion to success and inclusion.
• Empower educators, families, and students to promote positive change within their school.
• Raise optimism and provide trauma-informed behavioral interventions for struggling students.
• Create interventions that promote inclusion.
• Support school safety and create connection between educators, families, and students.
• Nurture a culture of optimism that makes any school a great place to learn and work.

Kids do well when they are given the opportunity to do well. With enough support, and sensitive, intelligent engagement, even the most troubled students can show remarkable improvement. Learn how a student who is acting out is actually displaying their current stressors, fears, or traumatic history. Instead of judging and punishing, Thriving Students empowers educators to more fully embrace the situation, applying trauma-informed tools and techniques that do not reinforce the negative beliefs being exhibited. We adopt an optimistic stance, and create a positive feedback loop where students can gradually overcome chronic triggers, problematic beliefs, and negative self-perceptions.

Our goal is to shift students from a cycle of failure and exclusion to one of success and inclusion. Some students respond appropriately to traditional discipline. Traumatized students may be impacted in a very different way—reinforcing beliefs that they are worthless, or unwanted. Thriving Students advocates a patient, adaptive, whatever-it-takes attitude. Our trainings help educators to decipher problem behavior, understand the deeper significance of such events, and outline constructive engagement. We learn how to recognize the  meaning behind different types of disruptions, how to avoid becoming triggered oneself, and intervention strategies that actually work.

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WHAT WE OFFER

Southwest Family Institute provides the Thriving Students program to schools in Albuquerque, Española, Santa Fe, and surrounding areas. Our program is tailored to the unique needs of each school, and is comprised of in-person trainings, consultations, and telephone follow-ups as needed.

We begin with a staff-wide presentation that lays a foundation of trauma-informed care and positive education. Next, we help to establish a committee of school staff, a core team, to receive in-depth training on the delivery of the Thriving Students model. By having their very own team, schools can become proficient in delivering the model an ongoing basis, helping teachers, positively impacting students with challenging behaviors, shifting paradigms, informing interventions, and working to improve the school climate. A dedicated consultant is responsible for training the core team, providing ongoing consultation, coaching, and support as they implement the Thriving Students model.

 To learn more about our program or to request services please contact:

Leilani Foulk, Thriving Students Coordinator
(505) 830 1871
lfoulk@swfamily.com

Download Thriving Students Flyer

It takes a lot of education, training, and experience to become a good therapist, but once a therapist is promoted to a supervisory role, it quickly becomes clear that a different skill set is required. Being a good therapist and being a good supervisor are fundamentally different. Without additional training, effectively overseeing other therapists can be difficult.

To bridge the gap from therapist to supervisor, Southwest Family Institute collaborated with former employees Leandrea Romero-Lucero, Ph.D., ACS and Christina Renée LaVail, LMFT, ACS to create the Clinical Supervision Academy. Once housed inside our institute, the academy has since grown into an independent organization. We are proud to have supported its development and Southwest Family employees may qualify for a full scholarship.

The Clinical Supervision Academy lays the foundation for a positive, professional, and ethical career in clinical supervision. The curriculum takes 12 months to complete and includes group and one-on-one training, consultation, and evaluations. Successful completion qualifies for 50+ continuing education credits and meets the requirements for an Approved Clinical Supervisor. ACS certification is currently required in 15 states. New Mexico does not currently require this certification.

11 AREAS OF STUDY

Legal & Ethical Issues and Responsibilities in Clinical Supervision
Roles & Functions of Clinical Supervisors
Theoretical Frameworks & Models of Clinical Supervision
Utilization of Technology in Clinical Supervision
Methods & Techniques in Clinical Supervision
Supervisory Relationship Issues
Administrative Procedures & Responsibilities Related to Clinical Supervision
Managing Therapist Self-Care & Vicarious Trauma in Clinical Supervision
Culturally Responsive Clinical Supervision
Group Supervision
Evaluation, Remediation & Gatekeeping in Clinical Supervision 

If you are an employee of Southwest Family Guidance Center & Institute and are interested in a Clinical Supervision Academy scholarship, contact your Regional Supervisor for more information.

