Choose the Training Pathway That Moves Your Practice Forward
These are not “extra classes.” They are focused learning experiences designed to help professionals, leaders, advocates, and practitioners strengthen families, improve communication, respond to crisis, and lead with greater clarity.
Please note: all credential and leadership certificate programs require separate registration, even if you are attending the International Families & Fathers Conference.
Start with the Program That Solves Your Next Challenge
If you want deeper family engagement, choose the Advanced Practitioner Credential™. If you want stronger leadership buy-in, choose OAR. If you want better team communication, choose DiSC®. If you want suicide prevention skills, choose QPR. Each pathway is designed with a clear purpose and a practical next step.
Advanced Practitioner Credential™ Course
For professionals ready to move beyond information and become more effective in family engagement, trauma-informed practice, emotional intelligence, and real-world application.
Begins with a free Kintsugi Trauma-Informed Care Webinar on July 1, followed by the full credential cohort beginning July 8.
Register for Advanced Practitioner Credential™OAR Leadership Institute™
For leaders who want to build trust, improve accountability, strengthen culture, and lead with greater ownership, awareness, and practical decision-making.
A leadership development experience focused on Observe, Assess, Respond, and applied leadership tools.
DiSC® Certification & Training of Trainers
For facilitators, teams, supervisors, and leaders who want to understand communication patterns, reduce conflict, and improve performance under pressure.
FFCA’s DiSC® Model supports practical communication, leadership culture, team trust, and facilitation skills.
QPR Suicide Prevention Certification
For anyone who wants practical, life-saving skills to recognize warning signs, ask difficult questions, offer hope, and connect people to help.
A nationally recognized suicide prevention training designed to strengthen confidence in critical moments.
Do Not Register on Autopilot. Choose the Pathway That Builds Your Next Level.
Each program has a distinct purpose. The right choice should move you closer to the practitioner, leader, facilitator, or responder your community needs.
Start with the Advanced Practitioner Credential™Scroll down to review full descriptions, schedules, investment details, CEU information, and registration instructions.
Participant Voices — Real Impact. Real Change.
Join us in 2026 for FFCA’s Special Training Programs
Advanced Practitioner Credential™ | Lead by Legacy™ | FFCA DiSC + Trauma-Informed Care
- 100% of respondents would recommend FFCA trainings
- 4.8–4.9 / 5.0 overall satisfaction across 2025 trainings
- High utility & engagement: clear majority rated “Extremely useful” with strong scenario practice participation
- ROI: average cost < $250 per person • 6.5–15 hours of guided instruction
Participant Voices
“The Program is exceptional. It allows us to understand concepts from both a personal and professional perspective. We can collaborate with others in the group to discuss and develop our knowledge of the topic.” — Dr. Wendy T. Talley, LCSW
“This is an intense training, but you learn a lot about yourself and the people around you. I highly recommend it.” — Louie Esquibel
The FFCA Training is an enlightening course that empowers you to discover the best of yourself by identifying your personality type, which helps you become aware of your strengths, limitations, and areas for growth, ultimately reaching your full potential. I highly recommend you allow yourself to take this course to gain valuable knowledge for your personal and professional growth. It's a journey of self-discovery and empowerment that will inspire and motivate you. — Suyapa Santos
Consistent Excellence
2025 trainings: 100% of respondents would recommend FFCA trainings to peers.
Our top-tier satisfaction speaks for itself: overall 5-point ratings 4.8–4.9 / 5.0 across FFCA trainings.
High utility & engagement: A clear majority rated the content “Extremely useful,” with high engagement across activities and scenario practice.
How We Compare Nationally
- Beating common benchmarks: A Level-1 satisfaction of ≥4.5/5 is a success threshold; FFCA’s 4.8–4.9/5.0 sits above that bar.
- Recommendation rate as a differentiator: Many reputable programs target a strong majority; a 100% would recommend across three trainings places FFCA at the top end of participant advocacy.
- Practice-first design: The combined DISC + Trauma-Informed Care pathway (communication + safety) plus scenario labs and coaching feedback aligns with best-in-class design for transfer to the job.
ROI Snapshot
- Accessible investment: Average training cost < $250 per person.
- Substantial contact hours: 6.5–15 hours of instruction and guided practice per learner.
- Value per learner-hour: ≈ $17–$38 per learner-hour, with returns realized through clearer communication, stronger client rapport, and more effective cross-team collaboration.
