• Public sector teaching staff get behaviour modification training
• Interactive session enjoys cross-agency support
• More teacher training sessions planned

GRAND CAYMAN (GIS) – Twenty-Five Government schools educators received a full day of Stop Now And Plan (SNAP) training at the Family Resource Centre (FRC) on Thursday, 18 October 2018. In addition, two half-day SNAP sessions for 50 more teaching staff were held on 19 and 20 October. SNAP is an evidence-based programme which research proves is effective in helping children and their families develop strategies to manage their emotions and keep their problems small.

Now in its second year, and having delivered the programme to three cohorts, FRC is promoting SNAP as an effective behaviour modification system. The FRC team also received three days of clinical training prior, to enhance their skills in delivering the programme to families.

The training sessions were arranged by FRC through generous sponsorship received from Hedge Funds Care (HFC). Dr. Bart Grossman, Academic Consultant for HFC (Cayman) is “pleased to support the work of the Family Resource Centre in combatting child abuse by further developing the capacity of its staff to work with children and families who experience disruptions to their familial relationships that may place them at increased risk.”

Minister for Health, Environment, Culture and Housing, Hon. Dwayne Seymour lauded the initiative, stating “This kind of programme is specifically designed to encourage a joined-up stakeholder approach when dealing with our children.”

Ministry of Education employee, Sean Cahill and SNAP’s Implementation Group Liaison Officer between the schools and the FRC was encouraged by the enthusiasm the initiative was generating. “This training is a good example of interagency partnership, and as we are all involved in assisting the same students, these opportunities will serve to strengthen the services offered to children and families,” he noted.

Department of Counselling Services (DCS) Director Judith Seymour welcomed the schools’ inclusion specialists, counsellors and teachers at FRC’s North Sound offices. As head of the agency to which the resource centre belongs, she is keen to expose educators to the benefits of SNAP.

“I am pleased to have the Ministry and Department of Education on board to improve this resource that we offer to our clients,” said Ms Seymour. “We are committed to promoting the SNAP intervention model, as we already see how staff training in these protocols is enhancing effectiveness when working with children and families,” she added.

“By exposing educators to the SNAP concepts, we are expecting even greater successes as children will now have the benefit of receiving consistent messages at home and school to assist them with regulating their emotions and improving their behaviour.”

Led by a Toronto-based Child Developmental Institute (CDI) facilitator, the training was undertaken using PowerPoint presentations, role play, SNAP videos and training literature.

CDI’s Senior Trainer-Community Facilitator for the SNAP Implementation team, Desiree Phillips, said that exposing teaching staff to the same SNAP methodology as students and parents will give educators an in-depth understanding of the programme before making referrals. She also outlined the SNAP’s comprehensive evaluation procedure.

“We know that in teaching the fundamentals and how to use SNAP for corrective behaviour modification, educators, students, parents and caregivers will eventually come to have a shared language, goals and expectations when combatting disruptive attitudes,” Mrs. Phillips added.

Programme Coordinator of FRC, Mrs. Charmaine Bush-Miller stated that “all families can benefit from the SNAP programme. I encourage interested families to contact the FRC for further information regarding our upcoming SNAP programme, scheduled to begin Thursday, 10 January 2019.”

In addition to calling 949-0006, members of the public can also register their interest on-line at https://www.dcs.gov.ky/frc/family-resource-centre-programmes