COURSE CATALOG: Please review the course catalog below to identify the web-based Business, Programming, Staffing, and/or Applicants and Families courses that best suit your needs. All course videos are less than 90 minutes; most conclude within an hour.
When you purchase a class outside Bittersweet's web support hours of Monday -- Friday between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. you may not receive your password until the next business day. Check your email periodically just in case.
Upon receipt of password and instructions for access, you will have approximately two weeks to view the class(es) as many times as you desire.
You may wish to check the system requirements before registration.
|
Where Do I Start? (free)
|
|
 When people call, email, or visit Bittersweet, with the
intention of starting a farmstead or like community, we're almost
always asked, "Where Do I Start?" This free
webinar will help point you in the direction of the most important things
to consider and do first, the skills necessary to get going, and how
Bittersweet intends to help you along the way.
this free video at
Vimeo.
|
|
Business Series Overview (free)
|
Programming Series Overview (free)
|
||
This free webinar provides you with a synopsis
of the modules of Bittersweet WISDOM's Business Series, so that you
have an understanding of the flow and sequence of business course
offerings. When starting your entity, you want to ensure that you have
all your bases covered from a business perspective, and Bittersweet's
WISDOM 2 class and Business Series are here to help.
this free video at
Vimeo.
|
This free
webinar provides you with a summary of the modules of Bittersweet WISDOM's
Programming Series. When starting your entity, you want to ensure that you have
insight into the types of programs you want to run, because programming highly
influences many of the activities you'll need to handle on the business,
staffing, and applicants sides of the business. Bittersweet's WISDOM 3 class
and Programming Series are here to provide knowledge and experience-based
information to help you create and structure your programming.
this free video at
Vimeo.
|
|
Staffing Series Overview (free)
|
Applicants & Families Overview (free)
|
||
 This free webinar provides you with a summary
of the modules of Bittersweet WISDOM's Staffing Series. The
philosophy of your organization and the programs you decide to include
will be driving forces into determining the types of positions, skill
base, and qualities your staff will need to have. And, coupled with
deciding upon staffing needs, there will be decisions about staffing
ratios, pay, policies and procedures, recruiting, retention, and
training, as well. Bittersweet's WISDOM Staffing Series is designed
to help you better maneuver the Human Resources aspect of your
business.
this free video at
Vimeo.
|
 This free webinar provides you with a synopsis of the modules of
Bittersweet WISDOM's Applicants and Family Series. Change is
difficult for most people, and applicants and families coming to you for
services will be undergoing many changes. In addition, how to assess and
select participants for your facility can be an art form; managing the
families of your participants requires forethought, preparation,
discipline, and, above all, compassion. Bittersweet WISDOM's
Applicants and Family Series is designed to highlight family matters
which will require sensitivity and professional handling.
this free video at
Vimeo.
|
|
Business Basics 101
|
Business Basics 102
|
Building Your Board of Directors
|
|||
 You likely have ideas of what you want your organization to
look, feel, and be like. However, that vision remains in your head.
WISDOM's Business Basics 101 provides you with guidance on
establishing a formal vision, mission, philosophy, and core values. You
may also be wondering how long it may take to get your entity up and
running. Bittersweet's WISDOM Business Basics 101 will provide you
with insight on a timeline from conceptual beginning to opening your
doors. |
 There are numerous, upfront decisions you
will need to make about your business entity, some of the biggest being your choice
of legal structure and a business name. Business Basics 102 will provide you with
the options to consider when deciding upon the types of business structures
available and items to reflect upon as you move toward naming your organization.
Legally establishing your business requires obtaining an Employer Identification
Number (EIN), and WISDOM's Business Basics 102 will provide details on that, as
well. |
 You most likely cannot go it alone; you're going to need
help to create, develop, fund, and run your organization. By assembling a
Board of Directors, developing bylaws to guide how you function, and
reaching out to necessary partners in the community, you will build a
team of resourceful allies with expertise significantly beyond your own.
This workshop will review the how to's of developing a Board, the
composition of bylaws, and the types of relationships you need to
build. |
|||
|
Hoop Houses
|
Recycling
|
Animal Therapy
|
|||
 Bittersweet's WISDOM classes will include many aspects of
horticulture. One of our first offerings in the area of horticulture is
this course. Hoop houses are year-round, unheated greenhouse-type
structures that are a mainstay of Bittersweet's horticulture program.