- Scales to your mission: Live cohort and on-demand reinforcement support sustained behavior change.
FREE Kintsugi Trauma-Informed Care Webinar featuring mental health experts, interactive reflection, and healing-centered practice strategies.
This Is Where Professional Growth Becomes Real-World Impact
The world does not need more professionals collecting certificates. Families need practitioners who can lead under pressure, communicate with emotional intelligence, engage across difference, and turn knowledge into action when it matters most.
More Than a Training. A Shift in How You Practice.
Over the past several years, professionals across behavioral health, child support services, education, mental health, social work, Head Start, fatherhood initiatives, family support, and community-based programs have participated in FFCA’s professional development experiences, including the Advanced Practitioner Credential™ Course, the DiSC FFCA Facilitator Training, and the OAR Leadership Institute™.
These experiences are not built around passive learning. They are built around identity, responsibility, and application. Participants are challenged to examine how they lead, how they listen, how they respond, how they engage families, and how they show up when a child, parent, team, or community needs clarity instead of confusion.
The goal is simple: help caring professionals become more prepared, more confident, more effective, and more grounded in the moments where their decisions shape outcomes.
Participants leave with practical tools, deeper insight, stronger emotional discipline, and a renewed commitment to serve families, children, and communities at a higher level.
Participant Voices: Proof That the Work Transfers
The strength of this program is not only what is taught. It is what participants take back into their agencies, teams, homes, and communities.
“This credential strengthened my ability to lead diverse teams while honoring cultural identity.”
Licensed Mental Health Clinician, California
“The tools I gained help justice-involved parents rebuild family structures with dignity.”
Deputy Administrator, Illinois Child Support Services
“This program reshaped how I approach leadership in both my career and family.”
Behavioral Health Program Manager
Why This Course Matters Now
The needs facing families are more complex than ever. Professionals are being asked to respond to trauma, conflict, grief, distrust, poverty, disconnection, systems fatigue, and emotional overwhelm—often with limited time and limited support.
The Advanced Practitioner Credential™ Course was redesigned to meet this moment. It is built for professionals who want practical, evidence-informed, culturally responsive tools that can be applied in real situations—not theory that sits in a notebook.
This is the shift: from knowing more to becoming more effective. From caring deeply to acting skillfully. From being overwhelmed by complexity to responding with purpose.
Whether you are a new leader, an experienced practitioner, a parent advocate, a clinician, a coach, or a seasoned professional seeking renewal, this credential is designed to meet you where you are and move you forward.
What You Gain Is More Than a Credential
Participants complete this experience with a stronger professional identity, a broader toolkit, and a clearer framework for serving children, parents, families, teams, and communities.
Recognition
Recognition as a Certified Advanced Practitioner™ upon successful completion.
Practical Tools
Applied tools from trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and family-strengthening models.
Emotional Intelligence
Deeper capacity to respond to high-conflict situations with awareness, regulation, and purpose.
Family Engagement
A framework to engage fathers, mothers, caregivers, and families with dignity and effectiveness.
Community
Connection with purpose-driven professionals committed to serving families and communities.
Application
A final exam and practicum integration process to demonstrate meaningful skill application.
Designed for Access, Depth, and Real Completion
The Summer 2026 cohort begins with a free national Kintsugi Trauma-Informed Care Webinar, followed by a structured credential pathway with live Wednesday sessions, recorded access, on-demand learning, workbook activities, practicum integration, and final exam support.
Tuition for the full credential pathway starts at $199. FFCA members and past students may qualify for available discount support. CEUs may be available for eligible participants who request documentation in advance.
Do Not Let This Be Another Training You Meant to Take
If you know your work matters, invest in the skills, structure, and community that help you carry it with greater clarity. The families you serve deserve your next level. So do you.
Register for the Summer 2026 Credential CohortDo not miss this opportunity to strengthen your practice, expand your impact, and become the practitioner your community has been waiting for.
The Advanced Practitioner Credential™ Course
Become the Practitioner Your Community Has Been Waiting For
This is not just another professional development training. It is an immersive leadership and practice experience designed to help you communicate better, lead stronger, respond with emotional intelligence, and create measurable impact in the lives of children, families, teams, and communities.
Why Professionals Across Systems Are Choosing FFCA
The Advanced Practitioner Credential™ Course, a signature leadership and workforce development initiative of the Fathers and Families Coalition of America, was created for professionals who are ready to deepen their practice—not simply add another certificate to a résumé.
