AIRS Trainer Self-Referral Service

Name: Sharon Doner

Organization Name: Jewish Information and Referral Service

Title: Director

Address: 6101 Montrose Road, Rockville, Maryland, 0852

Phone: 301-230-7288

Email:

Current responsibilities/activities:

Overall management of a Jewish comprehensive information and referral service that services a Jewish community of 280,000 and a general population of over 5 million people who live in the Greater Metropolitan Washington DC area.

Number of years in current situation: 20

Previous employment/experience (Provide organizational name, final position title and years in situation for last three professional situations):

  • Director, Jewish Information and Referral Service of Greater Washington

I&R experience not included in previous information:

  • Director, 2 Family Support Centers
Bolling Air Force Base, Washington DC
RAF Alconbury, England

Professional certifications and memberships (include any offices held):

  • Certified I&R Specialist (CIRS)
  • AIRS - Chairwoman of the Friends of AIRS
  • AIRS - Board Member 1999-2007
  • Maryland Airs - Current Board Member and Treasurer, Past President

Educational achievements:

  • BSW, Arizona State University
  • MSW, School of Social Work, University of Maryland
  • MA in Jewish Studies, Baltimore Hebrew University
  • Certificate Jewish Communal Service, Darrell Friedman Institute
  • Attended many trainings including 15 National AIRS Conferences

Total years of training experience: 15

Topics you feel qualified to train:

  • ABCs of I&R
  • Certification Preparation, CIRS, CIRS-A, CRS
  • Handling Difficult Callers
  • Database Management
  • Stress Management
  • Time Management
  • Listening Skills and Effective Communication
  • Staff Recognition, Appreciation and Team Building
  • Organizing
  • Personal Skills Training
  • Specializes in Tailored Trainings for I&R organizations

Previous trainings provided to I&R organizations (AIRS or affiliate conference workshops may be included):

Provided trainings for the following affiliates and organizations: over 15 years from Basic I&R Intensive to Taking Charge of Your life – many topics covered
Trainings (A sample of workshops that have been presented)
  • Testing Taking Strategies
  • The Art of I&A
  • The Small but Mighty I&R- Challenges of a Small Agency
  • Helping or Hindering
  • Be and I&R Sleuth
  • Customer Service – Be Your Best
  • Life Quest
  • Taking Charge of Your Life
Clients
  • National AIRS Conference 15 years( 5 years presenting Intensive ABC’s of I&R)
  • Maryland AIRS
  • Virginia AIRS
  • Utah AIRS
  • NY AIRS
  • West Virginia AIRS
  • Wisconsin AIRS
  • Delaware I&R
  • WesternReserve Area Agency on Aging, Cleveland
  • Georgia V Area Agency on Aging
  • Rhode Island Department of Elderly Affairs
  • Baltimore Baptist
  • Baltimore Jewish Information and Referral Service
  • UJA Federation New York Information Service
  • Rockland County New York Department of Social Services
  • Kansas City Certification Training
  • Montgomery County Crisis Line and Health and Human Services
  • Alabama Conference on Aging
  • North American Network of Jewish Information Services Conferences

Trainings provided on-line or by webinars:

  • AIRS (Basic I&R)
  • National Easter Seal - Chewing Your Cud: Asking the BestQuestions
  • National Easter Seal - Brainstorming and Networking: Tricks of the I & R Trade

Provide two samples of learning objectives used in delivery of previous training:

Workshop: Brainstorming: to examine and sharpen brainstorming skills to maximize efforts to find answers to callers’ inquiries and life’s problems
Learning Objectives:
Understand how brainstorming works
Define the problem and the ramifications of the problem
Turning on the creative juices - how to keep an open mind
Utilizing other resources
Evaluating your generated ideas
Workshop: The Small but Might I&R - workshop will present ideas tailored for a small I&R agency to ensure fulfillment of best practices for the I&R field.
Leaning Objectives:
Defining roles of staff and relationship to mission.
Examine difficulties inherent in Solo Operations - The Challenges
Setting priorities
 Identify the balance between professional and personal relationships in a close environment
Responsibilities to Parent Organization
When do you say No!
Develop Strategies to Address Needs - The Plan and the Contingency Plan
Taking Advantage of Low Cost Resources
.

Geographic areas willing to travel to:

Everywhere if travel expenses are reimbursed

Have you previously secured CEU requirements for training provided. If so, provide examples:

All my trainings at 15 AIRS Conferences have received CEUs.

Fees (These may be very dependent on exploring client needs, size of training groups and travel costs but any basic information might be helpful to potential training purchasers):

$800 per day plus expenses

List three references (include name, organization, phone and email) of individuals who can respond to inquiries concerning training that you have previously delivered:

Charlene Hipes
Chief Operating Officer
Alliance of Information & Referral Systems
PO Box 33095, Portland, OR 97292
(503) 257-3537
Fax: (503) 251-8383

Ellen Greenberg, Vice President
Maryland AIRS
Director of Information Services
Jewish Council for the Aging
11820 Parklawn Drive, Suite 200
Rockville, MD 20852
Phone: 301-255-4215
Fax: 301-231-9360

Maurine Strickland, MA, CIRS-A
2006 Wisconsin AIRS Conference Chair
Information & Assistance Program Specialist
Bureau of Aging & Disability Resources
1. West Wilson Street, Rm. 450
P.O. Box 7851
Madison, WI 53707-7851
(608) 266-4448

All information provided above is correct and I understand that AIRS will be in contact with I&R organizations that receive training. I also understand that AIRS always reserves the right to withdraw a listing for whatever reason and without explanation.

Sharon M. Doner, MSW, MA, CIRSMarch 12, 2008