Displaying items by tag: training

Andrea Trudden, Vice President of Communications and Marketing of Heartbeat International, shares three valuable resources for Pregnancy Help Organizations (PHOs):

Pregnancy Center Truth – Pregnancycentertruth.com

A resource created to refute claims made against pregnancy centers “in an effort to ditch the rhetoric and stick to the facts..."

Pregnancy Help News – Pregnancyhelpnews.com

A website that reports on “current events, happenings, and milestones,” as well as inspirational stories within the pregnancy help community for PHOs around the world.

Pregnancy Help Podcast – Pregnancyhelppodcast.com

A collection of conversations and interviews with prominent pregnancy help experts around the world.

Save and subscribe!

Save Pregnancy Help Podcast as your favorite podcast.

Subscribe for Pregnancy Help News updates.

by Tracie Shellhouse, MCLC, LAS
Vice President of Ministry Services, Heartbeat International

Remember early 2020? It was an uncertain time. We didn’t know what would happen next or how each of our local pregnancy centers would respond to the spread of COVID-19. At New Hope Pregnancy Care Center, we had three people planning to travel to the Heartbeat International Annual Conference in Seattle.

Then everything changed – each day seemed to bring new or different information, unprecedented circumstances, and hard decisions – and I had to figure out how to make things work best for my organization. Now what? Surely the Annual Conference would have to be canceled due to shutdowns and travel bans! I had no idea what Heartbeat International was working on and the amazing opportunity they were creating for my team. 

When the Conference in Seattle changed to a Virtual one, I had the opportunity to (happily) make some new decisions. Suddenly, our entire paid staff was able to attend instead of just the three who were planning to travel. We were able to keep serving clients due to adjusted hours (remember, 2020), and our entire paid staff engaged and learned with co-laborers for life around the world.

It was amazing!

Some members of our team who attended the virtual conference would have never had the opportunity to be equipped by pregnancy help leaders outside the center. Our office manager always stayed in town to hold down the fort while others went to conferences. Thanks to COVID-19 (God works everything together for our good), she didn’t stay behind in 2020. Instead, she attended the Heartbeat Annual Conference! She was so excited and empowered by what she learned. The experience connected her to pregnancy help outside her immediate community. Today she serves women all over the world as an Option Line consultant.  

Two of our interns attended the virtual conference, too. They were introduced to professional and robust training giving them insight into the power of pregnancy help and a deeper understanding of its impact on the world at large. Their virtual conference registration fees proved to be a great investment when their internships came to an end and they were added to the full-time paid staff.

As you may know, the 2023 Heartbeat International Annual Conference currently has a sellout crowd for the in-person experience. And yet, the Virtual Conference is still available and is as valuable today as it was in 2020 when we couldn’t meet in person.

Now, I’m no longer an Executive Director, but if I were going to “bring” my full staff to the Virtual Conference again in 2023, here are some strategies I’d use:

1. Bring in extra manpower.
   In 2020, our organization was running at a lowered capacity due to the pandemic. Today, to allow our staff to engage fully in attending workshops and creating connections, we would bring in extra volunteers to cover the office operations and only set appointments for the virtual attendees outside the conference schedule.
2. Empower and encourage volunteers to attend.
   After converting two interns into conference-educated and equipped paid staff, I’m convinced that encouraging volunteers to participate has the potential to strengthen your organization significantly. Investing in a few special volunteers willing to commit to the training, will likely produce greater commitment and engagement from them at our center.  
3. Take full advantage of the training available.
   With enough paid (and volunteer) staff registered, we can make sure we attend all the workshops we don’t want to miss. Next, we can debrief and identify workshops that can be used to train current and future volunteers. Then, order those workshop recordings and use them for in-services and additions to our training curriculum. 

Most pregnancy help organizations can’t take everyone to conference in person, some of us must stay home and keep the centers open and running. Justifying the investments for travel, food, and lodging costs for staff members whose responsibilities and roles don’t clearly fit into particular workshop tracks can also be a challenge. There are still options! Providing training for your team with the virtual conference is a great way to re-inspire and re-ignite passion for the work they are doing. Affirming our teams in this way can transform our organizations.

Finally, when we participate in workshops presented by those within the movement, it affirms that God calls whomever He wants. Our experiences, backgrounds, and methods are not the same. Yet here we are, unified by our callings and commitment to the mission of pregnancy help, where we belong.

