SMACT Fall Retreat 2017

Fourth Annual Southern Maine ACT (SMACT) Fall Retreat

Sept 22-23, 2017
Cushing Island, Portland, Maine
8 CEs (submitted to relevant boards and pending approval)

Schedule | Cushing Ferry Info | Cushing Ferry Schedule

Update, Sept 4, 2017:

The schedule is now available for review.
A small number of openings remain available for registration.

Members of the Southern Maine ACT community (SMACT, i.e., current or recent past participants in the ACT Peer Consultation Group or ACT Study Groups) are invited to join an experiential ACT weekend on Cushing Island sponsored and facilitated by our membership. The weekend has multiple purposes: Learn about ACT and have a first-person experience of ACT, share our collective wisdom, gain experience leading a discussion or workshop, connect with one another and build our community, and engage in self-care. We will do this on two levels – as clinicians and as participants – so you are invited to take both an intellectual and personal perspectives. There will be a variety of topics, and all will weave into the development of 6 major processes of psychological flexibility.

All participants are encouraged to bring ACT metaphors, activities and resources to share throughout the weekend. We will gather to harvest and share our experience and wisdom.

Cost: There is a “flat fee” of $175 to be paid via electronic registration. This covers accommodations, transportation to the island, and dinner on Saturday night as well as access to all programming, CEs (if approved), and some incidental costs. Facilitators are volunteering their time and paying the same fees. We will apply for CEs for the weekend (~8? CEs).

SCHEDULE (see full schedule here)

Friday Sept 22

~4 pm Water taxis depart from Bug Light Park in South Portland
~5-7 pm Arrival, check-in, dinner (on your own), opening of the circle
~7-9 pm First Offering

Saturday Sept 23

Morning run/hike around the island (probable) and/or sleep-in, do yoga
Second and Third Offerings
Time to relax, connect, self-care, informal activities
Community Dinner/Lobster Bake
Evening activity for the community

Sunday Sept 24

Hike around the island and/or sleep-in, do yoga
Time to relax, connect, self-care, informal activities
Fourth Offering
Closing of the circle
Clean up and depart
~ 3 pm Water taxis depart the island

CUSHING ISLAND
Cushing is a beautiful small private island in Casco Bay, a 20 minute ferry ride from the Old Port in Portland. The island has lots of walking trails, 3 public clay tennis courts, multiple beaches, beautiful cliffs and easy access to Portland by small ferry. There are old fort ruins to explore. More than half of the island is conservation land, with great places to walk and explore.

SLEEPING & ACCOMMODATIONS
The house was the hospital for the soldiers when this was a fort in WWII. It is a huge 3 story building that sleeps 17 people with lots of room to be alone. There is room for 5 more in an additional house if needed. Rooms are simple, cheerful and comfortable; all linens are provided. We’ll figure out room assignments when we get the list of attendees. There is a washer and dryer and plenty of beach towels available. There are 3 full baths (one on each floor), all linens and towels provided, large kitchen and large dining room, wrap-around porches, huge game room with a pool table (used to be the ward in the hospital), kids’ play room, two refrigerators, coffee pot, toaster oven, microwave, gas grill. There is wireless internet and local phone service. No television, ‘cause Andy Griffith didn’t need no TV to have a good time. The big events are the ferry arrivals.

FOOD
Please bring your own food for dinner on Friday and breakfast and lunch Saturday and Sunday. There is a full kitchen with 2 refrigerators available, so cooking your food is easy. We will provide dinner Saturday night – lobster, chicken, veggies, salad, dessert. Please note that there is no store on the island.

CLOTHING
Be casual. This is a rustic place, so shorts, tee shirts, good walking shoes and jeans are best. The water might be cold – but bring your bathing suit anyway! And fleece is always a good idea. The weather on the island is often chilly– and we are meeting two weeks later than usual. Other smart items to bring include: a yoga mat (if possible) and a flashlight, headlamp.

WATER TAXI OR FERRY
Group transport on Friday evening 4:00 PM and Sunday afternoon 3:00PM is provided in the cost of the retreat. We will leave from South Portland Bug Light boat launch and the parking is free.

If you need to come later or leave early, you can hire a water taxi or ride the Cushing Island Ferry. The Cushing Island Ferry runs from Portland only on the weekends in the fall. If you plan to ride the ferry, be sure to review this information and the ferry schedule carefully, noting changes in the schedule for fall. The ferry leaves Portland downtown dock (at DiMillo’s) at 9:30AM sharp; and will leave Cushing at 5:00 PM both days. In the past, fare was $8 each way, plus $1 for each bag/suitcase. (Please double-check fees as they almost certainly have gone up since.) Also, note that you will need to plan for parking in the Old Port or elsewhere if you are taking the ferry (perhaps best to get a ride to the ferry!)

Water Taxis are also available. Call Presumpscot Water Taxi 897-2562 or Island Water Taxi 799-1818. The rates are usually $45-50 per trip.

PRESENTERS
Workshop presenters need to move quickly to get Teresa and the SMACT Fall Retreat Planning Committee a simple summary of the workshop including title, objective, and needed materials. Everything must be submitted by mid-August so we can submit applications for CEs. More info about this forthcoming. You can review the workshop checklist and an example in the document below.

workshop checklist and sample
(clicking link will probably download the file into the Downloads folder on your computer).
sample schedule from 2015. (Please note that this sample schedule from 2015 included numerous offerings and about 12-13 CEs. 2017 will include four offerings and approximately 8 CEs, so is a substantially lighter schedule, as requested).

Please contact Teresa Valliere for more details 207-233-9276 or tvallier@maine.rr.com

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