Policies & Procedures

Core Learning, Inc.  

Policies & Procedures - General Operations

Target Audiences

Workshops hosted by Core Learning, Inc. are open to anyone interested in the topic. Content is intended for Social Workers, Addiction Professionals, Psychologists and other Mental Health Professionals.

Registration

Those interested in attending a workshop may register up to 1 hour prior to the scheduled start of the training. If a training is posted on our website, registration is still open. If a training session is no longer posted on our website, it is either full or has been canceled or postponed. E-mail or call for more details if a workshop is no longer posted on our website. Currently, all of our programs are taking place online via Zoom unless otherwise noted. When you register for a workshop, all communications, materials and documents will be sent via e-mail to the e-mail address used during registration. It is not uncommon for confirmation e-mails, zoom link e-mails, handouts e-mails or random e-mail correspondence to go to the “junk/spam” folder OR get blocked entirely due to internet/security software and filters. If messages are not received in a timely manner via inbox or junk/spam folders, please reach out anytime. 

To register through our website, visit www.corelearninginc.com and click on the "Workshops & Register" tab on the home page to view individual workshops. Participants may use the online system to register using a credit card OR call in registration/payment OR mail in registration/payment to Core Learning at 2211 S. Telegraph Rd., Ste 7933, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48302. 

Attendees should provide the phone number AND e-mail address at which they would be the most accessible for urgent or emergency communications. As much as Core Learning works to avoid late or last-minute cancelations or changes, they do happen at times and participants need to be notified.

ADA Accommodations

Please contact Core Learning, Inc. for more information or assistance with ADA accommodations at 248-933-2673 or sappel@corelearninginc.com 

Payments

Core Learning, Inc. accepts all major credit and debit cards, personal/cashier checks and money orders for virtually held programs. In the instance of in-classroom programming, cash is also accepted. Attendees may use the online registration process via website, call in payment or mail in payment.  Core Learning, Inc. can also store credit card information on file to charge following program attendance as an alternative option.  Participants may choose which option works best for them for each program and may change their option at any time.

Participants may not receive an attendance certificate until payment has been received by Core Learning. Attendees may not be able to register for future workshops if outstanding registration balances have not been paid.

Credit on File

If a participant has a credit on file, contact Core Learning, Inc. directly by phone at 248-933-2673 or via e-mail at sappel@corelearninginc.com to transfer that credit toward a current or future training. In this circumstance, DO NOT use the online system to register as it will ask for full payment to register for a program. Simply contact Stephanie directly to manage the credit transfer. If possible, please note details of the missed training(s) to more easily locate credit on file. Please refer to the cancelation/refund policy to help determine if you may have a credit on file.

Attendance

For an in-person event (including live synchronous interactive webinars), in order to receive a Certificate of Course Attendance, attendees must be present for the entire course or conference session and complete an evaluation. The Certificate will be distributed after a completed program and will verify the attainment of continuing education hours for this program. Every continuing education program will be monitored, and participants not fulfilling these requirements may not receive a certificate. Partial credit may not be allowed. Breaks will be factored into the schedule that will allow time for participants to step away from the program. If a participant needs to be absent from the program for more than the break time, please let Stephanie know via chat or e-mail. Being absent for more than the allotted break time may result in forfeiture of credit for the entire course – at the discretion of Core Learning, Inc.

Due to safety concerns and Distracted Driving laws, attendees are not permitted to drive/operate a vehicle while attending a Core Learning, Inc. workshop. A participant may attend a training if inside a vehicle, just not while driving/operating that vehicle. If it comes to the attention of Core Learning representatives that a participant is driving/operating a vehicle while attending, the participant may be removed from the training at the discretion of Core Learning with both parties reviewing options following removal. Please review the Michigan Distracted Driving law (link below) to learn more regarding this policy: https://www.michigan.gov/msp/divisions/ohsp/safety-programs/distracted-driving  

Joining Your Event Via Zoom

Once logged into the event through the e-mailed Zoom link from Stephanie (e-mail address: sappel@corelearninginc.com), participants’ microphones will be muted. We do this to reduce background noise that may disrupt the sound of the program. We absolutely encourage you to “un-mute” yourself to ask questions or engage in discussion. In between questions, comments and discussion, however, please mute your microphone to reduce distracting background noise. If you need to move around within camera shot, or if your camera is unstable, we ask that you turn your camera feed off/stop sharing video during that time in order to minimize/prevent visual distractions.

