Academy for Trauma Studies and Disaster Response
Join us for Workshops and Trainings!
Join the Fellowship.
Adventure Awaits You.
Adventure Awaits You.
About the Academy
Community, Healing, Purpose.
Creating healing through community to build meaningful lives.
Creating healing through community to build meaningful lives.
The Academy is a fellowship of people-loving adventurers created for community first responders and volunteers with a vision to create connection through education, experiential training, and disaster response.
The Academy is a space created to bring together like-minded and like-hearted people who want to connect in fellowship with others, who want to learn and become equipped to respond to local, national and international disasters with excellence, who want to serve from a place of resilience and post-traumatic growth, and who want to experience joy, altruism and deep meaning. We believe in accompaniment, in long term strategic partnerships, in drinking coffee, sharing stories and eating food together.
The Academy specifically aims to equip the local community, first responders, volunteers and anyone interested in psychological first aid and disaster response, through experiential educational trainings, certifications and adventure-disaster deployment trips.
We offer trainings throughout the year that are accredited by the Green Cross Academy of Traumatology, that fulfill partial requirements for several certifications with the Green Cross Academy of Traumatology. Use this link to read about GCAT membership https://greencross.org/membership/ and Levels of Certifications /https://greencross.org/training-ce/certifications/.
In order to travel and deploy with the Beautiful Minds Trauma Team, www.beautiuflmindsproject.world, all participants are required to be at minimum Certified Field Traumatologists in addition to each deployment trip specific requirements.
Beautiful Minds Project Academy of Trauma Studies and Disaster Response
is accredited by
is accredited by
The Green Cross Academy of Traumatology is an international, humanitarian assistance, non-profit corporation, established in 1997 to bring together world leaders in the study of traumatology for the purpose of establishing and maintaining professionalism and high standards in the care of trauma victims and responders throughout the world.
Upcoming Workshops and Trainings
Registration Fees are Non-Refundable and Non-Transferable
The Beautiful Minds Project Academy is a registered 501(C)3 NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION (all Academy workshops are tax-deductible)
The Beautiful Minds Project Academy is a registered 501(C)3 NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION (all Academy workshops are tax-deductible)
Friday and Saturday,January 26th and 27th
8:30 AM– 4:30 PM Mountain Time Zone – In Person and virtual
8:30 AM– 4:30 PM Mountain Time Zone – In Person and virtual
Towards Professional Resilience! Compassion Stress Management and Compassion Fatigue Practitioner- Learn to combat toxic stress, prevent and resolve burnout and so much more!
(This is a required training for Beautiful Minds Project Trauma Team and to be eligible for deployment. Fulfills training requirement for the Green Cross Compassion Fatigue Educator Certification and the Green Cross Compassion Fatigue Therapist Certification)
General Registration: $198
Special Opportunity- Discount code for those who would like to join but cannot afford at this time FREE
(All proceeds from this training are supporting a trauma deployment team to Asia)
(This is a required training for Beautiful Minds Project Trauma Team and to be eligible for deployment. Fulfills training requirement for the Green Cross Compassion Fatigue Educator Certification and the Green Cross Compassion Fatigue Therapist Certification)
General Registration: $198
Special Opportunity- Discount code for those who would like to join but cannot afford at this time FREE
(All proceeds from this training are supporting a trauma deployment team to Asia)
Friday and Saturday,March 15th and 16th, 2024
8:30 AM– 5:00 PM Mountain Time Zone – In Person and virtual
8:30 AM– 5:00 PM Mountain Time Zone – In Person and virtual
Disaster Trauma (Field Traumatology Course)
14 CEU's
In this training workshop emphasis is placed on stages of disaster working within the incident command system and the needs of survivors. Practical application and response is highlighted to provide each participant with the knowledge and skills necessary to lessen the negative impact on individuals and families in the aftermath of a natural or human caused disaster or critical incident.
(This is a required training for Beautiful Minds Project Trauma Team and to be eligible for deployment. Fulfills training requirement for the Green Cross Field Traumatologist and Clinical Traumatologist Certification)
Early Bird Registration Price Until February 24th: $198
After February 24th: $249
Discount for First Responders: FIRSTRESPONDER40
Check out our recent trips to Ukraine, Cameroon, Poland and more on Instagram!
Meet the Director and Trainer
Dr. Alina Garbuz, PhD is Clinical Traumatologist, Licensed Professional Counselor (OK, CO, TX), Certified EMDR Therapist and Consultant, Amen Clinics Certified Brain Health Coach and Professional Life Coach who runs her private practice in Colorado Springs, Colorado with her co-therapist golden retriever Nala. Dr. Garbuz specializes in PTSD, Complex Trauma, Attachment and Relational Trauma, Suicide and Traumatic Bereavement, Disaster Trauma and International Trauma.