And that, perhaps more than anything, is the true value of participating in the Virtual Conference.

Find out more about the 2023 Heartbeat International Virtual Conference. 

ANNOUNCING BREAKTHROUGH FOR ALL INTERNATIONALS ENGAGED IN THE PREGNANCY HELP MOVEMENT

Heartbeat International’s Annual Conference, Breakthrough, is coming! Heartbeat International strives to assist individuals in other countries that seek to serve in pregnancy help ministry. Our annual conference provides the greatest opportunity for diverse training, broad networking, and inspirational encouragement to our international affiliates.

WHEN: April 25-28 (LIVE) and April 26-28 (VIRTUAL)

WHERE: IN-PERSON in Louisville, Kentucky and ONLINE, All Nations

BREAKTHROUGH IN-PERSON: $699.00

Note: the IN-DEPTH DAY trainings will be held April 25. Your In-Person Conference Experience registration includes 21 days access to workshops being presented in the virtual conference. Closer to the Conference, you will receive detailed instructions on how to access the virtual platform at the EMAIL ADDRESS you use to register. We encourage you to please check your spam/junk folder as well. Register here for attendance at the conference, live in Louisville, Kentucky. 

BREAKTHROUGH VIRTUAL: $199.00 per person from the convenience of your home or office!

Closer to conference date, we will send you a link for your individual use with the name and address you used to registered. This year we are offering for international affiliates only a virtual conference scholarship of one team member for every person registered and paid for. You will have to register the first person and pay for the first person and then register the second person.

SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE  

This year, by God’s grace, we are privileged and happy to offer scholarships for the Live Conference as well as for the Virtual Conference. Those seeking a scholarship for the Live Conference can find the application here.  No application is required for a scholarship to the Virtual Conference.

You can apply for a scholarship by clicking here.

Level of Scholarship: (1) for the LIVE conference, one person per organization may apply. Application does not guarantee acceptance. Heartbeat does not pay for any visa applications, transportation or accommodations. The registration scholarship covers the conference itself and all hotel meals associated with the conference. Scholarship application deadline for the live conference is January 30, 2023. (2) For the virtual conference, any currently affiliated organization may register one team member at $199.00 and may register a second team member for free.

Each scholarship is granted with the expectation that the recipient will use either the live or the virtual conference experience to strengthen their ministry or to lay the groundwork for a new ministry. Scholarship recipients are therefore expected to attend all keynote sessions and workshops. International scholarship applicants should be somewhat fluent in English. Heartbeat conferences are presented in English and translation is generally not available. For access to the scholarship application, please click here.

WHO SHOULD APPLY? 

We invite individuals such as the key leader/executive director, staff member, volunteer, counselor, and/or board member that is currently serving in an international pregnancy help organization to apply. Eligible pregnancy help organizations are life affirming non-governmental organizations (pregnancy resource center, medical help clinics, maternity housing, non-profit adoption agencies) that hold values consistent with Heartbeat International. We also invite individuals demonstrating a strong and verifiable desire to open a new pregnancy help effort in their country/region and learn more about pregnancy help ministry to apply. All scholarship applicants for either the live or virtual conference must be affiliated with Heartbeat International, either directly or through a joint affiliation partner.

Preference is given to (1) direct affiliates in good standing with Heartbeat International; (2) organizations affiliated with our international partners (Pregnancy Help Network, Pregnancy Care Canada, Pregnancy Help Australia, Centro de Ayuda para la Mujer Latinomericana, Association for Life of Africa, Movimento per la Vita, ProVida, Be’Ad Chaim, and Pregnancy Support Services Asia). If you are affiliated with one of the above referenced networks, please verify affiliation, good standing, and attendance at trainings with these organizations prior to submitting the application. Applicants that have not done and do not meet the criteria will be rejected.

For organizations not affiliated with Heartbeat or a joint affiliation partner, please verify that you’ve attended available local/regional training, especially those provided by our joint affiliation partners, to be considered.

Click here for frequently asked questions about applying for a scholarship.

Questions may be directed to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Have you ever had a client tell you someting concerning about the local abortion facility? 

Unfortunately, many women find themselves in unsafe or dangerous conditions at abortion facilities. Sometimes these clients end up in our offices angry, confused, or hurt by their experience. What do you do when you hear a serious allegation against a local abortion facility?

