Displaying items by tag: training

Did you know that you can utilize a guided learning plan for free? As a Heartbeat Affiliate, this complimentary feature is included as part of the benefits of partnering with us. With Academy, you are in charge of your progress and training. Accessing a learning plan is easy!

Step 1. Log in to your Academy Dashboard.

Step 2. Select the button "Enroll in a Learning Plan."

Step 3. Make one or more selections and click, “Save Changes.”

It will automatically save your selections and populate your Dashboard page.

To return to your Dashboard, select “Dashboard” from the top left menu.

Step 4. There will be a new section titled, “Learning Plans” with your selection(s).

Click on a selection to be taken to a catalog of options about your role(s).

On this page, you can view all the available competencies we have about the role you selected. Select “Edit” to find the course linked to each competency. The progress bar towards the top will show you how many you’ve already received out of the number available.

In just four simple steps, you can begin a Learning Plan designed just for you. Whether you are in leadership, development, client care, or medical, we have training and resources for you.

TIP: Keep this page bookmarked for future staff and volunteers of your pregnancy help organization!

by Jennifer Wright, Development Editor

It’s that time again: back to school.

The end of summer vacation traditionally comes with groans from children and sighs of relief from parents. While the summer break was nice for me growing up, I was always a little more excited than my peers to get back to classes—from kindergarten to college!

I love the structured learning of a classroom. (It plays more to my strengths than more self-paced options!) And to this day, I’ll choose a seminar, class, or lecture over most other social opportunities. (I know, I know, I’m a total nerd!) But even if you’re not like me and still get emails about the astronomy lectures at your old college on the off chance you might be able to go to the next one, you may feel the need to do some extra learning as your kids go back to school.

Heartbeat has some fantastic opportunities year-round for ongoing education you can use every day in your organization—whether it be a pregnancy center, medical clinic, adoption agency, or maternity home! And fall is the season we like to make sure you have a variety of options that play to your strengths!

Online: Webinars, Live Virtual Classes, and Courses–Oh My!

Online learning has been growing since the internet began, and there are more and more tools available to make it better all the time.

Heartbeat is continuing to take advantage of those tools as well as the expertise of pregnancy help leaders around the world to create an educational experience like no other at Heartbeat Academy.

You’re probably familiar with our webinars and our continuing education course ConCERT. (Fun Fact: ConCERT was a mail-order course before moving online, so it’s been around a while!) But what about our increasingly common live virtual classes?

These live virtual classes are a beautiful blend of the classroom experience and the flexibility of online learning. For these classes, you have classmates working through the same content at the same time, an instructor who answers questions and presents content live, and the opportunity to join sessions from wherever suits you best. Most require about three to four hours of work (including a live session), but some classes may have different requirements. You can learn more about individual classes open for registration by clicking here. (Allow me to recommend Prevention and Community Outreach for Pregnancy Help Organizations with Lori Kuykendall. The next one starts soon!)

If you need something specific that you don’t see on the live virtual class list, try searching for the topic in our online store. That’s where you can find Advancement Boot Camp (fundraising with Kirk Walden), How to Identify & Assist Victims of Human Trafficking, and Online Ultrasound Training, not to mention courses that complement our training manuals like The LOVE Approach or Built By Design. These courses are built for you to complete at your own pace and are perfect for self-starters with limited time.

In-Print: When a Screen Won’t Cut It

I know what some of you are thinking, and no, online learning isn’t ideal for everyone. Studies continue to show that reading comprehension is better on a page than on a screen. If you need something in print to make it stick, we’ve got you covered. Our training manuals are phenomenal resources to keep on your shelf and reference as needed or work through in a training at the center. Whether you want a manual to stand alone or plan to supplement it with online options, these consistent resources are full of important information for your volunteers, Board members, medical staff, and more. New organizations and seasoned ones alike can check to see if there are any holes in their toolbox by checking the Pregnancy Help Starter Kit. Order the kit for a comprehensive set of resources or look at the contents to see if there’s anything you might be missing.

