January 21-24, 2025 (Pacific Time)

VISIONS' PACE (Personal Approach to Change and Equity) Level I workshop is a comprehensive and intimate introduction to the strategies involved in creating multicultural environments. Upon completion of this course, we are confident that you will possess the necessary skills to identify and challenge "isms" within yourself, others, and organizations. This session emphasizes emotional growth, cognitive learning, and opportunities to practice new approaches.

PACE I serves as the foundational workshop provided by VISIONS. By the end of this course, we believe you will have acquired the following skills:

Identifying previously unconscious biases and misinformation within yourself, others, and organizations.
Enhancing effective communication across differences.
Recognizing personal, interpersonal, institutional, and cultural barriers to inclusion.
Understanding the enduring personal impacts of historical and contemporary exclusion and oppression, such as the effects of sexism on both men and women.
Facilitating change within groups and organizations to establish a supportive, inclusive environment.

Schedule:
January 21-24, 2025
Morning session 9-11:30am PT
Afternoon session 1-3:30pm PT

Cost: $1,150; additional $65 for those attending for CE credit.

Continuing Education Information

CE Credits Offered: 17

Learning Objectives

As a result of attending PACE I workshop, participants will:

Learn VISIONS' Three Dimensions of Change model.
Identify their historically included and historically excluded group memberships.
Summarize and explain the Multicultural Process of Change model.
Demonstrate awareness of how social and hierarchical power dynamics can operate in personal and group interactions.
Apply VISIONS' Feelings as Messengers emotional literacy model.
Utilize VISIONS’ Feedback as an Antidote to Oppression framework to analyze and mitigate the impacts of negative conditional and unconditional feedback in interpersonal and group settings.
Practice VISIONS' Skills for Effective Communication Across Difference.
Describe and apply VISIONS' Modern Oppression and Survival Behavior/Internalized Oppression framework to an analysis of dysfunctional interpersonal encounters.

Vigorous Interventions in Ongoing Natural Settings, Inc. (VISIONS, Inc.) has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7400. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Vigorous Interventions in Ongoing Natural Settings, Inc. (VISIONS, Inc.) is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.

This program is Approved by the National Association of Social Workers (Approval # 886744521-4559) for 17 continuing education contact hours.

Facilitator Details

Ellen F. Morrison

Ellen Morrison, LCSW collaborates with groups and individuals in catalyzing their efforts toward equity, bringing attention to the analysis of power as a core element of interpersonal and organizational change. Her work as a DEI consultant is informed by twenty-five years of experience as an administrator and therapist in community mental health, inspired by a lineage of movement building and impacted by an intentional personal journey in understanding her relationship to power and privilege. Ellen is a skilled facilitator with extensive experience working across diverse groups in educational, clinical, organizational and social service settings. Her trauma informed and relational approach contributes to prioritizing the integration of restorative practices including popular education pedagogy to develop curriculum and facilitate experiential learning. She has a psychotherapy practice as well as a consultancy focused on antiracism and organizes with the Bay Area Chapter of SURJ. She also serves on the board of Diversity 2000: a non-profit and community dedicated to the development of diverse social justice leaders, thinkers and practitioners.

Isaac Ruelas

Isaac Ruelas has worked with VISIONS since 2011, first as a client at All Saints Pasadena and then as a VISIONS consultant Their work has been adapted to meet the needs of a spectrum of communities, including bilingual Spanish speaking groups; spiritual communities challenging themselves to grow their inclusion and equity; schools and universities as well as foundations. Isaac's portfolio also includes work with Boards of Trustees and other organizational leaders in DEI change initiatives in their own industry; architecture firms, who are wanting to explore new ways of designing that are inclusive to the communities around them, and streaming services that are wanting to shift their internal culture and desire to take risks on new diverse, inclusive and equitable content. Isaac has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a focus on culture and adolescence from Azusa Pacific University. They independently teach meditation, emotional intelligence, and alternative spiritual practices, as well.

Registration Details

Schedule

PACE I is offered over four consecutive days, with a morning and afternoon session from 9-11:30am and 1-3:30pm occurring on each day. A general outline for the major curriculum pieces to be covered on each day is below.

Day 1: Introductions, VISIONS Guidelines for Effective Communication Across Difference, Cultural Learning Activity, Multicultural Process of Change, and Contracting for Change.

Day 2: Welcome, Contracting (continued), Feelings as Messengers & Emotional Literacy, Cultural Sharing, Multiple Identities, Historically Included/Excluded Identities

Day 3: Modern Oppression and Survival Behavior/Internalized Oppression; Alternative Behaviors; Feedback/Recognition as an Antidote to Oppression

Day 4: Final contract review; Application Work; Closing

Refund and Cancellation Policy

If a workshop is canceled by VISIONS, participants will receive a full refund. If a participant cancels more than 30 days in advance of the training start date, they can receive a full refund or transfer to another session.

If a participant cancels 15-30 days in advance, they can receive up to a 50% refund or have a 50% discount applied to a future training.

Cancellations made 14 or fewer days in advance of the training are not eligible for a refund or transfer to another training.