That's what this training is for. Working with Reprotection, you can learn what kind of client experiences are violations, how to report them, and what Reprotection can do once you do. 

Find out more about this class below!

Live classes take place the last week of each month!

Have you ever wondered what science says about human sexuality? It turns out, biology, chemistry, health sciences, and more support God's plan for our sexuality in humans.

Designed specifically for centers working with a high number of clients in the 18-24 age group, this course will walk through how to work with clients who have been indoctrinated through gender ideology to believe that it is natural for them to be promiscuous. Nothing could be further from the truth and this course is designed to equip your staff with the scientific-based knowledge that will allow them to teach these women the truth that for humans, sexual wellness equals sexual integrity.

Your registration for this class includes a complimentary electronic edition of Dr. Malone's book: Battles of the Sexes. Additionally, by the end of this training, you will earn enough CEU's to apply for or renew your Life Affirming Specialist Designation.

 To participate, you must meet the following requirements:

• Have reliable access to a computer with an internet connection and the ability to download and print documents for additional reading.
• Be able to devote three to four hours per week to the live course session and homework assignments.
• Be self-motivated and comfortable completing additional reading assignments, activities, and tests on your own.

Please note, this session includes a live weekly session Wednesday's at 4 PM EST. Additionally, participants of this training will be able to communicate with the instructors via e-mail.

Next Session: The next session begins October 17, 2022, with our first live session taking place October 19, 2022.

Prevention and Community Outreach for Pregnancy Help Centers

Prevention and community outreach can be key components of the overall work of pregnancy help centers. Reaching schools, churches, and community groups with educational programs that promote biblical truth and optimal health helps “make abortion unwanted today and unthinkable for future generations.”

Whether your center has a prevention outreach already in place or you are just considering starting a program, this class will equip participants in planning, implementing, and evaluating an effective prevention and community outreach program. Additionally, by the end of this training, you will earn enough CEU's to apply for or renew your Life Affirming Specialist Designation.

To participate, you must meet the following requirements:

• Have reliable access to a computer with an internet connection and the ability to download and print documents for additional reading.
• Be able to devote three to four hours per week to the live course session and homework assignments.
• Be self-motivated and comfortable completing additional reading assignments, activities, and tests on your own.

Please note, this session includes a live weekly session Wednesdays at 12 PM EST. Additionally, participants of this training will be able to communicate with the instructors via e-mail.

Next Session: The next session begins with our first  live session on June 21st! 

This five week apologetics class will give you the tools you need to answer and defend your pro-life position compellingly, compassionately, and with love.

Together as a class, each week we will walk through a chapter of Stephanie Gray's, Love Unleashes Life, review supplemental material, and participate in exercises and discussion applying the chapter specifically to our role in Pregnancy Help Organizations. You'll also have the opportunity to join Stephanie Gray for a live Q&A session on January 27th at 1 PM EST.

 If you're looking to build your confidence in discussing abortion or sharing your pro-life position, this class is for you.

Cost: $59.95 (or $49.95 for affiliates!) A copy of the book LOVE Unleashes Life is required for this course and will need to be purchased separately. You can find the book here.  

Next Session: The next session of LOVE Unleashes Life is January 10 - February 13

Our brand new course on development, Advancement Boot Camp, will give you an overview of the Ten Revenue Streams every Pregnancy Help Organization needs—and provide you with tips and ideas to launch or improve on each one.

Whether you are just getting started in Development, or looking for ways to reboot and revive your development plan, join Kirk Walden for this conversational video series to help your ministry soar in challenging times.

Watch the video above to get a sneak peek of what to expect in the course!

Course opens October 1st!

Next Training: July 24-28, 2023 | Columbus, OH

We recently sent a staff member to your ultrasound training for the first time as an organization and we were blown away by the class. The PA we sent said he learned so much through the hands on and really loved the chance to connect with others doing what we are doing, so thank you!

While there are various ultrasound trainings available for nurses and sonographers who work within the pregnancy help movement, Heartbeat International has championed a new form of training that connects the technical needs and the spiritual needs for those working in pregnancy help. The training is held in two parts: First, students complete an online ultrasound training* through Heartbeat International’s Academy which meets the Association of Women's Health Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) guidelines for didactic training, as well as completing 25 OB prerequisite scans** to prepare for the in-person training. Next, students come on-site to participate in an in-person scan lab experience with one-on-one instruction from educators that are also sonographers credentialed in RDMS (OB/GYN) and RNs that have multiple years' experience imaging in Pregnancy Help Clinics.