Participants from behavioral health, social work, education, Head Start, child support, fatherhood initiatives, nonprofit leadership, family services, mentoring, coaching, and community-based organizations have engaged in this experience to strengthen how they lead, communicate, facilitate, and respond in real-world environments.
The goal is not information overload. The goal is transformation through application—helping professionals become more effective, emotionally intelligent, culturally responsive, and grounded in purpose.
Backed by over two decades of national training delivery, this credential integrates trauma-informed care, emotional intelligence, motivational interviewing, leadership development, DiSC® integration, mindfulness strategies, family engagement, and evidence-informed approaches designed for today’s workforce realities.
Summer 2026 Learning Experience
The Summer 2026 cohort was intentionally redesigned to maximize engagement, flexibility, accountability, and integration. This hybrid structure allows participants to experience live instruction, guided on-demand learning, reflective activities, and practical implementation support.
July 1, 2026
FREE national Kintsugi Trauma-Informed Care Webinar featuring mental health experts, reflective engagement, and healing-centered practice strategies.
July 8 – August 5
Live interactive sessions, recorded playback access, workbook activities, guided reflection, and practical implementation exercises.
August 12
Final credential exam, practicum turn-in, implementation support, and integration coaching.
What You Gain Through This Experience
Practical Leadership Tools
Learn practical approaches for communication, accountability, family engagement, and emotionally intelligent leadership.
Trauma-Informed Application
Build stronger responses to trauma, stress, conflict, and emotionally complex family systems.
Real-World Integration
Apply concepts through workbook activities, reflective exercises, case integration, and practicum-based learning.
Credential Recognition
Receive recognition as a Certified Advanced Practitioner™ upon successful completion of all program requirements.
Continuing Education
CEUs may be available for eligible participants who request them in advance.
A Purpose-Driven Community
Build lasting relationships with professionals and leaders committed to strengthening families and communities.
Investment & Accessibility
FFCA remains committed to balancing professional excellence with accessibility. Tuition for the Summer 2026 cohort begins at $199, with discount opportunities potentially available for FFCA members, affiliates, agencies, and returning participants.
This investment is not simply about completing a course. It is about strengthening your ability to create better outcomes for the people and communities you serve.
Your Community Does Not Need More Burned-Out Professionals
It needs practitioners who can lead with clarity, communicate with empathy, respond with confidence, and create meaningful change under pressure. If that matters to you, this program was built for you.
Register for the Summer 2026 Credential CohortDo not miss this opportunity to strengthen your practice, elevate your leadership, and expand your impact.
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Summer 2026 Cohort
Advanced Practitioner Credential Program™Become the practitioner your community has been waiting for. This credential experience is designed for leaders, clinicians, educators, coaches, family advocates, and professionals ready to deepen their impact and strengthen family systems with practical, transformational tools. Classes include live instruction, recorded playback access, extensive workbook activities, practical application exercises, CEU opportunities, guided reflection, and an end-of-course exam and practicum experience. Summer 2026 Schedule & Learning ExperienceThis cohort was intentionally redesigned to maximize learning integration, flexibility, accountability, and real-world application. Participants will experience a blend of live instruction, guided self-paced learning, and interactive support sessions to ensure meaningful implementation—not just information retention. This Is More Than a Training.It is a professional growth experience designed to strengthen your confidence, sharpen your communication, deepen your leadership, and help you create meaningful outcomes for families and communities. Whether you work in behavioral health, education, Head Start, child welfare, fatherhood initiatives, social work, counseling, community outreach, family services, coaching, or nonprofit leadership— this program was built to help you lead with greater clarity and purpose. |
Understand People Better. Communicate with Purpose. Strengthen Every Relationship You Touch.
The FFCA DiSC® experience is not just for executives or formal leaders. It is for professionals, practitioners, supervisors, facilitators, educators, clinicians, coaches, mentors, family advocates, parents, and team members who want to understand human behavior, reduce conflict, build trust, and communicate more effectively in real-life situations.
This Is Not a Personality Test. It Is a Practical Map for Working with People.
Many trainings give you language. This experience helps you change how you see people, how you listen, how you respond, and how you build trust when communication becomes difficult.
