Project Harmony Professional Training

This training helps participants develop an understanding of Empathic Strain and how certain factors can increase this risk. In this course, participants will discuss how accountability and supports can mitigate this. Participants will also learn strategies and develop ideas on how to limit the strain that can be experienced on a daily basis. Read more

I Don't Care What You Know Until I Know That You Care Meet Dylan Sullivan, the single father of an 8-year-old boy named Joseph. He calls you because he says his son’s school won’t stop pestering him about Joseph misbehaving at school. He thinks that by calling your agency, he may be able to get them off his back. He also says he is interested in receiving any financial assistance you may have to offer. Can you help? Engaging through Empathy is a training where you will learn how you can approach clients in a way to create sustainable change by building relationships and meeting them where they are at. Read more

Online Safety: Project Harmony trainers present the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s materials targeting online safety. The training empowers parents, caregivers, and those who care about kids to engage in regular, age-appropriate conversations with youth about benefits, risks, and what to do if something happens online. The training includes resources and information from The National Center for Missing and Endangered Children (NCMEC) and other helpful resources, including discussion guides, tip sheets, and resources to research different apps or platforms children may be using. Missing Documentary Screening: This facilitated session utilizes Missing, a powerful 45 to 50-minute documentary that deepens the conversation around missing youth and trafficking. Building upon the 2024 trafficking initiative video, Missing shares the voices and experiences of survivors, exploring the reasons behind their decisions to run—what they are running from or to—and how these circumstances increase their vulnerability to exploitation. Through guided discussions at key stopping points, participants will have the opportunity to process their reactions, challenge common misconceptions, and gain a clearer understanding of the realities of trafficking in our community. Child Abuse and Neglect 101: This course educates community members about the basic definitions and responses to all types of child abuse and neglect, including physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, exploitation, and trafficking. This training also describes the services of a Child Advocacy Center, like Project Harmony, and contains mock calls to the Iowa Abuse and Neglect Hotline. Lastly, the training will cover elements of receiving a disclosure, calling the hotline, and common reactions. By outlining the process and observing realistic examples, learners will be more equipped to respond to a child in need. While most of the content is foundational to all discussions of abuse and neglect, references to statute are specific to Iowa. Working Together Across Cultures: Having a diverse community offers many advantages, from economic strength to beauty and character. However, it is no secret that helping families from different cultures can be challenging. Understanding culture is a lifelong journey that begins with the individual. In this training, participants will engage in introspective activities and group discussion that will elevate their understanding of culture and enhance their ability to work more effectively with different cultures. Location: Midwest Mental Health 523 W. Sheridan Shenandoah, IA 51601 Read more

Working with People in Poverty: This training equips attendees with the skills and knowledge needed to effectively work with youth and families who live in poverty.  Attendees will assess the internal bias they may have related to this population.  Through the training, compare and contrast poverty in diverse communities.  Activities will help participants understand the dilemmas that drive the behaviors of those in poverty. This session introduces strategies to more effectively engage clients in poverty.  Bring your smart phone to participate in one of our new activities. Sextortion Screening: The film Sextortion: The Hidden Pandemic is an investigation into the world of online grooming and sextortion -- a present-day reality for one in seven children online.  By unsealing the federal case of a top-gun pilot with hundreds of victims, and interviewing survivors and their parents, this true-crime piece exposes an often-overlooked crime against children, the tactics of online predators, and the voices of parents and law enforcement poised to stop online child exploitation in its tracks. Location: Midwest Mental Health 523 W. Sheridan Shenandoah, IA 51601 Read more

This course prepares mandatory reporters with the knowledge and skills to recognize and report child abuse and neglect along with an overview of the different types of abuse and their prevalence in Iowa.  In this training, participants will discuss challenges associated with reporting abuse and neglect, practice asking minimal facts questions, and receive resources that will help with knowing how and when to report.   Location: Project Harmony 11949 Q St Omaha, NE 68137 Time: 9am-11am Read more

This training helps participants recognize trauma, understand its impact on the brain and body, and identify and apply interventions to trauma related behaviors. This course is meant to provide foundational information on trauma for anyone that is new to the topic or would like a refresher on trauma basics. Location: Buena Vista High School Auditorium 5616 L Street Omaha, NE 68117 Time: 9:45am-11:30pm Read more