By combining the technical, the practical, and the spiritual elements into one pregnancy help medical training, trainees will work towards becoming equipped, qualified, and ready to scan within their center. (Looking for training for other Pregnancy Help staff? Click here!)

This Clinical will include:

• 50+ Scanning Drills
• Pregnant models of all gestations
• Unique Love Approach Method of imaging the preborn babies
• Competency scanning pathology typically encountered in Limited Obstetric Diagnostic Ultrasound
• First simulation training offered nationally in the Pregnancy Help movement
  • Transvaginal instruction on simulation models
  • Mastering of skills by scanning a simulated ectopic pregnancy
• Image Reviews
• Spiritually focused instructional approach
• Case Studies
• How to introduce a mom to her baby for the very first time
• Skills Evaluations for those completing training
• Supportive team to reinforce your calling

*Heartbeat International will offer 28 Continuing Education Contact Hours for nurses for the didactic portion of training and 10 Continuing Education Contact Hours for nurses for the clinical portion of training. Heartbeat International is an approved provider through the California Board of Nursing, Provider Number 16061.

The focus of the clinical event is on repetition and volume, along with spiritual encouragement and reinforcement of techniques and knowledge gained from the didactic training. The ideal participant is someone who is self-motivated, confident and is in need of a high volume of scans for training. This event is fast-paced and filled with drills, techniques and one-on-one instruction from educators that are also sonographers credentialed in RDMS (OB/GYN) and RNs that have multiple years' experience imaging in Pregnancy Help Clinics. Each participant receives a skill evaluation by our instructors, however, Heartbeat International does not certify nor credential any medical professional. Final determination of when a nurse can scan in a clinic is made by individual Medical Directors.

Pricing

The LOVE Approach Ultrasound Clinical includes 28 hours of didactic training (28 CEUs) and 20 hours of clinical training (10 CEUs). 

*Completion of Heartbeat's Online Ultrasound Didactic Training is a prerequisite to the LOVE Approach Ultrasound Clinical and is included in the cost of the training.

**Nurses attending the LOVE Approach Ultrasound Clinical have found many ways to obtain the prerequisite of 25 OB scans. Here are a few ways to fulfill this requirement.

• Scan with another clinic. Here is a locator to find nearby pregnancy help organizations. 
• Offer a scanning day to scan clients who have been scanned previously with a sonographer or a trained nurse. 
• Scan some women who are not pregnant (such as coworkers or friends) to image female anatomy and to become acquainted with the function of an ultrasound system.
• Contact a local OB office for possible assistance with training scans. 

Our completely updated training will be available in early March for medical professionals offering Limited Obstetric Diagnostic Ultrasound in Pregnancy Help Clinics. We are thrilled to offer ten new modules on topics such as ultrasound physics, first trimester scanning, legal and ethical questions, knobology, and more.

We invite imagers around the world that perform limited obstetric diagnostic ultrasounds to our updated Online Ultrasound Training. The purpose of scanning in the Pregnancy Help Clinics is to shed His Light on the reality of life by showing a mom the first image of her baby. Designed with the medical professional in Pregnancy Help Clinics in mind, this training is rooted in the LOVE Approach for all who serve and all who are served in Pregnancy Help Clinics.

Available to you:

• Preparation for the imager for the front lines  
• Image review by sonographer trainers for one full year
• Community calls with sonographer trainers and other students
• Handouts for all training modules
• Self-paced training for the busy nurse
• Video training and demonstration
• Clinical component completed in your own center
• Access to the didactic training for six full months
• Nursing and ARDMS CEUs
  (SDMS does not require continuing education credits)

Training topics includes:

• Legal and Ethical issues of Limited Obstetric Diagnostic Ultrasound
• Nursing Professional Practice Guidelines
• Patient Assessment and Education
• Ultrasound Instrumentation & Imaging Techniques
• Typical and Atypical Findings
• Doppler and the Fetal Heart
• Policies, Procedures, and Protocol
• Ultrasound and the Abortion Pill Reversal Client
• Obstetrics and Prenatal Health
• Ergodynamics
• The Physics of Ultrasound
• Fetal biometry in Limited Obstetric Ultrasound
• And more!