Earning CE Hours through Live Synchronous Interactive Workshops via Zoom 

Zoom Identity

Most Zoom account settings reflect participant names, but for attendance purposes, it is important for those whose video boxes do not initially reflect their correct name to reach out via chat or by “unmuting” to notify Core Learning, Inc. about name corrections. At times, a participant’s video box will not reflect the name used upon registration, e.g., the name of a device brand/model, workplace, family member, colleague or participant nickname. This is easily changeable once we are in communication with an attendee to verify identity. 

Device Identification

Please make sure that your device lists the name matching the name used upon your registration. If your device does not match the name of the registered participant, you may not receive any CE credit. Core Learning needs to be able identify attendees. Participants will need to have their device name recognizable OR allow the host to change their name to be recognizable.

Attendance Monitoring

At times, there can be challenges to logging on to workshops. To minimize or avoid this, at least 30 minutes prior to the start of a workshop, participants should confirm their receipt of the zoom link e-mail (via inbox or junk/spam folder). To test your Zoom connection, try joining a test meeting by clicking on: Zoom Test – this allows you to verify audio and video are working and gives you time to address any issues. Consistent and/or excessively late log-on times to programs may result in forfeiture of credit. If this does occur, please contact Core Learning to discuss options. 

Because Core Learning does not require that participants are visible in their camera feed throughout the duration of a program, there will be other opportunities to verify attendance and attunement. This includes 2-way communication and responses to chat messages, program participation in polls, small and large group discussions and prompt entry into breakout sessions. Other implemented methods, such as Zoom’s “bells and whistles”, alert hosts and co-hosts when participants join the waiting room or leave the program. These auditory cues inform our attendance monitoring. 

Several Presenters also incorporate polls or breakout smaller group activities into programs. For breakout sessions, all participants are prompted to “click to join in” with their assigned breakout room. If an attendee is not able to participate due to technology glitches, comfort level or other understandable reason, they will still need to communicate with the host or co-host via chat (at least) to let them know that they are attuned to the program. That will let hosts and co-hosts know that although they are not able to participate in the breakout group, they are still connected to the training. During breakout group/room sessions, please do your best to participate, share & engage to the best of your ability and comfort level.

Following each training, a Zoom Attendance Report is also generated, showing log-on and log-off times for each participant. If hosts and co-hosts are noticing that participants are logged off for extended times and/or are not joining breakout rooms, the Zoom Attendance Report will verify the amount of content time missed and this may impact if full CE credit award or forfeiture is warranted. In other words, although Core Learning, Inc. does not require participants to be visible on camera for the duration of a workshop, it is still expected that participants remain logged on and attuned for the duration. 

Please do not attest to attending the entire training on the course evaluation if you were logged off/tuned away for more than the allotted program breaks. Attendance is monitored and cross-referenced with the Zoom log.

Program Conclusion

At the scheduled end of the program, an evaluation will be e-mailed to attendees. When you complete the evaluation, a Certificate of Attendance will be e-mailed to you. The deadline for completion is seven business days. Beyond that, attendees risk forfeiting CE hours. Attendance Certificates are not auto-generated, so please keep in mind that it will take time to e-mail them. We have up to 30 days to issue certificates but aim for less than a week to e-mail certificates.  

Communication

For communications with Core Learning in general, e-mail is the most reliable and quickest contact option. Phone call/voice messages will be returned as soon as possible. Core Learning, Inc. is not able to receive and send text messages at this time. 

Scheduling

Core Learning typically anticipates scheduling a seasonal lineup in 3-4 month phases…Mid-Winter through Mid-Spring, Mid-Spring through early Fall and early Fall through Mid-Winter. In addition to website postings (“workshops & register” page at www.corelearninginc.com) and weekly e-blasts, printed brochures will sent via US mail featuring most new seasons’ schedules to mailing addresses on file. If you would like to receive printed brochures 2-3 times per year, please let us know your preferred mailing address to add to our distribution list.

Core Learning, Inc. sends weekly e-blasts with program, administrative and sometimes non-CE related updates. If a participant would like to be added or re-added (if previously unsubscribed) to the distribution list, please contact Core Learning if this is not yet taking place. If a participant would like to unsubscribe from the e-blasts, they may choose do to so at anytime by clicking “unsubscribe”. 

Cancelations/Postponements Initiated by Core Learning, Inc.

Due to low registration, presenter illness/emergency, technology challenges, and so on, a training may be postponed or canceled. In any circumstance requiring postponement or cancelation, we do our best to provide as much advanced notice as possible. In such instances, pre-registered participants will be notified as soon as possible directly by Core Learning, Inc. and may opt to hold or transfer registration credit on file or receive a full refund. 

