positive behavior support

PBS Trainings

The PBS program provides free trainings to build the skills and capacity necessary to better serve individuals with challenging behaviors and to improve their quality of life. The PBS program is excited to announce the launching of several free self-paced web courses. In addition to the webinars and self-paced courses, PBS offers multiple in person training opportunities throughout the year. Connections Matter is the newest addition to the PBS training curriculum as well as added opportunities for In-Person Facilitator Training in the increasingly popular behavior tool, Anger Management for Youth. The PBS program also offers private agency trainings based on need and the availability of the PBS staff. If you are interested in attending a training or have any questions, please contact pbs@hsc.wvu.edu or 855-558-4692.

Upcoming Trainings

Trauma Informed Positive Behavior Support (TIPBS)

November 7, 2024
1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

This free training will provide professionals with ideas on how to implement positive behavior support techniques with people who have experienced trauma. Participants will create a Positive Behavior Support Plan for themselves throughout the class to aid in applying the overall principles to their everyday lives. Discussion will be centered on different approaches to looking at behavior through a trauma-informed lens. This training is especially beneficial for professionals assisting people who have experienced traumas and are having challenging behaviors as a result of those traumas.

After attending, you will be able to:

  • Recognize the impact of trauma on emotional and behavioral functioning and survival mechanisms
  • Identify how to create a functionally equivalent replacement behavior
  • Develop ways to create individualized positive behavior support interventions

Learn More about Implementing Trauma Informed PBS Webinar

Anger Management for Youth

  • January 23, 2024 (Elementary)
  • March 26, 2024
  • May 23, 2024 (Elementary)
  • July 30, 2024
  • September 24, 2024 (Elementary)
  • November 26, 2024

Learn More information about the Anger Management for Youth (PDF)

Register for Anger Management for Youth

PBS for Parents and Caregivers I & II

These self-paced Positive Behavior Support for Parents and Caregivers web courses can be done on any device, at your own pace from the convenience of your preferred location. Each course takes approximately 1 - 1.5 hours to complete, but work completed can be saved and returned to if more time is needed. Both courses are ideal for parents, foster parents, kinship caregivers, and childcare providers. Participants will receive an overview on positive behavior support, learn a positive approach to teaching replacement behaviors, how to create structure at home, and build lasting resiliency with their children. Upon completion, participants will receive a certificate.

Register for PBS for Parents Here

Once you have completed this step, you will be able to enroll in both of the PBS for Parents and Caregivers courses.

If you need assistance with registration or have any questions about this course, please email us at pbs@hsc.wvu.edu or give us a call at 855-558-4296.

Trainings Calendar

Training Description Objectives 2024 Dates and Time
Adverse Childhood Experience (ACEs)

A three-part series OR 1 day in-person overview of ACEs and the impact it has on children and adults

4.5 Social Work CEUs Approved

Become familiar with the 10 types of ACES and the basic brain science behind it

Introduce ways to overcome ACES

Introduce steps individuals, families, schools, and providers can do to prevent ACES

Learn ways to teach resiliency

Understand variables related to resilience; protective factors; and safe, stable and nurturing relationships and environments

Learn to identify some of the root causes of ACES

Identify best practices for preventing ACES

Identify what you and your organization can do to prevent ACES

  • February 20-22, 2024 10:00am-11:30am
  • April 23-25, 2024 10:00am-11:30am
  • July 23-25, 2024 2:00pm – 3:30pm
  • September 10-12, 2024 10:00am-11:30am
  • November 14, 2024 10:00am-3:00pm *In-Person, DHHR-Flatwoods
Anger Management for Youth

A free, interactive training for youth to learn strategies to identify and cope with their anger in healthier ways and be the bigger person. No CEUs are available for this training as it is geared toward youth. A certificate of completion will be available.

Identify what it feels like to be angry

Discuss stress reduction tactics

Practice relaxation strategies such as progressive muscle relaxation

Please contact us at pbs@hsc.wvu.edu for registration information.

  • January 23, 2024 (Elementary)
  • March 26, 2024
  • May 28, 2024 (Elementary)
  • July 30, 2024
  • September 24, 2024 (Elementary)
  • November 26, 2024

All sessions 4:00pm-5:00pm

Connections Matter

Connections Matter is designed to engage community members in building caring connections to improve resiliency. This training provides educators, social workers, therapists, and direct support providers with the opportunity to build their trauma informed care and implantation toolbox. The Connections Matter West Virginia initiative is a collaboration with Prevent Child Abuse West Virginia.

1 Social Work CEU Approved

Gain a better understanding of trauma, brain development, resilience, and health

Increase knowledge of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

Learn to develop an action plan and the steps to make a difference

Improve your own connections and tools for strengthening personal and community resilience

  • January 18, 2024 10:00am -11:00am
  • August 20, 2024 1:00pm -2:00pm
  • December 12, 2024 10:00am - 11:00am
Creating Interventions Workshop

Discuss aspects of translating functional behavior assessment information into positive behavioral support interventions. Participants will share skills in a solution circle format for the last half of the training to learn from each other and encourage application of the knowledge learned.

