We provide speakers for small and large groups to educate the community on our services, share our experience in Lane County, and provide resources to respond to crisis. Talks are customized to meet the need of the agency or organization. We table throughout the community promoting health and wellness services.

To request a speaker for your group, White Bird prefers requests submitted 4-6 weeks before the event. The request process is handled online through the Speaker Request Form below. The form will ask you for basic information about the event (date, time, location, etc.) that will be needed to process your request. When you press “submit,” the completed form will automatically be sent to us. We will follow up with you about your request once it has been reviewed.  Thank you for your interest!

Speaker Request Form

White Bird Clinic is a collective organization and we are willing to share our knowledge and experience with others who are interested in consensus style communication and governance. We have presented to local groups including local co-ops and intentional communities about our style of consensus. Our presentations also focus on the needs of each group and what challenges they are facing with emphasis on process and grounded communication.

Who: For 8th to 12th Grades

What: A lecture and small group discussion targeted at youth on the topics of crisis and suicide that highlights interpersonal skills-building and self-care, peer support, and available resources. Cahoots uses data from its work in the field that breaks down reasons why adolescents experience suicidal ideation and barriers to reaching out for support. We address these issues and the feelings behind stress, isolation and hopelessness in small group discussions using scenarios, which we then debrief as a class. We discuss what “help” looks like, and ways to influence each other positively while taking care of ourselves at the same time.

When: This is preventative mental health. As with any sensitive topic, it is best to present during times of relative stability, and in a safe environment. That said, Cahoots does also do crisis response in school settings, and is happy to come out to your school and assist in providing safe space after a completed suicide, and to talk to students individually or in groups about grief and loss.

Where: The best practice for our suicide prevention/crisis de-escalation presentation is set within the curriculum of a health class while the topic of mental health is being addressed. We are happy, however, to accommodate the needs and resources of your school population if that looks different for you.

Why: CAHOOTS works in the field of mental health and crisis. We respond to the completed suicides and many of the suicidal subjects in Eugene and Springfield. We perform suicide risk assessments for the police, and have a wide experience with depression, anxiety, and severe mental health issues, such as psychosis. We also do family mediation and disputes, and have close ties to services for adolescents and their families, and for mental health services within our community. We also realize that the system is sometimes not the best solution in a crisis, and that peer support and family support can be helpful as well. We feel that student populations benefit from knowing more about what is happening for them during a crisis, what to look for in others who are in crisis, what is available to them and how they can help themselves and one another.

At White Bird, we follow a client-centered model and believe that each person deserves respect for his or her process. Our role is to be available to help out where we can, with the least intervention necessary to facilitate a healthy and safe process for everyone. Our de-escalation training is $300 for a group of 25 individuals and provides an overview of assessment and intervention skills so that a lay-person can maintain personal safety and recognize when someone might need help. We have offered this training throughout Lane County and Oregon. Groups that have benefited from our presentations include local schools, churches, social service agencies, local businesses, police departments, EMS and first responder groups, and many others. In addition to custom workshops, we also partner with the Trauma Healing project to offer individual coursework.

TWO UPCOMING DATES

Date: November 10, 2020
Location: This training will be live via Zoom – Invitation to join will be sent after registration.
Time: 2:00-4:30pm
Cost: $35. Discounts available for students
Registration link

Date: December 9, 2020
Location: This training will be live via Zoom – Invitation to join will be sent after registration.
Time: 2:00-4:30pm
Cost: $35. Discounts available for students
Registration link

Limited scholarship support to attend this training, please fill out a Scholarship Request Form before registering.

Learning Objectives:
At the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. Describe verbal and non-verbal strategies to use in a crisis situation to help keep themselves and others as safe as possible.
2. Utilize grounding techniques for remaining emotionally regulated during an emotionally charged intervention or conversation
3. Demonstrate ways of interacting with people in crisis that communicates empathy, validation, and concern.
4. Summarize helpful tools for assessing a person’s well-being and need for further support or resources.

Trainers: Ben Brubaker works as Administrative Coordinator of White Bird Clinic. He began serving White Bird in September 2006. Ben first started as a full-time Crisis Worker (Qualified Mental Health Associate) on WBC’s 24/7 Crisis Line and Walk-in Center. A few years later he joined the mobile crisis intervention team (CAHOOTS) as a Crisis Worker and presenting internal and external training for the agency.  He has worked in the mental health field for over 18 years, having held positions such as: Crisis Worker, Hurricane Katrina Relief Operational Site Coordinator, Day Counselor for youth, AmeriCorps Team Leader, and Direct Care Provider. Ben has dedicated his life to serving disadvantaged and underserved populations. 

Training/Speaker Request Form