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TSTA Training Requirements & Best Practices
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If you have any questions regarding a TSTA training you have attended or are going to provide, please contact us at txsandtray@gmail.com.
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TSTA Training Community
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TSTA certified trainers (CCST-Ts), make up our Training Community. We expect that each trainer will strive to strengthen this community through ethical & professional behavior. Some expectations of trainers include:
Following all TSTA training requirements & best practices
Taking steps to be an effective trainer
Representing TSTA in an ethical, professional manner
Supporting other trainers’ growth & success
Giving back to the TSTA organization through service & support
A TSTA trainer must not engage in any behavior that they should reasonably know will cause harm, professionally or financially, to another trainer’s training program or TSTA. 
TSTA Level Training
(used for meeting CCST application requirements)
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Level Training is the training required for Sandtray Certification through the Texas SandTray Association. There are 10 certification levels.
A TSTA trainer may not align with or be in contract with a third party for financial gain which includes accepting scholarships, discounts, or any form of direct payment from the organization for Level Training. However, payment may be provided by a participant’s current employer for a W-2 employee or 1099 contract worker.
TSTA values the Level Training and believes in the benefit gained when a participant has invested financially. A minimum fee of $300 must be charged for each level of Level Training. The minimum fee we require all trainers to charge is part of Level Training rules. Trainers may, at their discretion, offer a $25 discount to those who are TSTA members.
A TSTA trainer may be removed by the TSTA Board if they are acting, overtly or covertly, in a manner that does not support TSTA or the TSTA Training Community in an ethical and professional manner. 
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Course Structure
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Each TSTA level should consist of 12 hours of face-to-face training provided by an approved TSTA Trainer (required).
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Each level should be spread over the course of 2 consecutive days (4 maximum), (required).
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A course evaluation should be given to all participants after completion of each level (required).
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In the event of an audit of a TSTA Trainer, the trainer would be expected to provide the following (required):
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Sign-in sheet
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Evaluations by participants
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Access to the flyer/media promotional items used for the course
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A copy/sample of the certificate of completion which was issued for the course
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The ratio of trainer to participant should not exceed 1 to 10 (required).
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In the event that a participant misses a portion of training and is not able to be scheduled to make it up in a reasonable time, the trainer, at their discretion, may ask the TSTA Board for an exception by presenting a reasonable alternative plan for the make-up of the missed portion of training. This cannot account for more than 1/2 of the level of training.
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If a TSTA Trainer's employer has requested them to train the Sandtray Levels to other employees, the trainer may do so if it is set up following the TSTA Level guidelines. Trainings should provide the trainees with the same rich experience that would be offered outside of the work environment. Each level should be treated like a separate level with the same participants throughout. It should last 2-4 consecutive days and should not be more than 10 participants in each level.
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Any exceptions to the above rules must be preapproved by the TSTA Board.
The curriculum for TSTA Level Training is copyrighted material. It is currently licensed by the Texas SandTray Association solely to be used by Certified Clinical Sandtray Therapist-Trainers in good standing and only in the context of offering certification levels to the mental health community.
Level Training is defined as the Levels 1-10, that are used by Texas SandTray Association for certification.
Copyright © 2017 Karen Burke
All rights reserved. This material or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a review.
First printing, 2017
Karen R. Burke
Austin, Texas 78739
austinsandtray.com
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For TSTA Training used for Continuing Education only
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A course evaluation should be given to all participants after completion of each level (required).
-
In the event of an audit of a TSTA Trainer, the trainer would be expected to provide the following (required):
-
Sign-in sheet
-
Evaluations by participants
-
Access to the flyer/media promotional items used for the course
-
A copy/sample of the certificate of completion which was issued for the course
-
-
The ratio of trainer to participant should be assessed by the trainer and adjusted to meet the training goals of the course or workshop (required).
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