Who are the instructors of this course?

You will not walk the journey alone but rather will be guided by those of us who have walked the journey before you. Each member of the Medical Impact team has been a part of creating this training and providing support for you as you learn.  

Gathered from around the world, we are dedicated to assisting and encouraging while you learn not only the technique of performing a Limited Obstetric Ultrasound Diagnostic Exam but also as you forge through the spiritual warfare that will accompany it.  

Our team is composed of sonographers that are multicredentialed to include RDMS(OB/GYN) and recognized nationally for their accomplishments and Registered Nurses that have performed ultrasounds in Pregnancy Help Clinics throughout the nation. You will also hear from Heartbeat International General Counsel, HBI President Jor-El Godsey, Vice-President of Ministry Services Betty McDowell, and Vice-President of Development Cindi Boston-Bilotta and others from the HBI team. Each member of this team brings with them experiences that will enhance your learning experience. 

Who is this course designed for?

This course was created for medical professionals who are called to perform ultrasound in Pregnancy Help Clinics. It is not essential for you to obtain the RDMS credential to effectively perform Limited Obstetric Diagnostic Ultrasound.  It is essential that you become competent.  This course is designed with you in mind.  We fully believe that God equips who He calls!  

What is the pace of the course?

This training is self-paced and can fit in any schedule. Participants complete modules when convenient to their them. There are no required log-in times but we would expect the course to completed within six months from start date. Recognizing that each person will progress at his or her own time frame, the clinical section of this course can be completed while one is completing the didactic portion of the program or may be completed following the completion of the program.

What topics are included?

Module I The Power of Seeing
This module explores a basic overview of the history of Ultrasound and its unique utilization in Pregnancy Care Centers.

Module II: Limited Obstetrical Ultrasound for the Registered Nurse
These presentations provide guidance on patient assessment & education, documentation, and nursing professional practical guidelines for those that scan in Pregnancy Help Clinics. 

Module III: The Physics of Ultrasound
These presentations will help you become more familiar with you machine along with teaching basic physics principles that will enhance your scanning effectiveness. 

Module IV: Pelvic and Obstetrical Anatomy
This module will briefly review basic embryology along with the female reproductive system and basic first trimeter obstetrical anatomy in order to prepare the participant for First Trimester Obstetrical Ultrasound.  

Module V: Obstetrical Ultrasound
These presentations focus on the basics of scanning in the first trimester starting from basic transducer manipulation to basic measurements along with presentation techniques. 

Module VI: Normal Variants and Atypical Findings
These presentations focus on scanning beyond the typical first trimester scan concentrating on the second and third trimester basic measurements, presentation techniques, commonly encountered first trimester abnormalities and scanning multiple gestations. 

Module VII: Abortion Pill Reversal and Ultrasound
These presentations will help you to care for the abortion pill reversal client in your clinic.

Module VIII: Legal and Ethical Issues
This module concentrates on quality analysis of exams along with legal and ethical issues.

Module IX: Self-Care and the Imager
This presentation explores the personal role of the imager and the care that is involved in those who serve on the front lines.

Module X: Clinical Competencies
The clinical component of your training includes two elements, an experience log and competency evaluation. Clinical portion of training is completed in your clinic under the supervision of a qualified RDMS OB/GYN Sonographer, qualified RN who has completed ultrasound training, or a Physician of your choice.

What is included in these modules?

Each module of this course consists of presentations, discussion questions, and assignments. This course is designed to be completed in its entirety with each section developed to specifically prepare students for the task ahead. After each section, a small quiz assesses understanding of the topic. Questions are encouraged in the discussion forum or in email to our ultrasound instructors.

What is the cost?

Cost is $495 for non-affiliates/$395 with HBI affiliate discount.

Assistance is available to centers who qualify through the Option Ultrasound Program (OUP) which provides grants to qualifying pregnancy medical clinics for 80% of the cost of an ultrasound machine or sonography training for medical personnel.

We are excited for those that will join us on this endeavor to image life. We can assure you, this will be a life changing experiencing for you and those for who you scan!  

For more information:

Contact our Medical Impact Team at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
We are thankful to all that heed the call of obedience and using your medical background for the unborn child. 

Provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider Number CEP 16061 for eight contact hours.