Cancelations/Transfers Initiated by Participants

For all participant-initiated cancelations, attendee or official representative must contact Core Learning directly via e-mail or phone. There is no system on the website to log-in to an account to self-manage this. 

If an attendee notifies Core Learning of a cancelation at least 1 week prior to a scheduled program, they may receive a credit hold, credit transfer (to be used within up to 1 year) or receive a full refund.

If an attendee notifies Core Learning of a cancelation within 1 week prior to a scheduled program, they may receive a credit hold or transfer to be used within up to 1 year. Participants will not be eligible for a cancelation refund unless due to emergency circumstances, to be determined on a case-by-case basis.

The participant, or person who registered the participant, is responsible for notifying Core Learning, Inc. about a cancelation. This notice should come prior to a program when possible. If prior cancelation notification is not possible, due to emergency/urgent circumstances, the participant or registrant should notify Core Learning, Inc. within 1 week following a training in order to utilize the credit for a different/future training. If there is an emergent or urgent situation and the participant is not able to notify Core Learning, Inc. within 1 week of the scheduled training, the participant, or person who registered the participant should contact Core Learning, Inc. as soon as possible under the emergent or urgent circumstances and requests will be addressed on a case-by-case basis. For a “no-call, no-show, non-emergent/non-urgent” situation, the participant/registrant forfeits the pre-paid registration funds and will not be able to receive a refund or future credit holds or transfers for those funds. 

Zoom

We will continue to offer our trainings virtually (Live Synchronous Interactive Webinar) for the foreseeable future. At times, we may need to postpone or cancel a workshop for a variety of reasons. Unless you are notified directly by Stephanie/a Core Learning representative, all programs will remain open for registration. This type of program structure is referred to as "live synchronous interactive" and LARA has verified that it qualifies for in-person CE Hours. Registered participants will be sent links for Zoom and given further information closer to the program date - typically within the reminder e-mail. 

General FYI: Recording of trainings is not permitted at this time. Headphones or speakers may help to enhance the sound if you have them available. There may be times your internet connection is less stable which will cause disruptions. Try to be in the strongest wi-fi/internet connection spot that you are able to be. On the device you will use for Zoom, make sure to have audio & video enabled in your settings in case you want to unmute to ask a question or join discussion and/or show video of yourself. 

USING THIS SYSTEM, ALL PARTICIPANTS MUST PRE-REGISTER FOR UPCOMING WORKSHOPS. It takes time to make sure participants are properly set up on Zoom and registered for a specific training. PARTICIPANTS WHO DO NOT PRE-REGISTER FOR A WORKSHOP WILL NOT RECEIVE A LINK TO JOIN THAT PROGRAM. After registering with Core Learning for a training, you will be sent reminder details and links closer to the program and NOT at the time of registration.

Please take some time to look at zoom.com to learn more about this service and if you feel comfortable, to sign up for free. It may not be necessary to have a zoom account in order to participate in our trainings, but it is a helpful backup in case links are not received or do not work and a meeting ID and password/passcode are needed for log-in instead. 

When registering for a workshop, please use the full name of the person planning to attend as Core Learning monitors attendance for CE compliance and ultimately attendance certificate distribution. 

In summary: Install Zoom on the device you'd like to use to participate (reach out to Core Learning if you need step by step instructions for how to download or practice using Zoom). Set up your Zoom account (free/basic is just fine). Register through Core Learning to participate in a specific training. Core Learning will e-mail you a link and meeting ID/meeting password prior to the training within the reminder e-mail. This e-mail for the registered program will contain a link to "click-on" at the beginning of your training to join in! Each workshop session has a unique zoom link sent a few days in advance.

Evaluation

Evaluations will be sent in a separate e-mail message at the scheduled end of each training to the e-mail address provided during registration. Please check your e-mail to confirm receipt from us and let us know as soon as possible if it does not arrive. You may also need to check your junk/spam folder. If necessary, we might ask you for a different e-mail address if the original is problematic. 

Completing Your Survey

The deadline for completion is seven business days. Beyond that, you risk forfeiting your CE hours. 

Upon opening your e-mailed survey, click on a “star” to answer the first question – this should open up the full survey. You will be able to type right on the survey. 

The general questions and course specific objectives are for you, as the participant, to rate and comment on. You have up to one week following the training to complete the evaluation, so please take your time if you need it. Answer each question on the evaluation, even if it is “N/A”. We need complete feedback on file for each participant in case of audit. 