Alina and her family moved to the United States as refugees in 1995. Since pursuing her career in Global Mental Health/Missions/Cultural Anthropology at 17 years old, Alina has traveled the world with several humanitarian organizations. In 2017 she started Beautiful Minds Project, a non-profit organization of "people and adventure loving humans" that brings practical and culturally relevant healing programs, education and training to populations suffering from psychological and emotional trauma caused by war conflict, natural disasters, poverty, sexual abuse, and injustice.
In 2023 Alina decided to expand the Beautiful Minds Project into an Academy for Trauma Studies and Disaster Response, with a new focus in bringing great experiential trainings to the the local community, including first responders, volunteers, and anyone interested. The Academy for Trauma Studies and Disaster Response is accredited by The Green Cross Academy for Traumatology as a training site.
Dr. Alina Garbuz believes that the human journey towards wholeness, integration, meaning and purpose cannot be accomplished alone. We all need each other.
Alina and her family moved to the United States as refugees in 1995. Since pursuing her career in Global Mental Health/Missions/Cultural Anthropology at 17 years old, Alina has traveled the world with several humanitarian organizations. In 2017 she started Beautiful Minds Project, a non-profit organization of "people and adventure loving humans" that brings practical and culturally relevant healing programs, education and training to populations suffering from psychological and emotional trauma caused by war conflict, natural disasters, poverty, sexual abuse, and injustice.
In 2023 Alina decided to expand the Beautiful Minds Project into an Academy for Trauma Studies and Disaster Response, with a new focus in bringing great experiential trainings to the the local community, including first responders, volunteers, and anyone interested. The Academy for Trauma Studies and Disaster Response is accredited by The Green Cross Academy for Traumatology as a training site.
Dr. Alina Garbuz believes that the human journey towards wholeness, integration, meaning and purpose cannot be accomplished alone. We all need each other.
TRAUMA CERTIFICATIONS
Beautiful Minds Project Academy has partnered with the Green Cross Academy for Traumatology to offer certification courses leading to five separate levels of Trauma certification.
The five certifications are:
Compassion Fatigue Educator
Compassion Fatigue Practitioner
Field Traumatologist
Certified (Clinical) Traumatologist
Master Traumatologist
The courses for the certifications will be offered throughout the year covering all levels of intervention.
The Certified Traumatologist credential is recognized by the Veteran’s Administration (VA), Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA), Volunteer Organizations Amid Disaster (VOAD), and other response agencies.
The workshops are offered both on-site in Colorado Springs or online through a virtual classroom.
Certifications available through Green Cross Academy for Traumatology and Requirements
– Completion of workshops are often one step in the process of Certification. Participants must become a member of Green Cross through application and annual dues to receive and to maintain Certification for which they qualify. Previous training from other organization are evaluated for credit and acceptance on an individual basis. All certification levels require application to the Green Cross Academy for Traumatology and maintaining membership to maintain Certification(s).
Certified Compassion Fatigue Educator
Compassion Stress Management Workshop/Training
Certified Compassion Fatigue Practitioner
Compassion Fatigue Practitioner Workshop/Training
Certified Field Traumatologist
Disaster Trauma Workshop/Training or Field Trauma Workshop/Training
FEMA on-line course: IS-100c
FEMA on-line course IS-363
FEMA on-line course IS-403
FEMA on-line course IS-909
Completion of the Compassion Stress Management and Compassion Fatigue Therapist workshop
Certified (Clinical) Traumatologist
Treating Traumatized Families Workshop
Child and Adolescent Trauma Workshop
Assessment and Treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Treating Anxiety and Phobia (EMDR Level 1)
100 hours direct field work in trauma (one to one, group, or family therapy)
Completion of all requirements for Compassion Fatigue Educator, Compassion Fatigue Therapist, and Field Traumatologist Certifications
Master Traumatologist
Grief and Loss Workshop
Psychological First Aid Workshop
Understanding and Treating Sexual Trauma Workshop
Domestic Violence Workshop
EMDR Level 2 (Or comparable technique such as Traumatic Incident Reduction or Thought Field Therapy)
Complex Trauma Workshop (HEART Model)
Cross Training with other Certifications such as CISM (Critical Incident Stress Management), Red Cross, or ATSS (Assoc. of Traumatic Stress Specialists)
Completion of all requirements for Compassion Fatigue Educator, Compassion Fatigue Therapist, Field Traumatologist, and Certified Traumatologist Certifications
A minimum of 5 years full-time (10 years part-time) direct experience in the trauma field either through employment or volunteer organizations