 
Training and Consultation Programs
About AGPA
Why Partner With AGPA
AGPA’S Role in Public Mental Health
Why Use Groups
Goals for Mental Health Program Services for Group Interventions
Programs and Services Available
Outreach Programs
Virginia Tech Relief Efforts
Hurricane Katrina Relief Efforts
Grants Received
AGPA Resources, Programs
and Services in Response to Traumatic Events
Research Programs
Pre-Schoolers, Parents and Teachers
(PPT): Building Competencies, Strengthening Relationships
Supporting Foundations and
Organizations
ABOUT AGPA
The
American Group Psychotherapy Association (AGPA) is a dynamic, thriving community
made up of mental health professionals of all disciplines dedicated to
excellence in group psychotherapy. AGPA is a non-profit organization which is a
unique blend of member services and direct service. AGPA provides intervention,
training, consultation and care nationally and internationally. The
Association is made up of 27 local and regional societies whose membership
includes psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, nurses, pastoral
counselors and creative arts therapists.
AGPA
was thrust into a new role in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attack by providing
direct service to thousands affected by the disaster. AGPA has become a public
health resource focused on preparedness and response intervention following
disaster and trauma. AGPA’s work has been compiled in a series of training
modules and AGPA has
produced a series of evidenced-supported trauma intervention protocols that integrate and synthesize the lessons learned in 9/11.
These
materials and wealth of experience among our members is now being used to
provide intervention, training and consultation to populations experiencing
natural disaster, terrorist attack and other events that require a community
based trauma intervention. In addition, AGPA offers clinical research tools,
agency outreach, exceptional continuing education and training opportunities.
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WHY
PARTNER
WITH AGPA?
The American
Group Psychotherapy Association is a non-profit organization providing quality
group training, intervention, consultation and direct services nationally and
internationally. AGPA is part of three inter-related organizations that
work to support the delivery of group psychotherapy by qualified professionals.
In addition to AGPA itself, the Group Foundation for Advancing Mental Health supports group
psychotherapy education, research, training, and information dissemination for
the benefit of the public and professional communities and the International
Board for Certification of Group Psychotherapists is a standard setting and certifying body that
administers the Certified Group Psychotherapist credential along with a referral
listing of CGPs for the public.
About 3,000
members, including psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers,
nurses, clinical mental health counselors, pastoral counselors and creative arts
therapists, are experienced in leading psychotherapy groups as well as
non-clinical groups of various kinds. Many are organizational specialists who
work with businesses, not-for-profit organizations, communities, and other
"natural" groups to help them improve their functioning.
AGPA has expertise in group based mental health services, including the use of
groups in disaster preparedness and response, and provides comprehensive
packages of training, consultation and support for mental health professionals
and communities. AGPA also has an organizational structure in place that makes
it a logical partner for mental health training and services:
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A national
directory of 2,000 Certified Group Psychotherapists, with verified licensure
and liability insurance, searchable by language spoken, areas of clinical
practice and population expertise
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Published
training curricula and evidence-based programs using basic tenets of group
psychotherapy
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27 local
and regional societies providing local services and connections.
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AGPA’S ROLE IN PUBLIC MENTAL HEALTH
AGPA’s metamorphosis into a public mental health resource grew out of its
experience of providing training and services following the events of September
11, 2001, and its desire to insure that the lessons learned from the tragedy
were used as preventive measures. Initially, AGPA expanded its organizational
services to provide direct community-based services to people affected by
September 11 and to developing a variety of training and support group services
for other mental health professionals who responded to the tragedy. Raising
over $5 million from foundations and governmental agencies to support our
programs in New York City and Washington, DC, AGPA provided group-based services
to thousands of family members of victims, survivors, witnesses, emergency
responders, relief workers and mental health professionals.