For private enrollment, please contact:

Leandrea Romero, PhD, LPCC, ACS  |  (505) 573 2595  |  leandrea@clinicalsupervisionacademy.com

C. Renée LaVail, LMFT, ACS  |  (505) 917-4479  | renee@clinicalsupervisionacademy.com

You’ve done the hard work of earning your degree—congratulations! Now it’s time to get your career moving forward and progressing toward the important milestone of becoming independently licensed. Many therapists take three years or even longer to make this happen. By enrolling in the Southwest Family Postgraduate Academy, you can do it in two, and get paid while you work. Our program provides all the CEU’s, supervision, clinical hours, and real world experience you need to become a world-class therapist, grounded in core fundamentals, best practices, advanced trainings, and a solid, resumé-building background.

What We Provide

• Employment & Supervision
  • Full-Time Employment With Benefits
  • 1 Hour Individual Supervision Per Week\
  • 1 Hour Group Supervision Per Week
  • Dedicated Advisor To Guide You Through The Process
  • Assistance With Tracking Hours And Progress For Independent Licensure
• Client Contact Hours Per Week
  • Full-Time 22+ hours
  • Full-Time (MST) 27+ hours
• Examination Assistance
  • 3 Months Free Access To Test Preparation Website
  • Testing Study Groups
  • Assistance With Registering
  • Initial Testing Fees Paid By Agency
• Optional Areas Of Focus
  • Family, Parenting, Couples
  • Young Child, Play Therapy
  • Critical Programs
  • Adolescents, At Risk Youth
  • Trauma-Informed Care
  • Positive Psychology/Education
  • Outreach & Advocacy

Continuing Education

10 courses required. Each course is 3 hours, totaling 30 hours provided free of charge. Additional courses will be offered on optional topics.

• Professional Etiquette & Administration
  • Etiquette (Agency/Therapy Room)
  • Working with Stakeholders
  • Professional writing, phone, etc.
• How To Effectively Use Supervision
• Clinical Documentation
  • Intakes
  • Assessments
  • Progress Notes
  • Critical Incident Reports
• Legal & Ethical Issues in Counseling
• Technology Use
• Trauma-Informed Care
• Cultural Competency
• Working with Families & Systems
• Professional Development
• Critical Situations
  • Suicide
  • Crisis
  • Threat
  • Abuse & Neglect
  • Domestic Violence

Requirements For Independent Licensure

• Supervision
  • LPCC 100 hours
  • LMFT 200 hours
  • LCSW 90 hours
• Client Contact
  • LPCC 3,000 hours
  • LMFT 2,000 hours
  • LCSW 3,600 hours
• Licensure Exam(s)
  • LPCC 2 examinations
  • LMFT 1 examination
  • LCSW 2 examinations
• Continuing Education
  • LPCC 40 hours/2 years
  • LMFT 40 hours/2 years
  • LCSW 30 hours/2 years
• Experience Required
  • LPCC 2 years
  • LMFT 2 years
  • LCSW 2 years

The Southwest Family Institute provides professional development and training opportunities to therapists on staff as well as to other mental health providers in the community. We conduct regular trainings on a variety of topics, including specific treatment modalities, interventions for particular mental health issues, best-practice standards for treatment of specific diagnoses, and ethical considerations in mental health. Participants in these trainings can NBCC certified CE hours.

Agency Founder and President, Dr. Craig Pierce, provides continuing education trainings specifically in interpersonal neurobiology and trauma-informed treatment for clinicians and educators. Our counseling center has several staff who offer trainings in variety of special expertise.

 

Southwest Family Guidance Center & Institute has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 6888. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Southwest Family Guidance Center & Institute is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.

 

Southwest Family Guidance Center offers an internship program for Master’s level graduate students in counseling and social work. Our internship program is available in our Albuquerque, Las Cruces, and Santa Fe offices. Directed by Claire Kyllo, LCSW, our internship program provides clinical experience in suicide/crisis risk assessment of children and adolescents, office-based counseling with children, adolescents, families, couples, and adults, and ongoing individual and group supervision. Our interns also have the opportunity to participate in our Thriving Kids program. Interns are welcome and encouraged to participate in all agency clinical trainings.

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Santa Fe & Las Cruces Locations still have openings for the 2022–2023 Internship Program.
Albuquerque Internship Program is currently full, but accepting applications for Fall 2023.

