The Survivor Moms’ Companion^® (SMC) meets the needs of perinatal workers seeking to provide childbearing people with the highest standards of trauma-informed care, as specified by the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). This groundbreaking program is offered only through an end-user license from Growing Forward Together.

Because the SMC is an educational program, we refer to the individual one-to-one service providers as "tutors." SMC tutors work with survivor moms who are learning about how past trauma can affect pregnancy and parenting. Trauma heals in relationships, so the tutoring role is central. Tutors work by telephone, video-conference, or in person to deliver the three core parts of psychoeducation: new information, skills practice, and emotional support.

Tutors are trained to deliver SMC with fidelity, reflective supervision, and clinical consultation. Training is followed by a supervised training case and ongoing reflective supervision.

Home visitors, nurses, social workers, psychologists, midwives, physicians, doulas, community health workers, health educators, community outreach workers, or other experienced staff can become Tutors.

The SMC Study Guide is a required part of the training and must be completed before attending the workshops. It's an online course that you can do at your own pace. It give participants an opportunity to read SMC workbooks that we give to the parents to be familiar with it before training begins. Upon completion of course which also requires a passing score on the quiz, you'll be given a certificate.

Deadline to complete this course is: October 5, 2026 (before the in-person training)

The SMC Training includes four required components:

• SMC Study Guide - completed by October 5th
  Read the workbook to be familiar with the material before training begins.
• Orientation - Sept 30th at 12-1:30 pm EST
  An introduction to the Survivor Moms’ Companion model, the history of SMC, and expectations for attending and completing the training.
• Two-Day Workshop Series - Oct 6 (10am-5pm EST) and Oct 7 (9am-4pm EST) 
  Two interactive workshops (7 hours each) that focus on trauma-informed care, skill building, and practical application of the SMC program.
• Implementation Meeting - Oct 14 at 12-1:30 pm EST
  A final meeting that provides guidance on implementing the SMC program, completes required paperwork for certification, and allows time to address any remaining questions.

Participants must complete all components to receive full credit and certification.

This training offers a total of 17 credits:

• 5 Continuing Education (CE) credits are earned after completing the SMC Study Guide
• 12 Continuing Education (CE) credits are earned through participation in the four-day workshop series

The credits were approved for and accredited by

• Nursing - the Wisconsin Nurses Association (an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation)
• General Social Work - NASW-Michigan Chapter

The cost of this training has been funded by the Superior Health Foundation for those who are a part of the home visitor program throughout the Upper Peninsula.

Travel Support Available
Attendees traveling one hour or more to the training may be eligible to receive a travel stipend.