Training Announcement

TRAINING ANNOUNCEMENT

The Central Texas Council of Governments (CTCOG) is sponsoring several handwriting analysis training classes that will be very beneficial to law enforcement, juvenile and adult probation, school personnel, counselors, social workers, mental health professionals, medical personnel, business managers, real estate agents, and others. All classes include hands-on exercises using real case studies. Please see the list of courses shown below. All classes will be held at the CTCOG offices located at 2180 North Main Street in Belton (map available on website or on request). These classes are supported by TCLEOSE (law enforcement) and TJPC (juvenile probation) who award credit hours for this training. CTCOG is a contract provider for TCLEOSE training.

To register online, please go to www.ctcog.org under Criminal Justice Training and follow instructions. If you have questions or need additional information, please contact Beth Stokes at (254) 770-2378, or Shirley Herring at (254) 770-2365, .

Mar. 17 What’s Going on Upstairs?

Registration: $45 per person

Learn how to easily recognize psychological disorders in handwriting such as ADHD, bipolar, PTSD, obsessive-compulsive, passive-aggressive, schizophrenia, multiple or dissociative identity disorder and more. Learn how to identify drug use in handwriting (those dealing with mental health issues frequently turn to drugs or alcohol as a way of self-medicating), build a personality snapshot of the writer and how to identify specific symptoms within handwriting and match them to a diagnosis. Students are advised to bring a magnifying glass to class with them. Class times are 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

Mar. 25 Introduction to Physiognomy (Face Reading)

No registration fee

This 3½ hour class from 8:30-12:00 will be a brief introduction to an ancient tool used by such leaders as Aristotle and Abraham Lincoln to analyze a person’s character/ personality by “reading” their outer appearance, especially the face. Bring a mirror and read your own face. This is a beneficial skill to have when interviewing and/or interrogating.

Apr. 15 Expressions of Violence

Registration: $45 per person

Learn how to stack personality traits and reveal a person’s potential for violence through handwriting. Learn to recognize the level of violence a person is capable of by identifying the violent “red flags” in writing. Learn his/her preferred type of aggression and the differences between mental vs. physical aggression toward self or others. Also learn how the offender names their victim before the act is even committed. During 2009 in Texas, there were 85,193 juvenile males and 43,461 juvenile females arrested for part one crimes; 112 males and 180 females between the ages of 15-19 were murdered; approximately 23,000 youth between 15-19 were victims of family violence and approximately 21,000 youth between 15-19 were family violence offenders. Students are advised to bring a magnifying glass to class with them. Class times are 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

May 4 Introduction to Forensic Handwriting Analysis

No registration fee

This FREE 8-hour class will introduce the two types of handwriting analysis as well as laws and ethics of the profession. Learn the “7 Universals” and how to build a snapshot of the writer using the Gestalt version of analysis including zones, baselines, slant, size, pressure, margins and more. Learn how to recognize common physical and psychological health issues, warning indicators of violence, drug use, lies, and more. The art of analyzing handwriting is a very helpful tool in working with offenders, victims, suspicious persons, business partners, employees, tenants, prospective mates and more. The Basic Certification/Non-Certification courses scheduled for August will go into more depth and although there is no pre-requisite, this introductory class will be beneficial to those wishing to take the August classes. Class times are 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

May 19 Uncover the Truth-Detecting Lies in Written Statements

Registration: $45 per person

Learn how to reveal deception when looking for written lies and how to use the “quick and fast” method of finding the real story behind the deceptive indicators within writing. Learn to decipher which writers are guilty, which are innocent, and which may know something. By identifying written indicators of anxiety, they can be stacked with other clues revealed in handwriting. Students are advised to bring a magnifying glass to class with them. Class times are 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

May 20 Progression of Suicide

Registration: $45 per person

Learn to identify the differences between attention-seeking and real suicidal threats and how to recognize the progression from thoughts to attempts over days, minutes, months and years. This class also covers how to build a psychological profile of the writer to find out what they were upset about and who they were angry at. Students are advised to bring a magnifying glass to class with them. Class times are 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

Aug. 16-17 Basic Forensic Handwriting Analysis (Non-Certification)

Registration: $100 per person

This 12-hour/1½ day class is designed for those who want the training but aren’t interested in becoming a certified Handwriting Analyst; for those who are, they must attend this and the following additional 12 hours. This class is being offered at a drastically reduced cost specifically for CTCOG. Obtain in-depth forensic handwriting analysis information; no previous handwriting analysis training needed. Topics include “How it Works,” research, Gestalt analysis method, relationships with both genders, deception, drug detection, depression, suicide, aggression, beginning physical health, and more. Students are advised to bring a magnifying glass to class with them. Class times are 1st day: 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, 2nd day: 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM.

Aug. 16-18 Basic Forensic Handwriting Analysis Certification

Registration: $250 per person

This 24-hour class will enable students to become a Certified Basic Forensic Handwriting Analyst and receive a free 6-month apprenticeship program with Treyce Montoya. This Basic Certification course is a pre-requisite to the Advanced Certification course tentatively scheduled for October 4-5 (this date is subject to change). This class is being offered at a reduced cost specifically for CTCOG. Certification topics include all of the items in the non-certification class listed above plus building psychological and personality profiles, analyzing stand-alone traits, ethics, trait stroke analysis methods, communication and emotional styles, sexual abuse victims and perpetrators, self-identity, advanced physical health, danger traits, resentment, and more. This class is “hands-on intensive” via real life applications. Students are advised to bring a magnifying glass to class with them. Class times are 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM each day.

CTCOG also has the following training classes scheduled mostly for law enforcement officers. For additional information and to register, please go to: www.ctcog.org under Criminal Justice Training. Please contact Shirley Herring at (254) 770-2365; or Beth Stokes at (254) 770-2378; if you have questions. All classes are held at CTCOG offices located at 2180 North Main Street in Belton unless otherwise noted.

Mar. 28 State and Federal Law Update

Two 4-hour classes AM: 8:00-12:00 and PM: 1:00-5:00

Apr. 7 Intermediate Arrest, Search and Seizure

May 3 Advanced Human Trafficking

Two 4-hour classes AM: 8:00-12:00 and PM: 1:00-5:00

May 5 Intermediate Use of Force

June 1-3 Intermediate Child Abuse Prevention and Investigation

June 10 State and Federal Law Update (1:00-5:00 only) – Rockdale

June 13-17 Basic TCLEOSE Instructor Course

July 5-8 Intermediate Crime Scene Investigations – Killeen

Aug. 12 State and Federal Law Update (1:00-5:00 only) – Lampasas