American Management Association Teams With Biogen Idec To Create Life Skills Workshops For People Living With Hemophilia

NEW YORK, April 17, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

• Programs provide practical life skills tools to help people with inherited bleeding disorders live life on their own terms
• World Hemophilia Day is April 17

AMA Enterprise, a division of American Management Association, has partnered with Biogen Idec, a global research-based biotechnology company, to develop a series of workshops designed to enrich the lives of people living with bleeding disorders. The program consists of four workshops developed based on input from members of the hemophilia community. The workshops bring together lessons from respected authors, universities as well as community and business leaders to address core life skills. Workshop topics are:

- Making a Great Impression, focused on how to make an impactful first impression in a number of situations

- Express Yourself, designed to help participants recognize and manage emotions to better navigate common interactions and challenging situations

- Win-Win Conversations, intended to teach techniques to resolve conflicts and be more persuasive

- Positive Assertiveness, designed to help participants identify inner strengths and learn to assert them, including techniques for communicating thoughts and feelings to achieve desired outcomes

"We are honored to have been chosen by Biogen Idec to provide educational services to this community. Being able to teach empowering life skills to individuals who live with—but refuse to be limited by—a chronic condition is part of our expanded focus at AMA and one we take particular pride in," said Cheryl Stern, Regional Director at AMA Enterprise. "These programs provide valuable tools to empower individuals to build confidence and life skills to live more empowered lives and advocate for themselves and their families."

"Based on input from people living with bleeding disorders and their loved ones, we've been able to design programs that meet specific needs within this community," said Jess Swann, Director of Marketing & Community Relations at Biogen Idec. "For Biogen Idec, these workshops are aligned with our mission to empower the approximately 20,000 people with hemophilia throughout the United States to live the lives they choose. This is an area we're deeply committed to."

According to Stern, three pilot training workshops have been delivered so far, with more than 120 participants. "Early feedback demonstrates that these workshops have a positive impact. By an overwhelming margin, participants found the content to be relevant (93%), the facilitation effective (94%). Overall, satisfaction was very high (96%), and participants felt that the skills introduced helped them think and behave differently in addressing life, family and work issues."

Workshops will be conducted throughout 2013 at various locations across the country. In addition to the life skills workshops, Biogen Idec has a number of programs for people living with inherited bleeding disorders. More information can be found at www.biogenidechemophilia.com and MyLifeOurFuture.org. 

With more than 85 years' experience and headquartered in New York, American Management Association is a global leader of comprehensive talent development. AMA Enterprise, a specialized division of AMA dedicated to building corporate and government solutions, transforms enterprise-wide talent to fuel a culture of innovation, high performance and optimal business results.

Media Contact:  Phil Ryan, 845-339-7858, Email.

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SOURCE American Management Association