Whether you are working with a parent who feels judged, a young person who shuts down, a colleague who communicates differently, a staff member who is overwhelmed, a family in crisis, or a team struggling with tension, DiSC® gives you a framework for understanding behavior without labeling or limiting people.
The shift is simple but powerful: instead of asking, “Why are they being difficult?” you begin asking, “What are they communicating, what do they need, and how can I respond in a way that builds connection instead of distance?”
That shift matters in every field where human relationships determine outcomes.
Built for All Kinds of Professionals
This experience is for anyone whose work depends on communication, trust, relationship-building, emotional intelligence, and the ability to respond well under pressure.
Family-Serving Professionals
For those working with parents, children, fathers, mothers, caregivers, youth, and families.
Human Service & Community Teams
For case managers, outreach workers, navigators, peer support staff, and direct-service teams.
Behavioral Health & Clinical Staff
For clinicians, counselors, therapists, recovery professionals, and mental health providers.
Educators, Coaches & Facilitators
For people who teach, train, coach, mentor, facilitate groups, or guide others through growth.
Supervisors & Team Members
For anyone trying to improve team communication, reduce misunderstandings, and strengthen workplace culture.
Parents, Advocates & Emerging Leaders
For people who want to understand themselves and others with more compassion, clarity, and confidence.
The Real Return: Better Conversations, Better Trust, Better Outcomes
In family-serving work, communication is not a soft skill. It is the foundation of safety, trust, engagement, accountability, teamwork, and change. When communication breaks down, people disconnect. When communication improves, possibility opens.
Understand Behavior Faster
Recognize communication patterns, stress responses, decision-making styles, and relationship needs.
Reduce Avoidable Conflict
Learn how to respond to differences with more clarity, patience, emotional awareness, and purpose.
Strengthen Engagement
Build stronger relationships with families, colleagues, teams, students, participants, and community partners.
The Moment This Training Matters
This training matters when a family does not trust the system. It matters when a staff member feels unheard. It matters when a parent reacts with anger because fear is underneath. It matters when a team keeps misunderstanding each other. It matters when a young person shuts down, a colleague withdraws, or a group needs someone who can read the room and respond wisely.
In those moments, information alone is not enough. The professional must know how to observe, listen, adapt, and communicate in a way that protects dignity while moving the conversation forward.
The FFCA DiSC® experience gives participants a practical language for understanding people without reducing them to labels.
That is why this training can support direct service, supervision, facilitation, parent engagement, coaching, teaching, outreach, leadership, and personal growth.
Available for Conferences, Fall Cohorts, and Organizational Training
FFCA will continue offering this experience through select conference pathways, including HOPE 2027, future fall cohorts, and customized organizational training for agencies that want to strengthen communication and engagement across their teams.
This format allows the training to serve different professional environments without becoming a back-to-back, summer-long commitment. It can be adapted for teams, departments, organizations, community groups, and multi-agency partnerships.
Future cohorts will be designed with intention: enough depth for transformation, enough flexibility for real professionals, and enough interaction to make the learning stick.
Still Thinking This Is Only for “Leaders”?
The truth is, every professional who communicates with people has influence. Every conversation can build trust or break it. Every interaction can move someone closer to engagement or further away from hope.
This experience is for anyone ready to understand people better, communicate with more purpose, and become more effective in the moments that matter most.
Don’t Just Attend. Position Yourself to Grow.
If you want to be part of something that helps professionals, parents, teams, and communities be the difference, this is your invitation. HOPE 2027 is not just a conference registration. It is a gateway into training, connection, savings, and practical tools you can begin using with the people you serve.
Instant Savings. Immediate Application. Real Impact.
FFCA provides immediate savings for our affiliates, members, and International Families & Fathers Conference participants because we believe professional growth should be connected to action. When you register for HOPE 2027 or become part of FFCA as an individual, organizational, or affiliate member, you open the door to meaningful training opportunities that are designed to move from learning into practice.
Straight from James Rodríguez: this is not about asking you to “buy something.” This is about inviting you into a community where your investment comes back through access, development, connection, and tools you can actually use.
A team from Brooklyn, New York joined one of our pilot demonstration classes. Their CEO saw the value immediately and signed up the staff who attended the conference. They did not wait months to apply it. They began using the training with parents in Brooklyn right away. That is what FFCA means by learning and teaching at the same time.
That is the difference between passive training and transformational learning. The value is not just what you hear during the session. The value is who you become, how you communicate, and how quickly you can bring the tools back to families, teams, and communities.
