Westbridge Academy In Bloomfield To Hold Workshop For Educators

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — The following news release comes courtesy of a Patch Bloomfield community member. Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site.

The pandemic has impacted school professionals, both personally and professionally. With that in mind, Westbridge Academy, a special education school located in Bloomfield, is presenting a free virtual workshop from 9 a.m. to noon on Friday, March 4: “The Meaning and Practice of Self-Care in School Professionals.”

The program, offered as part of Westbridge Academy’s longstanding tradition of providing professional development events to educators, will instruct guests on:

• Identifying burnout and secondary trauma
• The positive influence of flourishing, gratitude, and work-life balance on wellbeing
• Ways to put eight character strengths into practice to build career resilience
• The role of self-care, wellness, and professional quality of life in sustaining a long-lasting career

The presenter is Barbara Rubel, MA, BCETS, DAAETS, a nationally-recognized author and speaker who has pioneered a unique approach to addressing traumatic loss and vicarious trauma. The author of "But I Didn’t Say Goodbye: Helping Families After a Suicide," Rubel is a board-certified expert in traumatic stress, and a diplomate with the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress.

“Giving back to the larger community is an important part of our mission,” said Dr. Anthony Hadzimichalis, executive director. “It allows best practices to reach students beyond our own school building and introduces educators to our work and our unique approach to special education for students with mental health and learning challenges.”

Westbridge Academy is a small, state-approved, nonprofit school serving students grades K-12 with emotional, behavioral, and learning challenges since 1973. The school serves students from local school districts in nine New Jersey counties: Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Middlesex, Morris, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, and Union. Students attend at no cost to families. To learn more about the school, call 973-429-8110 or visit online at https://westbridgeacademy.org.

Attendance at the virtual seminar is free of charge. To register, log onto https://mar2022event.eventbrite.com

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