Table Of Content

THE TRAINING LIFE THE TRAINING LIFE LIVING AND LEARNING IN THE SUBSTANCE ABUSE FIELD WILLIAM WHITE, BRUCE JOLEAUD, FELICIA DUDEK, BOB CARTY A Lighthouse Institute Publication Bloomington, Illinois Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data The Training Life: Living and learning in the substance abuse field. William White ... [et al.]. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 0-938475-04-5 1. Drug abuse counseling--Vocational guidance. 2. Alcoholism counseling-- Vocational guidance. 3. Drug abuse counseling--Study and teaching. 4. Alcoholism counseling--Study and teaching. I. White, William L. 1947- HV5801.T7 1994 362.29'186'02373--dc20 Published by the Lighthouse Institute Bloomington, Illinois 8 1994 by William White, Bruce Joleaud, Felicia Dudek, and Bob Carty All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the authors. Additional copies of this publication may be obtained by sending $15 plus $2 shipping and handling to: Lighthouse Institute 702 West Chestnut Street Bloomington, Illinois 61701-2814 (309) 827-6026 Other books by William White that are available from the Institute include: PIncest in the Organizational Family: The Ecology of Burnout in Closed Systems (1986) PThe Culture of Addiction, The Culture of Recovery (1990) PCritical Incidents: Ethical Issues in Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment (1993) Dedication This book is dedicated to the men and women who come to us every day in search of greater knowledge, greater skill, and greater sensitivity to carry the prevention and recovery message to those in greatest need. You are our heroes and heroines. v vi The Training Life Living and Learning in the Substance Abuse Field Table of Contents Preface....................................................................................................................xiii Acknowledgements.................................................................................................xv Part One Training Technique and Training Lifestyle Bill White and Bruce Joleaud Chapter One Becoming a Trainer/Developing as a Trainer......................................................1 The Role of the Professional Trainer........................................................................1 Training Career Opportunities..................................................................................2 Different Training Environments..............................................................................2 How to Get Started....................................................................................................3 Building Experience..................................................................................................7 Developing Training Mentors...................................................................................8 Early Pitfalls............................................................................................................12 Pitfalls for Mature Trainers.....................................................................................14 Trainer Development Issues for Women and People of Color.................................................................................................15 Experiential Requirements......................................................................................16 Mastering the Basic Literature................................................................................19 Staying Abreast of New Knowledge......................................................................22 Accessing Training Literature.................................................................................23 Chapter Two The Context of Training.......................................................................................25 Marketing Training Services...................................................................................25 vii Building a Reputation..............................................................................................25 Contracting to Do Training.....................................................................................26 Setting Fees..............................................................................................................27 Support Services......................................................................................................28 The Training Environment......................................................................................28 Trainer Dress/Image................................................................................................32 Trainer Attitude Toward Audience.........................................................................33 Hosting Behavior.....................................................................................................36 Chapter Three Training Design.....................................................................................................37 The Goals of Training.............................................................................................37 "Empowerment" Through Training........................................................................38 Touching Trainees Personally.................................................................................39 Cautions on the Power of Training.........................................................................40 Training and the Initiation of Personal Recovery...................................................43 Training & Personal/Organizational Health...........................................................45 Selecting Training Topics.......................................................................................47 Designing Workshops and Seminars......................................................................48 Different Presentation Formats...............................................................................50 The Strategic Use of History...................................................................................50 Chapter Four Training Delivery Technique...............................................................................53 Entering Different Organizational Environments...................................................53 Managing Stage-fright, Fear and Anxiety..............................................................58 Opening a Training Event.......................................................................................61 Relationship-building with an Audience................................................................62 Managing Resistance to Learning...........................................................................65 Trainee Self-esteem.................................................................................................66 Unfreezing and Refreezing.....................................................................................68 The Role of Trainer Enthusiasm.............................................................................70 Holding Attention....................................................................................................71 Training Techniques................................................................................................74 The Strategic Use of Humor...................................................................................75 Improving Speaking Skills......................................................................................75 Use of Language......................................................................................................75 viii Use of the Voice......................................................................................................76 Use of Notes............................................................................................................78 Use of Gesture and Movement................................................................................79 Improving Facilitation Skills...................................................................................80 Involving the Audience...........................................................................................81 Delivery Techniques................................................................................................82 Training as Storytelling...........................................................................................85 Handouts and Audiovisual Aids.............................................................................86 The Experiential Workshop....................................................................................87 Assuring Trainee Safety..........................................................................................88 Trainer Self-disclosure............................................................................................90 Difficult Training Topics.........................................................................................90 Responding to Questions.........................................................................................91 Handling Mistakes...................................................................................................92 Managing the Disruptive Participant......................................................................93 Handling Controversial Topics...............................................................................98 Closing the Training Experience.............................................................................99 The Proper use of Training Evaluation Data........................................................101 The Training Autopsy...........................................................................................104 Developing One's Own Training Style.................................................................106 Chapter Five The Training Lifestyle........................................................................................109 Continued Contact with Direct Service................................................................109 Full-Time Versus Part- Time Training.................................................................109 "Good" Days and "Bad" Days...............................................................................110 Managing Life on the Road...................................................................................113 Psyching Yourself Up...........................................................................................115 Emotional Demands..............................................................................................116 Physical Demands.................................................................................................116 The Need for Special Supports.............................................................................117 Trainer Insecurities................................................................................................118 A Semi-serious Proposal for a Trainers Anonymous...........................................119 Private versus Public Persona...............................................................................120 The Trainer as Role Model....................................................................................120 The Trainer as Learner..........................................................................................122 Defining the Master Trainer..................................................................................122 ix Dealing with Personal Beliefs and Biases............................................................123 Ethical Issues in Training......................................................................................125 Chapter Six Human Resource Development: Training as Part of a Broader System...........................................................129 Status of Substance Abuse Training in the U.S....................................................129 Worker Preparation...............................................................................................130 Credentialing and Certification.............................................................................130 Changing Composition of the Field......................................................................130 Future Role of Recovering Persons......................................................................131 Staff Turnover in the Field....................................................................................133 Career Ladders and Pathways...............................................................................135 The Misuse of Training.........................................................................................136 The Untapped Potential of Training......................................................................136 Personal Directions................................................................................................137 Personal Legacy.....................................................................................................140 Part Two Learning the Craft Bill White, Bruce Joleaud, Felicia Dudek, Bob Carty Introduction.........................................................................................................145 Chapter Seven Entering the Substance Abuse Field.................................................................147 What Does the Field Have to Offer?....................................................................147 How is it Changing?..............................................................................................150 Scope of Knowledge and Skill Requirements......................................................151 Pathways of Entry.................................................................................................153 From Recovery......................................................................................................153 From an Allied Profession.....................................................................................157 Education and Training Options...........................................................................158 Getting Certified....................................................................................................159 Gaining Experience...............................................................................................159 x