Conference Participants and FFCA Members Receive a Powerful Advantage
The FFCA DiSC® Human Behavior & Communication Experience is available at special savings for HOPE 2027 participants and FFCA members. This is one of the most practical pathways we offer because it strengthens the skill every professional uses every day: communication.
This training is not only for formal leaders. It is for direct-service professionals, clinicians, educators, family support staff, fatherhood practitioners, parent advocates, supervisors, outreach teams, nonprofit professionals, coaches, mentors, and anyone whose work depends on understanding people better.
If You Attend HOPE 2027
You can access exclusive training savings and add high-value professional development to your conference experience.
If You Become a Member
You gain access to member advantages, training discounts, future announcements, and ongoing FFCA opportunities.
If You Become an Affiliate
Your agency becomes part of a national and international ecosystem for training, visibility, collaboration, and impact.
Where This Training Goes Next
FFCA will continue offering the DiSC® Human Behavior & Communication Experience through select conference opportunities, fall cohorts, direct organizational contracts, and special wellness and training series. We are also planning to offer it in conjunction with September Suicide Prevention Month, alongside other exceptional mental health, wellness, and professional development programs.
The purpose is not to overload the calendar. The purpose is to create intentional entry points where professionals can access the right training at the right time and bring it back to the people they serve.
The Hook Is Simple: Get in the Room, Get the Tools, Use Them Immediately.
This is not about chasing revenue. This is about sustainability with purpose. When you register, join, or affiliate, you help build a learning community where professionals do not just sit through training. They become more effective in the real conversations, relationships, and systems that shape family outcomes.
Register for HOPE 2027 and Unlock Training SavingsDo not miss this opportunity to be part of something built for impact, belonging, and real-world application.
Understand People Better. See Beneath the Mask. Help Others Move Toward Their True Purpose.
On Thursday, September 10, join FFCA for a special late-lunch networking and learning experience introducing the FFCA DiSC® Human Behavior & Communication Training Program, paired with a powerful mental health and suicide prevention conversation.
Special Late-Lunch Orientation Session
Date: Thursday, September 10
Time: 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM California Time
Format: Late-lunch networking, DiSC® orientation, mini-training experience, and mental health learning session
This session is for first-time participants, returning colleagues, conference attendees, FFCA members, affiliates, and professionals who want to experience the power of DiSC® before deciding how deeply they want to engage.
Some people come once and immediately begin using the tools. Others come back again and again because every experience reveals another layer of professional and personal development. Wherever you are starting, you belong in this conversation.
Why DiSC® Belongs in a Suicide Prevention Conversation
In the FFCA DiSC® training experience, participants explore communication styles, stress responses, self-awareness, relationship patterns, and a powerful concept many professionals recognize immediately: masking.
Masking happens when people move through life showing only the version of themselves they believe others can accept. They may appear successful, agreeable, strong, quiet, busy, angry, detached, or “fine” while carrying anxiety, grief, fear, trauma, loneliness, shame, or despair beneath the surface.
When we understand communication and behavior more deeply, we are better prepared to notice what people may not be saying out loud.
That is why this September session matters. It connects communication, emotional intelligence, trauma awareness, human behavior, and suicide prevention into one practical learning experience.
Featuring Dr. Alicia L. Jackson, PhD
This special session will segue into a café-style workshop led by Dr. Alicia L. Jackson, PhD, Executive Fellow with the Fathers & Families Coalition of America and faculty member in the Counseling Department at Florida A&M University.
Dr. Jackson is an exceptional mental health expert who will help participants understand how communication awareness, trauma-informed practice, and DiSC® concepts can align with QPR Suicide Prevention Certification to help professionals support others more effectively.
The goal is not simply to learn a model. The goal is to become more prepared to recognize human pain, communicate with care, and connect people to support when it matters most.
What You Will Experience
A Mini DiSC® Training Experience
Walk through a practical introduction to communication styles, behavioral awareness, and how people show up under stress.
A Conversation on Masking
Explore how masking can hide emotional pain, trauma, fear, or disconnection beneath outward behavior.
Suicide Prevention Connection
Learn how DiSC® awareness can complement QPR Suicide Prevention Certification and mental health support strategies.
A Community of Belonging
Join professionals, affiliates, members, and returning colleagues who value personal growth and professional mastery.