In-Person: When You Just Need to Meet a Friend

While Pregnancy Help Institute has just wrapped up and registration for the 2024 Heartbeat Conference doesn’t open for some time, there are still opportunities for training in person. Many of our affiliates take advantage of on-site consultations at least once over the course of their affiliation. Sometimes, you just need someone with expertise to come in and teach your Board how to govern effectively, work with your leadership team to create a strategic plan, or get all your client services staff and volunteers on the same page with abortion recovery or talking about abortion. For these, a Heartbeat expert comes to you!

On the other hand, sometimes it’s more efficient to bring together a group of people who need the same training all in one place at the same time. That’s why the LOVE Approach Ultrasound Clinical (held quarterly) and the Annual Conference travel across the country from training to training. We want to make travel less of a burden for our affiliates and bring you the benefit of a wide range of people coming together. We often hear that trainings like these (and Pregnancy Help Institute) hold bonus benefits like networking, making new friends, and discovering that you are not alone.

Whether you learn best online, in print, or in-person, I hope you have the chance to get back to school as summer comes to a close.

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Bonus! A bonus feature we have exclusive to affiliates, Heartbeat International Academy provides the opportunity for you to take our online training materials and bring them to your staff members and volunteers in your own personalized style and format with our custom training course option. In this option, you take control of your staff member's online training by controlling enrollment, tracking progress, offering your center's own customizing training, and monitoring their activity. 

One in four pregnancies ends in miscarriage and one in four women in the US will have an abortion by the age of 45. Although these losses occur very differently, the grief experience is similar and affects men, women, family members and friends. The Institute of Reproductive Grief Care's course for healthcare professionals, clinics, pregnancy centers, universities and social service agencies, can bring hope and healing to hurting people who may be suffering alone.

Objectives/Desired Outcomes:

• Describe the grief experience after reproductive loss.
• Identify three compassionate care practices to facilitate grieving for those impacted by reproductive loss.
• Utilize new communication skills and healing resources.

About the Instructor(s):
The Institute of Reproductive Grief Care® is the global expert in reproductive grief care, offering education, research, expertise and support after pregnancy and reproductive loss. With the stated goal of encouraging the widespread adoption of a reproductive grief standard of care, they provide education and resources to healthcare professionals including hospitals, medical professionals, therapists, social workers and pregnancy centers, as well as community and faith leaders.

 Next Session: November 2 (11 AM - 2 PM EDT)

Andrea Trudden, Vice President of Communications and Marketing of Heartbeat International, shares three valuable resources for Pregnancy Help Organizations (PHOs):

Pregnancy Center Truth – Pregnancycentertruth.com

A resource created to refute claims made against pregnancy centers “in an effort to ditch the rhetoric and stick to the facts..."

Pregnancy Help News – Pregnancyhelpnews.com

A website that reports on “current events, happenings, and milestones,” as well as inspirational stories within the pregnancy help community for PHOs around the world.

Pregnancy Help Podcast – Pregnancyhelppodcast.com

A collection of conversations and interviews with prominent pregnancy help experts around the world.

Save and subscribe!

Save Pregnancy Help Podcast as your favorite podcast.

Subscribe for Pregnancy Help News updates.

by Tracie Shellhouse, MCLC, LAS
Vice President of Ministry Services, Heartbeat International

Remember early 2020? It was an uncertain time. We didn’t know what would happen next or how each of our local pregnancy centers would respond to the spread of COVID-19. At New Hope Pregnancy Care Center, we had three people planning to travel to the Heartbeat International Annual Conference in Seattle.

Then everything changed – each day seemed to bring new or different information, unprecedented circumstances, and hard decisions – and I had to figure out how to make things work best for my organization. Now what? Surely the Annual Conference would have to be canceled due to shutdowns and travel bans! I had no idea what Heartbeat International was working on and the amazing opportunity they were creating for my team. 

When the Conference in Seattle changed to a Virtual one, I had the opportunity to (happily) make some new decisions. Suddenly, our entire paid staff was able to attend instead of just the three who were planning to travel. We were able to keep serving clients due to adjusted hours (remember, 2020), and our entire paid staff engaged and learned with co-laborers for life around the world.