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Here’s what some of our past interns had to say about their experience working with us:

Interning with Southwest Family Guidance Center & Institute further confirmed my passion for helping others and my desire to learn more about how to be an effective social worker. I was fortunate to have site supervisors who were dedicated to mentoring a new person into the profession, ensuring positive growth for the future. The evaluation feedback I received from my supervisor allowed me to grow, not only on an academia level, but also on a personal level. The internship opportunities at Southwest Family Guidance Center & Institute far exceeded my expectations.”
—Ivonne Riley,  MSW New Mexico Highlands University

The internship program at Southwest Family Guidance Center and Institute was instrumental in preparing me for professional practice. My clinical supervisor Claire Kyllo, LISW was instrumental in my professional development, helping me to identify my abilities and support their development. Claire was always there to “lift me up,” with her strengths-based approach, relaxed manner, and inimitable humor. No matter how thorny the clinical problem, Claire cut to the heart of it with insight and wisdom while supporting me in taking a proactive, positive approach. Interning with Southwest Family Guidance Center was an invaluable experience and I cannot recommend it more highly!
—Margot Feldvebel, MSW New Mexico State University

“My internship experience at Southwest Family Guidance Center was a wonderful one. All the staff there is very inviting, professional, and extremely helpful. The supervision is the best I have had during internships, and the range of jobs and trainings was so helpful for future careers.”
—Monique Baca, Intern 

“As an intern with SWFGC I was able to expand my knowledge and experience with assessment as well as evidence-based theory interventions. The therapists and supervisors at SWFGC were always helpful and appreciated all the hard work interns do! A great place to get your feet wet with clients and therapy!”
—Breeann Wilkinson, MSW Intern from NMSU-Albuquerque

Parenting Without Distraction:
The Attunetion Approach

by Dr. Craig Pierce

Raising kids has always been a balancing act. Yet parents today face an unprecedented level of distractions at home and at work that compete for their time and fracture their attention. In the process, today’s fast-paced, hectic world is edging out our ability to be fully present parents, and it’s seeping into our relationships with our children.

The Attunetion Approach: Parenting Without Distraction provides simple steps to help you pay attention to the right thing, at the right time, and in the right way for you and your children. It’s a book that is as inspiring as it is practical, brimming with real-life examples, and filled with helpful tools from Dr. Pierce’s experiences as the founder of the Southwest Family Guidance Center and Institute. In short, it’s designed to help you focus on what matters most so that you can parent with greater confidence, ease and love.

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“One of the book’s main strengths is that Pierce acknowledges, without judgment or condemnation, the many distractions that both parents and kids face in this modern technological age. The author doesn’t point fingers or belittle the reader but rather offers encouragement and support.”
—Kirkus Reviews   Read Full Review

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Publication Date: Feb 08 2013
ISBN/EAN13: 0615703607 / 9780615703602
LCCN: 2012917871
Page Count: 146
Binding Type: US Trade Paper
Trim Size: 6″ x 9″
Language: English
Color: Black and White with Bleed
Related Categories: Self-Help / General

Amazon Purchase Link
Book Commercial Video
Interview (KASA FOX2) About Attunetion

 

Parenting Through Grief:
The Attunetion Approach

by Jade Richardson Bock & Dr. Craig Pierce

When someone in the family dies, everyone’s world is turned upside down. Getting through the pain of your own loss while attending to the needs of grieving children is an incredible challenge. This book helps you better understand the grieving process and provides simple strategies to stay connected with your family during this difficult time.

Paperback: 95 pages
Publisher: Independently published (September 27, 2019)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1695869044
ISBN-13: 978-1695869042
Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.2 x 9 inches

Amazon Purchase Link

Valuable resources for youth, parents, families, and clinicians.

Collaborating Partners

Children’s Grief Center: childrensgrief.org
New Mexico Child Abuse Prevention Partnership (NMCAPP): nmcapp.unm.edu
The Center for Journal Therapy: journaltherapy.com
The New Mexico Children Youth and Families Department (CYFD): cyfd.org
Center for Effective Interventions: msudenver.edu/cei
Rape Crisis Center of Central New Mexico: rapecrisiscnm.org

Family Resources

Attunetion: attunetion.com
Blueprints Programs: blueprintsprograms.com
Children’s Grief Center: childrensgrief.org
New Mexico Child Abuse Prevention Partnership (NMCAPP): nmcapp.unm.edu
Pull Together: pulltogether.org
The Center for Journal Therapy: journaltherapy.com
Rape Crisis Center of Central New Mexico: rapecrisiscnm.org
NM Crisis & Access Line: nmcrisisline.com