Why People Keep Coming Back
FFCA’s DiSC® training has been used by professionals and organizations across diverse settings because it is practical, memorable, and immediately applicable.
More than 95% of FFCA DiSC® graduates report using the program within the first month of completing training.
That is the difference between information and transformation. When a training is built correctly, people do not just remember it. They use it.
Do Not Miss This Special September Session
Come for the orientation. Stay for the insight. Leave with a clearer understanding of people, communication, masking, trauma, and how your presence can help someone move closer to hope.
Whether this is your first time, your second time, or your tenth time returning to deepen the work, you belong here.
Free September 10 Webinar Experience
DiSC® Human Behavior • Mental Health • Trauma • Suicide Prevention • Communication Mastery
```On Thursday, September 10, the Fathers & Families Coalition of America will host a special free webinar and networking experience focused on human behavior, communication, masking, trauma-informed care, and Suicide Prevention Month awareness.
This experience will include:
- A live introduction to the FFCA DiSC® Human Behavior & Communication Experience
- A mini interactive DiSC® workshop session
- A conversation on masking, emotional wellness, and trauma
- A special café-style presentation by Dr. Alicia L. Jackson, PhD, Executive Fellow with FFCA and Counseling Faculty at Florida A&M University
- Practical insight into how communication awareness and QPR Suicide Prevention concepts can help professionals better support others
Whether this is your first experience with FFCA or you are returning to deepen your professional and personal growth, this session is designed to help you better understand people, communication, emotional masking, and the power of meaningful connection.
```Reserve Your Spot
To receive webinar access information, simply send us an email with the following:
- Your Full Name
- Your Email Address
- Your Organization or Agency
Email: hope@fathersandfamiliescoalition.org
This is more than a webinar. It is a space for growth, reflection, professional development, and connection. We believe everyone belongs, and we believe transformation begins when people are given practical tools they can immediately apply in their work, relationships, and communities.
```Become the Communicator, Facilitator, and Difference-Maker Your Community Needs
This is not simply a credential program. This is a transformational learning experience designed to help professionals better understand human behavior, emotional masking, communication under stress, trauma-informed engagement, and the power of intentional facilitation.
A Special Free Orientation + Suicide Prevention Month Experience
On Thursday, September 10, FFCA will host a free orientation and special Suicide Prevention Month learning experience introducing the FFCA DiSC® Human Behavior & Communication Training Program.
This “grab-and-go” style session is intentionally designed to give participants immediate value, practical insight, emotional awareness tools, and a real experience of the FFCA learning environment before the five-week training journey begins.
Participants will explore communication styles, emotional masking, trauma-informed engagement, and how DiSC® concepts can align with suicide prevention and mental wellness support strategies led in part by Dr. Alicia L. Jackson, PhD, Executive Fellow with FFCA and counseling faculty at Florida A&M University.
This Experience Requires Commitment — Because Transformation Requires Action
The FFCA DiSC® Instructor pathway is designed for people ready to move beyond passive learning and into practical application. This experience is interactive, reflective, discussion-based, and deeply rooted in real-world communication and facilitation practice.
Attendance Matters
Participants must attend at least 80% of the live classroom experience to qualify for certification consideration.
Practical Application
This is not memorization. Participants will actively apply communication, facilitation, and behavioral-awareness concepts throughout the course.
Certification Standard
Participants must successfully complete the final assessment with a minimum score of 80% to be recognized as a Certified FFCA DiSC® Instructor.
Fall 2025 Training Schedule
Five weeks. One intentional journey. Each session builds upon the next to help participants strengthen communication mastery, facilitation confidence, trauma awareness, and human connection.
People Don’t Change Communities by Accident
They grow. They learn. They become more aware, more intentional, more emotionally intelligent, and more effective in the conversations that shape human lives.
If you are ready to move beyond information and into transformation, this experience was built for you.
QPR Suicide Prevention Certification
Nationally Recognized Certification • Conference Exclusive Add-On
Suicide remains one of the most preventable causes of death—yet prevention requires training, awareness, and confidence to act. At the 27th International Families and Fathers Conference, FFCA is proud to offer a powerful opportunity to become certified in the QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) Suicide Prevention Training Program.
This national certification is available as a special conference add-on for just $50 and is ideal for professionals, parents, educators, advocates, and leaders committed to protecting life and strengthening mental health in their communities.