Simultaneously, at the request of the September 11th Fund AGPA developed trauma training modules for clinical service
providers: Group Interventions for Treatment of Psychological Trauma. AGPA
provided more than 1,000 mental health professionals on site training in
understanding responses to trauma and disaster and in the use of group-based
trauma intervention strategies and techniques. The association also conducted a
series of online training seminars that involved the participation of thousands
more.
 Subsequently, AGPA organized a major initiative to integrate,
synthesize and document what it had learned about designing and implementing
group-based interventions for response to trauma. The result was Public
Mental Health Service Delivery Protocols: Group Interventions for Disaster
Preparedness and Response, a set of interventions that others could easily
teach and adapt for use regardless of the type and scope of disaster.
AGPA continues to respond to communities in need. It has provided consultation,
training and support at national and international levels in response to the
tsunamis in Southeast Asia, hurricanes Rita, Katrina, school shootings at
Virginia Tech, fires in the southwest, terrorist events in Mumbai, India and the
earthquakes in China, Italy, Haiti and Japan.
The
Association has also expanded its initial work beyond disaster response and
prevention to provide broader-based trainings in group principles and dynamics
with a variety of populations, internationally and nationally, in-person and
distance based. From an intensive course in group principles via Skype to
mental health workers in China, to a comprehensive series of in-person and
web-based trainings for workers in methadone-maintenance clinics, to trainings
for school personnel including teachers and guidance counselors, the
organization can customize its evidence-based training and support programs in
group for a variety of populations that provide services in groups.
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WHY
USE GROUPS
Since life takes place in naturally occurring groups such as families, schools,
workplaces and communities,
group interventions provided by well-trained leaders are
especially well-suited to providing opportunities for
healing and personal change.
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Goals for Mental Health Program Services for Group Interventions
AGPA has developed expertise in group based mental health services and can
provide a comprehensive package of training, support and consultation. It
strives to provide services within pre-existing systems to efficiently and
effectively build their infrastructure and ability to provide quality group
services to insure that the effort can be sustained into the future. Using a
“train the trainers” model, AGPA strives to build expertise, provide support and
strengthen infrastructure simultaneous with providing direct service delivery.
The
Associations goals are to continue to develop, provide and refine:
Quality
Training
AGPA offers quality education and training in numerous ways. AGPA’s Annual
Meeting brings mental health professionals from throughout the world to
participate in workshops and experiential groups. This unique training
encompasses the fields of mental health, addiction treatment, couples and family
work and a variety of other topics. In addition to this conference, AGPA
offers training to groups and agencies on a variety of topics including its
trauma protocols. AGPA offers distance learning opportunities. AGPA also has
provided training to mental health professionals in China and India using Skype
technology.
Intervention
AGPA is also uniquely prepared to provide intervention to survivors, family
members and caregivers themselves post-disaster. Intervention has been offered
in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, 9/11, floods, earthquakes and mass violence.
These interventions have also been offered to military members and their
families with a special emphasis on caring for the caregiver.
Consultation
AGPA’s network of highly skilled and trained professionals also offer
consultation nationally and internationally to a variety of agencies, groups,
individuals and organizations who wish to apply AGPA’s resources and knowledge
in their community. Consultation is offered in person, over the phone and
through other technologies to provide information and assistance in planning
community wide intervention and services. Consultation on developing training
programs for group therapists is also available.
Care
Central to AGPA’s mission is to assure that the highest quality
group psychotherapy treatment is available to individuals and communities
globally. AGPA has offered onsite support to agencies and groups. AGPA has
offered “Family Days” for spouses and children of firefighters affected by
9/11. In addition, AGPA has offered programs for couples traumatized by 9/11.
More recently, these programs have been offered to military families. Programs
of care for the caregivers are also essential to AGPA’s mission. Programs for
mental health providers dealing with victims of wildfires in California, floods
in the Midwest, returning veterans, and other populations are also available
through AGPA.
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Programs and Services Available
Services for Providers/Caregivers
Community Based Programs
Programs for Children and Adolescents
Program Format Options
Training Curricula
Public Education Information
Clinician Research Tools
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