CONSULTING SERVICES

Transition Support and Development:

It seems to us that a program or school for struggling teens or young adults that does not have a strong aftercare component is a bit like General Motors not testing and warranting their cars after they leave the assembly line.  Yet most programs find it a daunting task to develop the staff and curriculum that will best prepare their students for 'life after program'. 

NEXT STEP Program Consulting has the experience and tools to either support programs in providing post-departure coaching for parents through our TRANSITIONING coaching services, or in helping to design and implement an in-house supervised aftercare program. 

Our experienced certified coaches have worked with or are currently working with many families whose teen or young adult has returned or soon will return home from extended stays in wilderness programs or residential schools.  This work has provided a unique hands-on opportunity to determine the optimum elements that make an effective transitioning plan. 

NEXT STEP FOR SUCCESS® Program Consulting will work closely with your program or school to development a transition plan that will complement and support your program philosophy by:

      • Assessing program lessons and strengths
      • Evaluating scope of transition involvement
      • Developing content and time frame

      • Providing training for transition staff using the coaching model

Staff and Management Development:

Nowhere is human capital development more important than when working in the environment of specialty schools and programs.  Skilled, empathic knowledge workers are the primary asset of any program; how they work together - and with their students - separates the truly effective programs from the also-rans.

All organizational success is defined by the way internal teams function and interrelate.  At NEXT STEP FOR SUCCESS® we recognize the critical imperative for youth workers and support staff to be high in self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and relationship management; what has become known as emotional intelligence.  It is for this reason that NEXT STEP Program Consulting, headed by Dr. Bill Valentine, focuses its staff and management development on enhancing emotional intelligence.

Dr. Valentine is a certified administrator of the Bar-On EQ-i emotional and social intelligence audit.  This assessment and development tool is the most extensively tested and proven tool for EQ enhancement.  Clients working with NEXT STEP Program Consulting receive individual and organizational assessments of emotional intelligence and effective team functioning.

NEXT STEP FOR SUCCESS® offers a variety of consulting services for organizational success.  NEXT STEP's seasoned professionals will help your program grow with:

      • Certified emotional intelligence assessment
      • Action plans for building organizational and individual emotional intelligence
      • Proven strategies for identifying and overcoming team dysfunction
      • Integrated program assessments

      • Building accountability throughout the organization

Coaching Certification

      • "Coaching Parents, Struggling Teens and Young Adults" - the only training that will result in certification of coach

          specific training hours as approved by the International Coach Federation

At NEXT STEP FOR SUCCESS® we believe a key to program effectiveness is demonstrated staff skills.  As the number of residential and wilderness programs expand, more in-depth, pre-enrollment scrutiny by prospective families will also increase.

At the same time, and rightfully, there is increased scrutiny of the industry from Congress.  State and federal officials will demand more information about staff and program credentials and effectiveness.  NEXT STEP is dedicated to supporting programs and schools by providing skills training for their staff.  Our Coach Training has been approved by the International Coach Federation and is the only curriculum that provides a certification specific to coaching parents, struggling teens and young adults.

Each NEXT STEP coach, consultant and trainer is a certified coach.  Each has extensive experience working in programs in positions from management to line staff, from headmaster to parent educator, from staff trainer to program developer.

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TRAININGS AND WORKSHOPS

NEXT STEP FOR SUCCESS® offers a variety of trainings and workshops to enhance staff performance:

      • "From Inquiry to After Care: Building the Complete Program" - extending the program's effectiveness

      • "Personal Leadership: A Three Part Series for Organizational Leaders and Managers" - cutting-edge leadership

          principles

      • "Emotional Intelligence: You Are The Lesson" - proven methods for building trust and team effectiveness

      • "Overcoming The Five Dysfunctions of a Team" - including EQ assessment and individual coaching

      • "Five Critical Skills for Coaching Struggling Teens and Young Adults" - an all-day dive into the Woodbury essay

           series

All of the NEXT STEP offerings can be presented on your site or at an off-site location of your choosing. 

In addition, as a value-added for key staff, small group seminars are regularly held at our corporate retreat outside of scenic Bend, Oregon.  From airport greeting to home-cooked meals, walks along the Deschutes River to optional summer or winter excursions in the Cascade Mountains, the NEXT STEP retreat is a special introduction to relaxed learning in inspirational surroundings.