- National QPR Suicide Prevention Certification
- Certificate issued through FFCA’s partnership with Florida A&M University
- Evidence-based, culturally responsive suicide prevention framework
- Practical skills to recognize warning signs and intervene effectively
- Applicable across clinical, educational, community, and family settings
Instructed by a National Leader in Clinical Mental Health
Executive Fellow, Fathers and Families Coalition of America
Coordinator of Clinical Programs, Florida A&M University
Certified QPR Instructor • Psychologist • National Trainer
Dr. Jackson brings deep clinical expertise, academic leadership, and national training experience to this session—equipping participants with both the knowledge and confidence to respond when it matters most.
QPR Suicide Prevention Certification Program
A Nationally Recognized Certification Offered as a Special Add-On
to the 27th International Families and Fathers Conference
Suicide remains one of the most urgent—and most preventable—public health crises of our time. Every life matters. Every conversation matters. Every trained individual can make a difference.
The QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) Suicide Prevention Certification Program equips participants with life-saving skills to recognize warning signs, engage with compassion, and connect individuals in crisis to professional support. In approximately 2.5 hours, participants gain practical, evidence-based tools that can be used immediately in real-world settings.
This certification is offered as part of FFCA’s International Credential & Certification Programs and is available as a conference add-on investment, similar to other advanced training opportunities such as the DiSC® Model and Advanced Practitioner credentials.
Why This Certification Matters
QPR training prepares individuals to serve as Gatekeepers—people trained to recognize suicide risk and respond effectively. Participants include parents, educators, clinicians, first responders, advocates, faith leaders, and organizational professionals.
At the Fathers and Families Coalition of America (FFCA), we are committed to advancing mental health awareness through high-quality, evidence-based, and culturally responsive training. As systems evolve, FFCA remains a trusted Continuous Quality Improvement International Resource—supporting communities in building resilience and saving lives.
What You Gain
- National QPR Suicide Prevention Certification
- Practical skills to recognize warning signs and intervene confidently
- Tools to support individuals, families, workplaces, and communities
- A certificate issued through FFCA’s academic partnership framework
- Eligibility to apply skills across professional and personal settings
This is more than a training—it is an investment in life, leadership, and community well-being.
OAR Leadership Institute™
A Transformational Leadership Experience — Open to the Public for the First Time Ever
Monday, April 13, 2026 • $129 Investment
Hybrid Access | Conference Add-On • On-Site Registration • Community Enrollment
For years, the OAR Leadership Institute™ has been delivered exclusively through contracted organizations, national conferences, and customized leadership engagements— reaching thousands of professionals, parents, managers, executives, and community leaders across the United States.
Portions of this institute have been featured in national venues, including leadership segments delivered for the National Federation of Families Conference and through customized contracts with agencies, universities, Head Start programs, and public-sector partners. However, it has never before been offered as a stand-alone leadership experience—until now.
In Spring 2026, FFCA is opening the doors for individuals, teams, and community members to participate directly in this powerful institute—either as part of the 27th International Families and Fathers Conference or as a local or virtual participant.
Why the OAR Leadership Institute™ Delivers Real ROI
- Built on proven leadership theories, applied models, and real-world practice
- Used successfully with parents, frontline staff, managers, executives, and doctoral-level professionals
- Designed to strengthen self-leadership, team leadership, and organizational culture
- Highly adaptable for human services, education, behavioral health, government, and nonprofit leadership
- Grounded in FFCA’s Ownership • Accountability • Responsibility (OAR) leadership philosophy
Spring 2026 Training Schedule
- Session One: Monday, April 13, 2026 (Live — Conference & Hybrid Access)
- Session Two: Monday, April 20, 2026 (Virtual)
- Session Three: Monday, April 27, 2026 (Virtual)
- Total instruction delivered across three structured sessions
The institute concludes with a hands-on, applied leadership activity designed to challenge participants to integrate insight, action, and accountability. Participants should come prepared to engage, reflect, and apply leadership principles to real-life scenarios.
Flexible Access & Enrollment Options
- Register as a conference add-on during the 27th International Families and Fathers Conference
- Sign up on-site if you decide to join during the conference
- Available to local community members and virtual participants not attending the conference
Exceptional leadership. Proven frameworks. Unmatched value.
Past Partner Agencies
Over the past several years, the following agencies and institutions have contracted the OAR Leadership Institute for full program delivery, selected modules, or customized leadership and capacity-building training.
