APS Northern Academy Training Welcomes 60+ Sacramento County Adult Protective Services Professionals
APS Northern Academy instructors welcomed more than 60 Sacramento County Adult Protective Services professionals at an educational and engaging October 21 motivational interviewing training.
Held in-person at the Sacramento County Child, Family and Adult Services office, the packed morning course provided a deep dive into the why, when and how of using motivational interviewing (MI) with vulnerable adults.
Why MI?
Motivational interviewing is a collaborative communication style that:
- Helps resolve ambivalence and evokes the client’s motivation for change
- Upholds a person-centered approach that preserves autonomy
- Improves service engagement by building rapport to counter resistance
While MI has been a recognized, valued and effective social-work discipline for more than 40 years, APS Northern Academy created an MI training specifically for APS professionals featuring real-life examples and best practices for using this communications approach with older adults and adults with disabilities.
What Is the APS Northern Academy?
The Adult Protective Services (APS) Northern Academy supports APS professionals in 28 Northern California counties by delivering comprehensive training, coaching, technical assistance and other workforce development services tailored to the needs of those working with vulnerable adults. Our offerings are designed to build and sustain a consistently high level of knowledge, skill and effective practice among APS staff and leaders.
Visit the APS Northern Academy Website
Subscribe to APS Northern Academy Emails
Engaging Learners, Empowering Clients
The Sacramento County APS professionals deepened their understanding of the relevance and benefits of MI through core-skills practice, giving them need-to-know information they could immediately use to empower those they serve.
“The training provided real tools that can be easily implemented to improve the quality of interviews and the social worker’s ability to get the client to buy in and participate in services,” said one professional.
“I appreciated the reminder to ask open-ended questions and to then work as a team toward a goal, and the reminder to look for more strengths and build from there,” added another.
“I was excited to see so many staff and managers in the same room, all engaged and training together,” said instructor Roberta Farley, who drew upon her own decades of APS experience and leadership to create and teach the course. “Shoutout to our amazing learners, and thanks to the Sacramento County Department of Child, Family and Adult Services for their partnership in this event!”
More APS Trainings and Resources Available
The Sacramento County training was just the latest in the APS Northern Academy’s innovative offerings and resources for our 28-county region, which recently have included:
- Elder-fraud awareness training with nationally renowned attorney Paul Greenwood
- Dementia training featuring UC Davis Health expert Dr. Rebecca Sue Boxer and her team
- Interactive in-person virtual reality trainings for 12 Northern California counties
For information on the APS Northern Academy or to find out more about free trainings and resources like these for your county, contact us.
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