AIRS I&R Training Manual

All AIRS Platinum members have the option to receive a hard-copy of the three-volume Training Manual, along with a bookmarked PDF version (which includes audio clips) that allows all staff to have desktop access. There is also an accompanying Powerpoint for trainers that focuses on the core material.

Here are the key changes for the 2021 edition:

• Reflects the new version of the 9.0 edition of the AIRS Standard
• Includes a general edit that resulted in adjustments and additions to all sections
• Features 38 new role-playing scenarios for I&R training
   

The value of the entire package for non-Platinum members is $450 (or if you buy them separately, $350 for the Community Resource Specialist edition, $100 for the Database Curator edition and $100 for the OnBoarding edition) – which is still a bargain when you consider this is the foundation of your staff training program.

The easiest and most economical way to obtain a copy is to take out an AIRS membership at the Platinum Level. This will ensure that you automatically receive a hard-copy and an electronic copy every year ... in addition to securing the other benefits of membership. 
 

Contact moayad@airs.org if you are interested in purchasing a copy or upgrading your membership to Platinum. If you are a Platinum member and have not yet received your copy, please email Moayad. (Please note that a Canadian PDF edition of the AIRS Training Manual is available for Canadian members through InformCanada).

You may download an order form here.

Most sections include:

• Learning concepts and objectives for the section.

• An outline of section components.

• Introductory exercises to stimulate reflection on the upcoming issues.

• Relevant references to the AIRS Standards (“What the AIRS Standards say”).

• Core instructional material (“What you need to know”).

• Issues for discussion that deal with challenging concepts.

• A scenario for review/participation.

• A role-playing option (after each role-play, an instructor can explore what was done well and what other techniques could have been used).

• Suggested ways to speak with clients (these are intended to be useful examples of “ways to say” certain things. They are not meant to be verbatim statements but guides for I&R practitioners to put into their own words when directly engaged with clients).

• Summary of key points.

• Test questions on objectives.

• Answers to test questions.

Note that the test questions are written in the same format (4-option multiple choice) and style as AIRS Certification questions. These should prove useful preparation for individuals preparing for the examination but of course, success in one cannot guarantee success in the other.

Here is a complete list of sections:

VOLUME 1: I&R Onboarding
Section 1: The Nature of Information and Referral
Section 2: Introduction to Human Services
Section 3: I&R in Disaster
Section 4: Wellness and Self Care

VOLUME 2: Training Community Resource Specialists
Section 1: The I&R Process | From Greeting to Closure
Section 2: Empowerment and Advocacy
Section 3: Crisis Intervention/Suicide Prevention
Section 4: Follow-up
Section 5: Confidentiality
Section 6: Values, Self-Awareness and Self-Determination
Section 7: Responding Effectively to Challenging Clients
Section 8: Using the Resource Database for I&R Referrals
Section 9: Serving Diverse Communities
Section 10: Serving People with Substance Use Disorders
Section 11: Serving Older Adults
Section 12: Serving Young People
Section 13: Serving People with Mental Health Disorders
Section 14: Serving Military Personnel and their Families
Section 15: Serving People with Disabilities
Section 16: Serving Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Clients
Section 17: I&R via Chat and Text
Section 18: Working in an I&R Call/Contact Center
Section 19: An Overview of Person-Centered Approaches and Techniques

VOLUME 3: Training Resource Database Curators
Section 1: Resource Database Overview
Section 2: Resource Database Inclusion and Exclusion
Section 3: Resource Database Structure
Section 4: Resource Database Indexing and Retrieval
Section 5: Resource Database Maintenance