FFCA works closely with each organization to tailor services that meet the unique needs of leadership teams, managers, supervisors, frontline staff, and community stakeholders. These examples reflect just a portion of the agencies we have supported through customized services in 2025 and 2026.
| Agency | Location |
|---|---|
| El Nido Family Centers | Los Angeles, California |
| Northeast Valley Best Start | Panorama City, California |
| Lassen County Child Support Services | Susanville, California |
| Madera County Child Services | Madera, California |
| Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico, Recinto de Ponce | Puerto Rico |
| Kings County Child Support Services | Hanford, California |
| Randolph County Caring Community Partnership, Inc. | Moberly, Missouri |
| Madera County Behavioral Health Agency | Madera, California |
| Region II Head Start Association (Module One) | San Juan, Puerto Rico |
| Long Island Head Start, Inc. | Patchogue, New York |
| Catawba Nation Head Start | Rock Hill, South Carolina |
| Plaza de la Raza Head Start | Pico Rivera, California |
| St. Anne’s Family Services – Head Start | Los Angeles, California |
New for 2026: For the first time ever, participants can experience the OAR Leadership Institute live at the 27th International Families and Fathers Conference on Monday, April 13, 2026. This special conference offering provides direct access to FFCA’s leadership framework and applied tools used by organizations nationwide.
OAR Leadership Institute™
Where Leadership Buy-In, Culture, and Practice Come Together
One of the greatest challenges leaders face today is not a lack of vision or effort—it is leadership buy-in, culture alignment, and sustainable implementation. The OAR Leadership Institute™ was designed to directly address these challenges by equipping leaders at all levels with practical tools, shared language, and applied leadership frameworks that translate insight into action.
Developed by Dr. James C. Rodríguez, MSW, CADC , President & CEO of the Fathers and Families Coalition of America, the OAR Leadership Institute™ integrates proven leadership models, behavioral science, emotional intelligence, and purpose-driven practice. Portions of this institute have been delivered nationally through conferences, federal and state contracts, and customized organizational trainings—reaching thousands of professionals, parents, and leaders.
For the first time ever, the OAR Leadership Institute™ is being offered as a stand-alone leadership experience in conjunction with the 27th International Families and Fathers Conference, providing an exceptional return on investment for individuals, teams, and organizations.
Lead Instructors & Faculty
Lead Instructor:
Dr. James C. Rodríguez, MSW, CADC
President & Chief Executive Officer, FFCA
International Trainer • Clinical Social Worker • Veteran • Advocate for Equity, Fatherhood, and Mental Health
Faculty Member:
Dr. Wendy Thelese Talley, LCSW, DSW
Corporate Wellness Strategist • Executive Leadership Coach • Federal Leadership Consultant
Certified Trainer, FFCA DiSC Training Model • Leadership Institute Faculty Member
Four Core Leadership Frameworks
- Leadership Through Personality & Culture (FFCA DiSC Model): Understanding behavior, communication, and team dynamics to strengthen organizational culture.
- Foundations of Leadership & Character: Grounded in the John R. Wooden Pyramid of Success and applied leadership principles.
- Emotional Intelligence, Resilience & Decision-Making: Integrating EQ, mindfulness, and trauma-informed leadership to lead effectively under pressure.
- Ownership • Accountability • Responsibility (OAR): Translating leadership insight into daily practice through applied leadership planning.
Applied Workbook & Leadership Activities
- Leadership Identity & Values Mapping
- FFCA DiSC Communication & Culture Mapping
- Meet Me in Ten Years Visioning (Ikigai-informed)
- Focus Mapping for 30-Day Leadership Action Plans
- Ten Relationship Values & Leadership Alignment
- GRIT, Satisfaction, and Leadership Readiness Assessments
Who Should Attend
This institute is intentionally designed to meet leaders where they are—whether you are a parent leader, frontline supervisor, program manager, executive, clinician, educator, or doctoral-level professional. It is especially impactful for organizations seeking to strengthen buy-in, consistency, and leadership culture.
Exceptional Value • Exceptional Return
Offered in conjunction with the 27th International Families and Fathers Conference, this leadership institute provides high-impact training at a fraction of the cost typically associated with executive leadership development.
Register for the OAR Leadership Institute™
For customized organizational training or group participation, contact:
Ms. Erica Burton, MA —
erica@fathersandfamiliescoalition.org