Referrals and Trainings
Health care and social service providers—nurses, physicians, counselors, social workers, case managers, and ministers—often serve as a critical link to getting women quality, compassionate care for a range of health care needs, including reproductive health care.
Our experience working in health and social service systems has shown us that these same individuals are both willing and able to play an essential role around pregnancy options counseling and access to prenatal care, abortion, or adoption resources. These professionals often do not have the tools or support to assist women facing unintended pregnancy.
This is particularly true of situations where a woman does not want to continue her pregnancy. Our training teams provide on-going follow-up support to integrate this training into work with clients and patients. We offer regularly updated resource lists so that health and social service providers always have the information needed to make effective referrals
To learn more about this effective training and to bring it free to your professional site, please contact info@wvfree.org.
Comprehensive Pregnancy Options Trainings
In this non-coercive options training, professionals across the state will learn to provide judgement-free referrals for pregnant people which can include choosing to parent, choosing adoption, or choosing abortion.
In 2022, WV FREE trained 88 providers on how to refer clients and patients with unintended pregnancy and our satisfaction surveys speak for themselves. Perhaps most poignant, not a single trainee said they would refer a patient to another colleague who is more comfortable or better prepared to handle a patient referral for abortion services- showing that all participants felt that they were personally comfortable with counseling on abortion or abortion referrals. This percentage is especially impactful due to the number of attendees who initially identified as anti-choice. Each participant will leave with an up-to-date packet of information they can take back to their communities on all three pregnancy option choices in West Virginia, that can be used to support individuals in their care.
By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
- Discuss examples of bias in reproductive health and education, and counseling
- Learn how to provide judgement-free referrals for pregnant people, which can include choosing to parent, choosing adoption, or choosing an abortion
- Identify ways to build rapport, and overcome barriers to access
- Receive an interactive training and materials delivered at your site
To schedule a training, or for more information, please send an email to info@wvfree.org; subject: Comprehensive Pregnancy Options Trainings
Love Your Birth Control
Learn to empower patients to choose the birth control method that works best for them through our shared decision-making model that is easy to implement during contraceptive counseling. Nationally recognized, and on its 5th year, WV FREE and the WV Perinatal Partnership have trained nearly 100 sites throughout the state. These no cost trainings last about 1.5 hours and can be done virtually, or in person at your facility. Trainings are appropriate for clinical and non-clinical staff, as using the same reassuring and non-judgmental language is imperative to build rapport and allow free flow of information. CEUs and CME’s will be provided for nurses and physicians.
By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
- Discuss examples of bias in reproductive health and education, and counseling.
- List different methods of contraception, their uses, and risks and benefits of each, including resources for factual information about different methods ofcontraception and myths about birth control.
- Demonstrate methods for assisting patients to learn about birth control using a client led approach and interactive education grid
- Identify ways to build rapport, and overcome barriers to access to contraception
- Receive an interactive training and materials delivered at your site
To schedule a training, or for more information, please send an email to info@wvfree.org; subject: Love Your Birth Control Trainings
Self Managed Abortion: Safe and Supported (Sass)
In a time where reproductive healthcare access and freedom is being severely challenged in many areas, we must have the information necessary to manage our reproductive destinies. With that, WV FREE has partnered with Progress Florida to facilitate free and online self managed abortion informational training, and soon we will be independently organizing in person trainings around the state. Abortion access should not be lessened based on your zipcode, and more and more Americans are learning how they can manage their own abortion at home, with pills.
By the end of this training, participants will be able to:
- Know the proper stipulations and contraindications for a person seeking to self-manage an abortion.
- List and explain the different protocols for medication abortion management, both with and without mifepristone.
- Communicate information on self-managed abortion safely, effectively, and with minimized legal risk.
- Explain how a person who must seek medical care during an abortion should navigate their appointment.
- Identify the most researched and reliable places to order abortion medication online.
For more information, please send an email to info@wvfree.org; subject: SASS Trainings
