BECOMING A CERTIFIED SAFEPATH PROFESSIONAL
The SafePath Basic Training
We certify the professionals who have learned SafePath within their organizations as SafePath Professionals.
The process of becoming a SafePath Professional starts by taking a two-day SafePath Basic Training in your institution. The training courses are led by certified trainers/coaches, colleagues who graduated from our Train-the-Trainers program. The Basic Training is fun and interactive. It involves many “serious games” (i.e., games with a purpose) and exercises, usually in small groups of 2 to 3 people. Most games and exercises use the iModes cards, which have cartoon images that show different emotional states, known as “modes”. Modes are a central concept in SafePath. Recognizing which modes clients are in at a given moment – such as modes involving anger, aggression, impulsivity, emotional detachment, vulnerability, or manipulation – is the key to intervening effectively. The first day of the training focuses on learning about modes and strengths in clients and ourselves. The second day focuses on interventions.
Certification Level A
After completing the Basic Training, and completing a short, online assessment and course evaluation, you will be certified as SafePath Professional level A. Congratulations! Now the hard part starts! In our experience, proficiency in SafePath grows slowly over the first year following the Basic Training. Like any other skill, it needs to be practiced. We recommend taking an active role in your own learning process, seeking daily opportunities to put it into practice, for example, by using the ”mode language” when discussing situations that occurred on the ward with colleagues.
SafePath Coaching
Next, you’ll take part in regular coaching sessions, led by one of our certified trainers/coaches from your organization. The sessions take place for one hour every other week. The first few months focus on recognizing modes, analyzing situations, and conceptualizing cases. After that, the focus shifts to practicing interventions. Reflecting on your own reactions to clients, and learning together with colleagues – sharing struggles and successes, giving and receiving feedback – is an important part of the process. We’ve also created a workbook with short exercises to enhance your learning between sessions. You will also take part in a one-day booster session, about every 6 months after taking the Basic Training.
Certification Level B
After completing 20 coaching sessions and one booster session, and completing a short, online self-evaluation of your learning process, you will be certified as SafePath Professional Level B. Congratulations!
Developing mastery in SafePath
Certification Level C
We’re developing a number of online resources that can help you to take your mastery of SafePath to new levels. We’ll soon be launching a Facebook Group where you can join the growing SafePath community. There, you can interact and exchange insights with colleagues, and get feedback from SafePath experts.
You’ll also have the opportunity to take self-paced courses that combine short, prerecorded sessions with live, question-and-answer sessions. These courses take you through various levels of SafePath mastery (C1, C2, C3 Levels), deepening your understanding and competencies, and – should you be interested – preparing you to take our Train-the-Trainers course.