RBI Certification Institute

presented by the Vanderbilt Center for Child Development

August 4-8, 2008

Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN

This is a hands-on intensive instructional opportunity conducted by Robin McWilliam, Ph.D. and colleagues.  Training will include demonstration, practice, and feedback; demonstration of competence will result in certification.

Routines-Based Interview         Instructors         Purpose         Target Audience         Institute Content        

 Certification         Application Procedure         Logistics         Cost     

Routines-Based Interview^TM

The Routines-Based Interview^TM is an evidence-based, manualized clinical interview designed to (a) help a family decide on their intervention priorities, (b) gather a rich description of child and family functioning, and (c) begin a positive relationship between the interviewer and the family. It is a semi-structured interview focusing on the family's functioning during everyday activities, especially focusing on the child's engagement, independence, and social relationships. It ends with the parents' deciding on the 6-10 most important things they would like to accomplish in the following six months or a year.

Instructors

The principal instructor will be Robin McWilliam, Ph.D., who provides training, technical assistance, and consultation on the RBI throughout the U.S. and in Europe. McWilliam described the RBI in his 1992 book, Functional Intervention Planning: A Routines Based Approach. Since then, he has conducted hundreds of popular workshops on the use of the interview; most workshops have included live demonstration with families in early intervention. His workshops are renowned for being humorous, applied, provocative, and evidence-based.

Also providing instruction during the Institute will be Lee Ann Jung, Ph.D., from the University of Kentucky, and McWilliam's colleagues Jacque Davis, Ph.D.; Amy Casey, M.Ed.; and Jessica Rasmussen, M.Ed.  Bea Smith; Jennifer Vick, M.S., CCC-SLP; and Shana Hornstein, M.A., will assist.

Purpose

The purpose of the RBI Certification Institute is to train a cadre of expert interviewers who can train others to conduct the Routines-Based Interview^TM. In turn, the quality of IFSPs is expected to improve. The Institute is one step in "scaling up" this practice that has been associated with more functional outcomes and greater satisfaction by families with the IFSP process.

Target Audience

Professionals who have the opportunity to train others to plan IFSPs. Such professionals might include supervisors, technical assistance or inservice providers (including those working on CSPD for Part C in their state), and faculty members.

Institute Content

The face-to-face portion of the Institute will be 5 days (August 4-8, 2008). Some activities following this week are also part of the Institute, as described below.

Daily schedule

Training will occur from 9:00 to 4:00 all 5 days, with time on the first day (Monday, August 4) devoted to introduction to advanced issues regarding the RBI and to the Certification Institute and time on the last day (Friday, August 8) devoted to final issues regarding implementation of interviewing and training. A typical midweek schedule will be as follows:

Curriculum

Each of the following four main topics is competency based and has a performance checklist.

• Structure of the RBI
• High-quality interviewing
• Writing functional outcomes
• Training others to conduct RBIs and write functional outcomes

• Multiple interviews with families
• Practice completing interviews
• Practice writing functional outcomes
• Practice describing interviews
• Feedback from experienced instructors

Participants will receive the following materials at the institute:

1. The RBI Manual
2. A PowerPoint presentation that can be adapted and used in future trainings
3. A DVD or CD Rom with materials and video examples
4. Readings

Post-Institute Activities

To become certified as a Routines-Based Interview^TM Trainer, participants will need to practice interviewing and to tape an interview and send it back to the instructors, along with the resulting IFSP outcomes. We will assess the quality of the interview and IFSP outcomes and issue the certificate to those meeting the competency-based quality standards. More information on certification follows.

Certification

The Institute faculty will develop quality standards for (a) interview competencies demonstrated during the training week, (b) outcome-writing competencies demonstrated during the training week, (c) training competencies demonstrated during the training week, (d) interview competencies demonstrated on the post-Institute taped interview, and (e) outcome-writing competencies demonstrated as a result of the post-Institute taped interview. The 2008 participants will constitute the charter members of a register of Certified Routines-Based Interview^TM Trainers.

Application Procedures

Owing to the high demand for the RBI Certification Institute, the limited space, and the high caliber we desire in the participants, an application needs to be completed and a curriculum vitae needs to be sent as an e-mail attachment. Click here for the application.

Timelines

• Applications by April 1
• Selection by May 1. Alternates will be selected in case people fail to register
• Registration by June 1

Information Needed

1. Application Form
2. CV

Selection Criteria

Participants will be selected on the basis of the following:

• Evidence of opportunity to train others to conduct RBIs
• Evidence of opportunity to demonstrate competence
• Evidence of familiarity with recommended practices in early intervention
• Evidence of knowledge of child development

Registration

Participants selected for the 2008 Institute will need to register by June 1 and send a nonrefundable deposit of $300. The balance of the tuition will need to be paid by the first day of the Institute, August 4, 2008.

Logistics

Accommodations

A block of rooms has been reserved at the Holiday Inn Select Nashville-Vanderbilt (http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/sl/1/en/hotel/bnavb?_requestid=700381). From the website, you can book online or find the toll free number. Tell them you're with the Vanderbilt Center for Child Development. The rate is $104 a night. We recommend that you book immediately upon acceptance to the Institute and no later than June 1.

Breakfast and dinner are on your own, and a box or catered lunch, the cost of which is included in the Institute fee, will be provided.

• Fly into Nashville International Airport (BNA). Please make your own travel arrangements. Note that Nashville is served by Southwest Airlines.
• Take a cab to the Holiday Inn Select Nashville-Vanderbilt, 2613 West End Avenue. Phone: (615) 327-4707.
• Transportation from the hotel to the training site will be provided by the hotel shuttle.

Music City USA! See http://nashville.about.com/od/tourism/Nashville_Tourism_Resources.htm.

Cost

$965, minus the $300 deposit, payable by the first day of the Institute, August 4, 2008. Includes expert instruction in a small group (only 20 participants will be admitted to the Institute), opportunities to practice with real families, individualized feedback, lunch, materials to use in training, post-Institute review of taped interview, assessment, and certification.

If you have questions, please contact Amy Casey Hutcherson.  615.936.3986.  amy.m.casey@vanderbilt.edu