2 Social Work CEUs Approved

Review behavior assessment forms to establish purpose of challenging behavior.

Utilize a hypothesis statement to create example Quality of Life, proactive, reactive, and replacement behavior interventions.

Identify best practices and appropriate uses for visual strategies.

Identify four types of sentences contained in social stories.

  • February 8, 2024 10:00am-12:00pm
  • May 16, 2024 1:00pm-3:00pm
  • June 13, 2024 1:00pm-3:00pm
  • September 19, 2024 1:00pm-3:00pm
De-escalation Techniques

A discussion on how to interact with someone when they are angry to help de-escalate them.

2 Social Work CEUs Approved

Differentiate between compassion fatigue and being burned-out.

Discuss how stress and anger impacts us and the negative consequences.

Examine the S.T.E.P program.

Recognize a power struggle and ways to avoid it.

Understand the risks of restraints

List positive reactive strategies

Identify ways to effectively de-escalate a situation

  • January 4, 2024 10:00am-12:00pm
  • February 15, 2024 1:00pm-3:00pm
  • April 4, 2024 10:00am-12:00pm
  • May 9, 2024 10:00am-12:00pm
  • July 11, 2024 1:00pm-3:00pm
  • August 1, 2024 10:00am-12:00pm
  • October 3, 2024 10:00am-12:00pm
  • December 5, 2024 1:00pm-3:00pm
Facilitator Training: Anger Management for Youth

The Facilitator Training in Anger Management for Youth provides the opportunity to acquire the necessary skills to facilitate the PBS Program’s Anger Management for Youth session. During this training, participants will learn to facilitate emotional awareness skills and coping strategies that are specifically created for youth. Upon completion of the training, participants will have access to the materials necessary for providing quality anger management sessions.

4.5 Social Work CEUs Approved

Provide a quality training session

Know how to facilitate emotional awareness with youth

Acquire several coping strategies for youth

Gain access to the training materials and presentation

  • March 5, 2024 10:00am – 4:00pm, CED-North Office, Morgantown
  • June 6, 2024 10:00am – 4:00pm, CED-South Office, Charleston
  • June 26, 2024 10:00am – 4:00pm, CED-North Office, Morgantown
  • October 9, 2024 10:00am – 4:00pm, CED-South Office, Charleston
Implementing Trauma Informed Positive Behavior Support

Participants will learn about how to create interventions by writing a trauma informed PBS plan for themselves.

2 Social Work CEUs Approved

Recognize the impact of trauma on emotional and behavioral functioning and survival mechanisms.

List ways to implement trauma informed positive behavior support.

Identify how to create a functionally equivalent replacement behavior.

List ways to improve quality of life.

Develop ways to create individualized positive behavior support interventions.

  • January 11, 2024 1:00pm-3:00pm
  • April 10, 2024 1:00pm-3:00pm
  • July 16, 2024 10:00-12:00pm
  • November 7, 2024 1:00pm-3:00pm

TIPBS Self-Paced Web Course

Making Action Plans and Planning Alternative Tomorrows with Hope, 2 Day In-Person

This free two-day training will prepare participants to facilitate person-centered planning using MAPs (Making Action Plans) and PATHs (Planning Alternative Tomorrows with Hope) to help people create an action plan to help reach their dreams. Participants will have a chance to utilize this tool in class during hands on learning. We will also discuss the differences between system-centered and person-centered approaches and how to best increase adherence to the plan of action.

9 Social Work CEUs Approved

Explain at least three of the values on which person-centered planning is based. Identify the steps involved in each of the person-centered planning tools: Circle of Support, MAP, and PATH.

Utilize person-centered planning techniques to involve individuals in planning for services and integration into community settings.

Provide instruction and techniques to empower individuals and their teams in developing goals, identifying needs, and generating action plans

  • March 13-14, 2024 10:00am-4:00pm
    CED-South Office, Charleston
  • August 14-15, 2024 10:00am-4:00pm
    CED-North Office, Morgantown
Positive Behavior Support for Parents

Free, self-paced, web course for parents, caregivers, foster parents, etc.

Understand general philosophies of Positive Behavior Support.

Find ways to teach replacement behaviors, in a strength-based way, to serve the same need as the problem behavior.

Discuss ways to reinforce and promote good behavior.

PBS for Parents

Increasing Quality of Life

A free, self-paced, web course that incorporates the 8 dimensions of wellness and finding internal motivators to help others improve their quality of life.

2 Social Work CEUs Approved

Define the quantitative versus qualitative measures to assess quality of life

Examine different aspects that contribute to someone’s overall quality of life

Give examples of quality of life interventions

Increasing Qaulity of Life Web Course

Trauma 101

An overview of trauma and how it affects the brain, our survival reactions and how to build resiliency.

Free, self-paced, web course

2 Social Work CEUs Approved

  • Identify sources of potential trauma and complex trauma for individuals served by child serving systems.
  • Recognize the impact of trauma on emotional and behavioral functioning
  • Describe principles of trauma-informed systems.
  • List ways to provide trauma informed care.

Self-Paced Trauma 101 Web Course