It was amazing!

Some members of our team who attended the virtual conference would have never had the opportunity to be equipped by pregnancy help leaders outside the center. Our office manager always stayed in town to hold down the fort while others went to conferences. Thanks to COVID-19 (God works everything together for our good), she didn’t stay behind in 2020. Instead, she attended the Heartbeat Annual Conference! She was so excited and empowered by what she learned. The experience connected her to pregnancy help outside her immediate community. Today she serves women all over the world as an Option Line consultant.  

Two of our interns attended the virtual conference, too. They were introduced to professional and robust training giving them insight into the power of pregnancy help and a deeper understanding of its impact on the world at large. Their virtual conference registration fees proved to be a great investment when their internships came to an end and they were added to the full-time paid staff.

As you may know, the 2023 Heartbeat International Annual Conference currently has a sellout crowd for the in-person experience. And yet, the Virtual Conference is still available and is as valuable today as it was in 2020 when we couldn’t meet in person.

Now, I’m no longer an Executive Director, but if I were going to “bring” my full staff to the Virtual Conference again in 2023, here are some strategies I’d use:

1. Bring in extra manpower.
   In 2020, our organization was running at a lowered capacity due to the pandemic. Today, to allow our staff to engage fully in attending workshops and creating connections, we would bring in extra volunteers to cover the office operations and only set appointments for the virtual attendees outside the conference schedule.
2. Empower and encourage volunteers to attend.
   After converting two interns into conference-educated and equipped paid staff, I’m convinced that encouraging volunteers to participate has the potential to strengthen your organization significantly. Investing in a few special volunteers willing to commit to the training, will likely produce greater commitment and engagement from them at our center.  
3. Take full advantage of the training available.
   With enough paid (and volunteer) staff registered, we can make sure we attend all the workshops we don’t want to miss. Next, we can debrief and identify workshops that can be used to train current and future volunteers. Then, order those workshop recordings and use them for in-services and additions to our training curriculum. 

Most pregnancy help organizations can’t take everyone to conference in person, some of us must stay home and keep the centers open and running. Justifying the investments for travel, food, and lodging costs for staff members whose responsibilities and roles don’t clearly fit into particular workshop tracks can also be a challenge. There are still options! Providing training for your team with the virtual conference is a great way to re-inspire and re-ignite passion for the work they are doing. Affirming our teams in this way can transform our organizations.

Finally, when we participate in workshops presented by those within the movement, it affirms that God calls whomever He wants. Our experiences, backgrounds, and methods are not the same. Yet here we are, unified by our callings and commitment to the mission of pregnancy help, where we belong.

And that, perhaps more than anything, is the true value of participating in the Virtual Conference.

Find out more about the 2023 Heartbeat International Virtual Conference. 

ANNOUNCING BREAKTHROUGH FOR ALL INTERNATIONALS ENGAGED IN THE PREGNANCY HELP MOVEMENT

Heartbeat International’s Annual Conference, Breakthrough, is coming! Heartbeat International strives to assist individuals in other countries that seek to serve in pregnancy help ministry. Our annual conference provides the greatest opportunity for diverse training, broad networking, and inspirational encouragement to our international affiliates.

WHEN: April 25-28 (LIVE) and April 26-28 (VIRTUAL)

WHERE: IN-PERSON in Louisville, Kentucky and ONLINE, All Nations

BREAKTHROUGH IN-PERSON: $699.00

Note: the IN-DEPTH DAY trainings will be held April 25. Your In-Person Conference Experience registration includes 21 days access to workshops being presented in the virtual conference. Closer to the Conference, you will receive detailed instructions on how to access the virtual platform at the EMAIL ADDRESS you use to register. We encourage you to please check your spam/junk folder as well. Register here for attendance at the conference, live in Louisville, Kentucky. 

BREAKTHROUGH VIRTUAL: $199.00 per person from the convenience of your home or office!

Closer to conference date, we will send you a link for your individual use with the name and address you used to registered. This year we are offering for international affiliates only a virtual conference scholarship of one team member for every person registered and paid for. You will have to register the first person and pay for the first person and then register the second person.

SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE  

This year, by God’s grace, we are privileged and happy to offer scholarships for the Live Conference as well as for the Virtual Conference. Those seeking a scholarship for the Live Conference can find the application here.  No application is required for a scholarship to the Virtual Conference.

You can apply for a scholarship by clicking here.

Level of Scholarship: (1) for the LIVE conference, one person per organization may apply. Application does not guarantee acceptance. Heartbeat does not pay for any visa applications, transportation or accommodations. The registration scholarship covers the conference itself and all hotel meals associated with the conference. Scholarship application deadline for the live conference is January 30, 2023. (2) For the virtual conference, any currently affiliated organization may register one team member at $199.00 and may register a second team member for free.

Each scholarship is granted with the expectation that the recipient will use either the live or the virtual conference experience to strengthen their ministry or to lay the groundwork for a new ministry. Scholarship recipients are therefore expected to attend all keynote sessions and workshops. International scholarship applicants should be somewhat fluent in English. Heartbeat conferences are presented in English and translation is generally not available. For access to the scholarship application, please click here.

WHO SHOULD APPLY? 

We invite individuals such as the key leader/executive director, staff member, volunteer, counselor, and/or board member that is currently serving in an international pregnancy help organization to apply. Eligible pregnancy help organizations are life affirming non-governmental organizations (pregnancy resource center, medical help clinics, maternity housing, non-profit adoption agencies) that hold values consistent with Heartbeat International. We also invite individuals demonstrating a strong and verifiable desire to open a new pregnancy help effort in their country/region and learn more about pregnancy help ministry to apply. All scholarship applicants for either the live or virtual conference must be affiliated with Heartbeat International, either directly or through a joint affiliation partner.

Preference is given to (1) direct affiliates in good standing with Heartbeat International; (2) organizations affiliated with our international partners (Pregnancy Help Network, Pregnancy Care Canada, Pregnancy Help Australia, Centro de Ayuda para la Mujer Latinomericana, Association for Life of Africa, Movimento per la Vita, ProVida, Be’Ad Chaim, and Pregnancy Support Services Asia). If you are affiliated with one of the above referenced networks, please verify affiliation, good standing, and attendance at trainings with these organizations prior to submitting the application. Applicants that have not done and do not meet the criteria will be rejected.

For organizations not affiliated with Heartbeat or a joint affiliation partner, please verify that you’ve attended available local/regional training, especially those provided by our joint affiliation partners, to be considered.

Click here for frequently asked questions about applying for a scholarship.

Questions may be directed to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Have you ever wondered what science says about human sexuality? It turns out, biology, chemistry, health sciences, and more support God's plan for our sexuality in humans.

Designed specifically for centers working with a high number of clients in the 18-24 age group, this course will walk through how to work with clients who have been indoctrinated through gender ideology to believe that it is natural for them to be promiscuous. Nothing could be further from the truth and this course is designed to equip your staff with the scientific-based knowledge that will allow them to teach these women the truth that for humans, sexual wellness equals sexual integrity.

Your registration for this class includes a complimentary electronic edition of Dr. Malone's book: Battles of the Sexes. Additionally, by the end of this training, you will earn enough CEU's to apply for or renew your Life Affirming Specialist Designation.

 To participate, you must meet the following requirements:

• Have reliable access to a computer with an internet connection and the ability to download and print documents for additional reading.
• Be able to devote three to four hours per week to the live course session and homework assignments.
• Be self-motivated and comfortable completing additional reading assignments, activities, and tests on your own.

Please note, this session includes a live weekly session Wednesday's at 4 PM EST. Additionally, participants of this training will be able to communicate with the instructors via e-mail.

Next Session: The next session begins October 17, 2022, with our first live session taking place October 19, 2022.

This five week apologetics class will give you the tools you need to answer and defend your pro-life position compellingly, compassionately, and with love.

Together as a class, each week we will walk through a chapter of Stephanie Gray's, Love Unleashes Life, review supplemental material, and participate in exercises and discussion applying the chapter specifically to our role in Pregnancy Help Organizations. You'll also have the opportunity to join Stephanie Gray for a live Q&A session on January 27th at 1 PM EST.

