Facilitation Skills

Level: Advanced Practice – Lineworker, Supervisor, Manager

Credits: 3

Intended Audience: Brief description of who this course is intended for staff who wish to develop skills in facilitating meetings and focus groups

Description of Course: The course will cover the basics of facilitation skills through lecture and experiential exercises. Content includes working with challenging participants, setting up rules for brainstorming sessions and focus group meetings, and skills needed for effective facilitation.

Intended Objectives:

• Identify the role of the facilitator in task focused meetings
• Identify at least three values associated with the art of facilitation
• Recognize two processes in facilitating a brainstorming session
• Identify at least 3 interventions in working with challenging participants during a facilitated discussion
• Demonstrate 2 processes in facilitating a brainstorming session
• Demonstrate preparing an agenda for a facilitated brainstorming session
• Develop a list of interventions for working with challenging participants
• Value a strength- based and solution-focused approach in facilitating a brainstorming session

Topics Include:

• The role of the facilitator
• Skills needed for effective facilitation
• Setting up meetings and focus groups for the maximum amount of safety
• Working with and interventions for challenging participants
• Setting up brainstorming sessions
• Tools needs for facilitating meetings
• Engaging in a strength based and solution focused facilitation