Do not attest to attending the entire training if you were logged off/tuned away from the program for more than the allotted program breaks. Attendance is monitored and cross-referenced with a Zoom log.

Certificates are not auto generated. We have up to 30 days to issue attendance certificates following completion of all program requirements. We aim for much sooner, but it is not uncommon or an indication that something is wrong for it to take up to a week or so after you complete the evaluation to e-mail out attendance certificates depending on attendance size and volume of trainings, etc. If you have a preference for how your name looks on the certificate, e.g. with titles, please let me know; otherwise, I will use the name in our records and/or used during the registration process.

For updated policies and procedures, please click the following link or copy and paste it into your browser: https://corelearninginc.com/policies-%26-procedures  

If Survey Monkey asks you to do anything else after you complete and submit your evaluation, you can ignore that wording. It would be coming from Survey Monkey, not Core Learning, so it does not have any bearing on your course requirements. 

Again, please let me know if you have any questions or if you do not receive an evaluation and have checked your junk/spam mail folder. The e-mail will be sent to the one provided during registration. A fresh link can be sent if you did not receive the original evaluation e-mail. Thank you again, and we look forward to your responses!

Attendance Certificates

Participants have up to one week following the end of a workshop to fully complete and submit the evaluation for to the workshop they attended. Partial evaluations may not be accepted and may require re-completion and re-submission. 

· Core Learning, Inc. (CL) has up to 30 days to issue certificates of completion. CL will attempt to provide attendance certificates as soon as possible following a program – typically within a week.

· Certificates are not auto-generated. Certificates will be sent via e-mail as a pdf. Core Learning is not able to print off and send certificates via US mail. All communications are sent via e-mail.

· E-mailed certificates sometimes do get blocked or sent to junk/spam folder. Please reach out if you are concerned about your certificate not getting through and Core Learning will re-e-mail.

· Unless otherwise notified, Core Learning will use the full name provided upon registration for the attendance certificate.

 · Attendance certificates may not be issued if participants fail to complete or forfeit completion of the evaluation in a timely manner.  Core Learning, Inc. may or may not reach out to participants with missing or incomplete evaluations. 

Junk E-Mails/Blocked E-Mails

Core Learning e-mails may get blocked or go to the junk/spam folder. If you are having trouble receiving e-mails from Core Learning, please check your junk/spam folder. 

Please notify Core Learning regarding e-mails that are blocked entirely so that e-mails can be re-sent. Some security filters may not recognize an e-mail address or website vendor that is utilized by Core Learning. If a participant has IT assistance, please consult with IT regarding options to allow Core Learning e-mails to get through. Of course, reach out if additional information is needed for IT.

Grievances

Differing from an informal expression of dissatisfaction, a grievance is a more official, formal complaint submitted by a participant or group of attendees regarding a workshop, Presenter or Core Learning, Inc. 

A complaint is typically informal and “verbal”, while a grievance is a more formal and official version of a complaint. A complaint is a spoken or written expression of dissatisfaction that is typically brought to the attention via e-mail or evaluation. Complaints are more minor in nature and can be resolved easily. A grievance is a formal expression of a complaint that is usually presented in addition to a verbal complaint or dissatisfaction noted on an evaluation. Grievances are generally seen as more serious than complaints and are often used when other attempts at resolution have been unsuccessful.

Grievances must be submitted in writing to Core Learning, Inc. through the following methods: 

E-mail: sappel@corelearninginc.com

Mail: 2211 S. Telegraph Rd., Ste 7933, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48302

Core Learning, Inc. has another licensed social worker or advisory committee/ CE committee of two or more behavioral health or healthcare professionals that will consult with the CE director, when needed, to mediate complaints by social workers that escalate to formal grievances. 

Core Learning, Inc. will acknowledge and respond to written grievances that are clearly and specifically marked as such within 1 week of receipt. Core Learning, Inc. will attempt to address and resolve issues mentioned in written grievances within 2 weeks of receipt. Core Learning, Inc. will maintain records of the grievance and the response to resolve the issue(s) indefinitely within the program and grievance file. If a participant is dissatisfied with a training with a substantiated grievance, the issue may be resolved by transferring the payment made to future repeat of the same training or a similar or shorter program. If a participant is dissatisfied with a training to the point of resulting in a refund, there will be no continuing education hours awarded to that participant. Participants cannot receive both a refund AND receive CE hours. 

For any additional questions or feedback, please feel free to contact Core Learning, Inc. at sappel@corelearninginc.comor 248-933-2673