 If you're looking to build your confidence in discussing abortion or sharing your pro-life position, this class is for you.

Cost: $59.95 (or $49.95 for affiliates!) A copy of the book LOVE Unleashes Life is required for this course and will need to be purchased separately. You can find the book here.  

Next Session: The next session of LOVE Unleashes Life is January 10 - February 13

Our brand new course on development, Advancement Boot Camp, will give you an overview of the Ten Revenue Streams every Pregnancy Help Organization needs—and provide you with tips and ideas to launch or improve on each one.

Whether you are just getting started in Development, or looking for ways to reboot and revive your development plan, join Kirk Walden for this conversational video series to help your ministry soar in challenging times.

Watch the video above to get a sneak peek of what to expect in the course!

Course opens October 1st!

Final 2023 Training: September 26-28 | Colorado Springs, CO

While there are various ultrasound trainings available for nurses and sonographers who work within the pregnancy help movement, Heartbeat International has championed a new form of training that connects the technical needs and the spiritual needs for those working in pregnancy help. The training is held in two parts: First, students complete an online ultrasound training* through Heartbeat International’s Academy which meets the Association of Women's Health Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) guidelines for didactic training, as well as completing 25 OB prerequisite scans** to prepare for the in-person training. Next, students come on-site to participate in an in-person scan lab experience with one-on-one instruction from educators that are also sonographers credentialed in RDMS (OB/GYN) and RNs that have multiple years' experience imaging in Pregnancy Help Clinics.

By combining the technical, the practical, and the spiritual elements into one pregnancy help medical training, trainees will work towards becoming equipped, qualified, and ready to scan within their center. (Looking for training for other Pregnancy Help staff? Click here!)

This Clinical will include:

• 50+ Scanning Drills
• Pregnant models of all gestations
• Unique Love Approach Method of imaging the preborn babies
• Competency scanning pathology typically encountered in Limited Obstetric Diagnostic Ultrasound
• First simulation training offered nationally in the Pregnancy Help movement
  • Transvaginal instruction on simulation models
  • Mastering of skills by scanning a simulated ectopic pregnancy
• Image Reviews
• Spiritually focused instructional approach
• Case Studies
• How to introduce a mom to her baby for the very first time
• Skills Evaluations for those completing training
• Supportive team to reinforce your calling

*Heartbeat International will offer 28 Continuing Education Contact Hours for nurses for the didactic portion of training and 10 Continuing Education Contact Hours for nurses for the clinical portion of training. Heartbeat International is an approved provider through the California Board of Nursing, Provider Number 16061.

The focus of the clinical event is on repetition and volume, along with spiritual encouragement and reinforcement of techniques and knowledge gained from the didactic training. The ideal participant is someone who is self-motivated, confident and is in need of a high volume of scans for training. This event is fast-paced and filled with drills, techniques and one-on-one instruction from educators that are also sonographers credentialed in RDMS (OB/GYN) and RNs that have multiple years' experience imaging in Pregnancy Help Clinics. Each participant receives a skill evaluation by our instructors, however, Heartbeat International does not certify nor credential any medical professional. Final determination of when a nurse can scan in a clinic is made by individual Medical Directors.

Pricing

The LOVE Approach Ultrasound Clinical includes 28 hours of didactic training (28 CEUs) and 20 hours of clinical training (10 CEUs). 

*Completion of Heartbeat's Online Ultrasound Didactic Training is a prerequisite to the LOVE Approach Ultrasound Clinical and is included in the cost of the training.

**Nurses attending the LOVE Approach Ultrasound Clinical have found many ways to obtain the prerequisite of 25 OB scans. Here are a few ways to fulfill this requirement.

• Scan with another clinic. Here is a locator to find nearby pregnancy help organizations. 
• Offer a scanning day to scan clients who have been scanned previously with a sonographer or a trained nurse. 
• Scan some women who are not pregnant (such as coworkers or friends) to image female anatomy and to become acquainted with the function of an ultrasound system.
• Contact a local OB office for possible assistance with training scans.