You'll learn all about how hoop houses work, the many benefits they
provide, and a sample planting schedule. With hoop houses, you can grow
year-round, even if you have very cold winters like in Ohio. |
 A hot topic in general these days, is how to become more
environmentally conscious and friendly. At Bittersweet, we have found
recycling to not only be wonderful for the planet, but engaging and
meaningful for our participants. Recycling offers many vocations and
opportunities for reducing costs as we learn daily how to recycle and
reuse what we have on the farm. This class is geared toward getting you
thinking about how to make recycling a key component of all activities in
your organization. |
 If you're thinking about a farmstead model for your
facility, then you need to take WISDOM's Animal Therapy. Animal
therapy is a proven, positive contributor to people's morale,
self-esteem, and quality of life. How to structure, staff, get started,
and maximize the benefits of an animal therapy program are covered, as
well as a discussion about animal therapy versus production animals. |
|||
|
Art Therapy Possibilities
|
Woodworking
|
Recreation and Leisure
|
|||
 Like horticulture, art therapy is a major component of
Bittersweet's programming and likely will be in your facility, as
well. In this initial WISDOM art-related course, you'll be provided
with some fresh ideas for art projects, information about supplies, and
helpful tips on how to overcome resistance, fear, and lack of interest
that participants sometimes present. At the same time, you'll gain an
understanding of how to improve your skills as the art partner. |
 One of Bittersweet's first programs was woodworking. In this
course, you will learn a bit of history related to the Wood Shop, what a
typical day for participants in woodworking involves, tips on how to keep
participants engaged, the benefits of a woodworking program, safety tips,
products, and recommendations for how to start and maintain a viable
program. |
 Bittersweet is committed to truly getting to know and understand
each participant we support. When it comes to recreation and leisure for
individuals with autism, this commitment is extremely important. This
class is designed to help you formulate ideas about incorporating
recreation and leisure into your participants' days, distinguish
between want versus need, provide respect and supports in activities, and
tips for overcoming social interaction, communication, and sensory issues
for individuals with ASD. Recreation and Leisure is a critical component
for a full life for all of us. |
|||
|
Key Positions and Organizational Structure
|
Staffing Ratios and Pay Scales
|
||
 The positions which are necessary to start your facility will
depend greatly on some of the decisions you've already made and some
yet to be made. This class will broaden your perspective by providing
exposure to various considerations when it comes to staffing key
positions. Additionally, this course will present start-up and more
experienced organizational chart samples to help you with your staffing
needs. |
 Key to understanding the impact on financing your organization
is exposure to proper staffing ratios and the compensation costs
associated with having employees. This course provides information about
both staffing ratios and pay scales associated with key positions in your
organization. |
||
|
Participant's Rights and Staffing
|
What to Look for in Staff
|
||
| How do you get your staff to see the participants they support
as individuals with wants, needs, and rights? Chances are good that your
state/country requires that individuals with disabilities be treated with
dignity and respect. In Ohio, Bittersweet relies on Ohio Revised Code
(ORC) 5123.62 to help educate employees about participants' rights
and the ways in which staff must act to meet legal and ethical
requirements. This class will fill you in on how we use legal guidelines
to teach staff. |
 Sure, college degrees are nice; so are certifications. Hiring
the right staff members goes well beyond knowledge and credentials. You
have to look more deeply into a person's skills, abilities, and
qualities to best assess their fit as an employee of your organization.
In this class, we will share with you the types of things to look for
beyond just credentials when hiring staff. |
||
|
Anticipating Changes
|
The Family and Facility Relationship
|
||
 Parents and family members are bound to have
concerns and mixed emotions about their relative participating in your program. After
all, it's a big change. The Anticipating Changes course will provide you with
first-hand, direct exposure to a parent whose child recently became a resident at
Bittersweet Farms. There will be plenty of food for thought regarding how to structure
your facility and its policies/procedures, not to mention staff training (to help
understand the emotional aspects of change), based upon the information shared in this
class. |
 No matter which type of facility you're operating, you will
be developing a relationship with both the participant you're
supporting AND the family employing your services. It's important to
remember that you are a provider to both the participant and their
family. The organization/ staff/family relationship will most often be a
long-term endeavor. As a result, it is critically important to plan for
and properly manage those relationships. This class provides ideas on how
to start and keep family relationships positive and productive. |
||