SMART Foundations Training Details

1. Course Description.

SMART Foundations Course Description

This beginning level course is designed for mental health practitioners interested in learning a body-based approach that integrates bottom-up with top-down interventions to healing children, adolescents, and their families impacted by exposure to traumatic experiences, chronic stress, and attachment disruptions. Participants will gain a foundational understanding of complex trauma’s impact on child development, learn seven tools of regulation, and eight specific therapist skills that foster an effective treatment to support Somatic Regulation, Trauma Processing and Attachment-Building in the context of SMART.

Participants will also learn skills to support patterns of co-regulation with caregivers, and rhythms of engagement for children and adolescents that can be generalized to home and community settings. 

This 15-hour educational experience is divided into 5 Units. Each combines:

• short video synchronous and
• asynchronous didactic presentations on core concepts,
• five 2 hr. live classroom meetings engaging these concepts through

• embodied learning exercises,
• Video reflection
• live demo examples.

• meaningful independent activities to apply learning to your clinical setting. 

The course is co-facilitated by two SMART Trainers. Enrollment is capped at 24 participants. 

The SMART book, Transforming Trauma in Children and Adolescents: An Embodied Approach to Somatic Regulation, Trauma Processing and Attachment-Building is currently available and a required reading for participants.

This is a beginning level course and a prerequisite for all future SMART courses and on-going consultation appropriate for Mental Health professionals, Social Workers, Psychologists, Marriage and Family Therapists, Mental Health Nurses, & Psychiatrists.

Fees

• $500 fee

Continuing Education 12 Credits are pending through Commonwealth Educational Seminars. (Details)

2. Course Syllabus/Learning Objectives

Unit 1: 

Foundations of the SMART Treatment Model

● Framework of SMART
● The Hierarchy of Development and the Brain
● Senses of Self
● Foundations of Somatic Regulation and Attachment Building

Learning Objectives

● Describe at least 2 ways Developmental Trauma impacts a child’s developing brain.
● List 3 bottom-up processes in the SMART Hierarchy of Development that support higher cortical functioning.
● Identify one essential function of each of the following sensory systems - Tactile, Vestibular and Proprioceptive Systems
● Describe the role of embodied play in SMART to support reworking and integration or traumatic experiences
● Define co-regulation and describe its role in somatic regulation and attachment building.
● Recognize behavioral indicators of when a child is using auto regulation, co-regulation and self-regulation

Unit 2:

States and Regulation Tools

● SMART as a state-based approach
● SMART Regulation Map, Child Indicators of Integrated State, Traumatic States and Fluid Zones
● Introduction to the 7 Tools of Regulation

Learning Objectives

● Identify at least 2 behaviors that indicate when a child is functioning in an Integrated State or Traumatic States (Hyperarousal or Hypoarousal).
● Describe 2 indicators that help you recognize when the child is functioning in Fluid Zone on the SMART Regulation Map.
● Identify 3 Tools of Regulation (not equipment) as described in the SMART model and give an example of a child-based activity (e.g. handstand) as an example of each.

Unit 3:

Therapist Skills and Video Reflection 

● Tending to Safety in SMART
● SMART Therapists Skills
● Role of Video and Video reflection for SMART Treatment

Learning Objectives 

● Describe 3 different ways to Tend to Safety from the SMART perspective.
● Explain 3 ways to adapt the physical space in a clinical setting to support Safety.
● Define 3 skills unique to SMART that reflect the importance of the body in child trauma treatment. 
● Explain 2 reasons to your supervisor or program director how Video Reflection improves clinical work in the SMART model.

Unit 4:

Assessment and Treatment for Somatic Regulation & Trauma Processing

● Application of SMART components for Assessment
● Role of video in Assessment
● Specific coaching in how to apply skills and tools for

Learning Objectives 

● Identify 3 behavioral indicators to Track Out for when assessing for Somatic Regulation in session
● Identify at least 3 examples of non-verbal or embodied forms of traumatic expression.
● Utilize the SMART Regulation Map to assess a child’s state to determine if they are reexperiencing or reworking traumatic material.

Unit 5:

Assessment and Treatment for Attachment-Building & Integration of Course Content

● Specific coaching in how to apply skills and tools for attachment building
● Integration of Attachment Building, Trauma Processing and Attachment building in a SMART Tx through use of discussion and clinical video
● Embodied practice using multisensory equipment to support creating new rhythms of engagement
● Generalizing learning to home and community settings.

Learning Objectives 

● List at least 2 forms of embodied play to support Attachment-Building and create new rhythms of engagement. 
● Describe 2 different ways to involve caregivers in a SMART therapy to support generalizing new skills to daily life.
● Describe the goal of the integrative process of weaving Somatic Regulation, Trauma Processing and Attachment-Building in SMART

3. Refund and Cancellation Policy

Refund Policy 

100% (minus handling fee) refund 30 days prior, 50% up to 7 days prior, no refund under 7 days. 

Cancellations

SMARTmoves reserves the right to cancel due to unforeseen events. In the event that a Training is canceled by SMARTmoves a full refund will be issued.

4. Faculty

Our SMARTmoves Team

5. Grievance Policy

SMARTMoves, LLC seeks to ensure equitable treatment of every person and to make every attempt to resolve grievances in a fair manner. Please submit a written grievance to: Alexandra Cook, 450 Lexington St. Suite 203, Newton MA 02466. Grievances would receive, to the best of our ability, corrective action in order to address identified concerns and prevent future issues.

6. Accommodations for the Differently Abled

SMARTMoves training facilities are handicap accessible. Individuals needing special accommodations, please contact: Heather Finn, hfinn@smartmovespartners.com, 617-872-0709