Adam Dick Returns to Psynergy as Compliance and Training Manager
Adam Dick, formerly with Psynergy Programs as administrator of Nueva Vista Sacramento, has returned to the company in a new role, as compliance and training manager. Earlier positions at Psynergy also included stints as administrator of the company’s facilities in Morgan Hill and Greenfield.
“This is a role just created last year,” says Adam. “Ironically, I recommended that we go down this path with an enhanced focus on training five years ago. I am very happy to see that the idea has finally come to fruition.”
With his companywide experience and contacts, Adam is uniquely qualified to implement a standardized training protocol for all of the Psynergy facilities.
Currently he is engaged in teaching a monthly on-boarding program that involves three phases – an 8-hour orientation, a four-hour first-aid certification, and a four-hour non-violent crisis intervention program.
“The orientation is for everyone hired in the last month, but since it is a new program, everyone in the company is required to attend, with newer people the priority,” says Adam. “The first-aid certification is also required for everyone working at Psynergy.”
The third component, non-violent crisis intervention, (NCVI) focuses on how to recognize and de-escalate a client who is in crisis and showing increased symptoms needing support.
“We don’t do hands-on, but our certifying entity Crisis Prevention Institute has developed disengagement skills that I’ll be teaching,” Adam relates. “The curriculum also covers how to be proactive and de-escalate in the early stages of a crisis. Participants learn how to recognize and address the stages of crisis: anxiety, defensiveness, acting out and, lastly, how to implement tension reduction. This is where they engage with the client to prevent a similar crisis from happening in the future.”
Another program he will be ramping up is ongoing in-service training on the third Thursday of the month, as well as working with administrators to coordinate additional on-site group trainings and coaching opportunities.
“I am a huge fan of training,” says Adam Dick. “It’s worth spending time to make sure that the staff has a clear understanding of the job at hand and is approaching it in the optimal way. I still benefit from training even after 20 years in the business, and I am happy to have the opportunity to share what I know. Our staff members already have great skills and amazing hearts. I just want to be the facilitator to help us learn from each other, build confidence and continue our development.”