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Human Services Network of Colorado

Upcoming events

    • 04/27/2023
    • 07/07/2023
    • 6 sessions
    • Zoom Webinar
    • 27
    Registration is closed

    Are you providing the kind of high quality service you want to offer? Do you or your employees need skills training in multiple competencies in order to get up to speed? Are you taking care of your clients in the most effective and efficient way? Are you taking care of yourself and your career?

    This comprehensive training and certification program can help. The Network is proud to present the Direct Service Provider Series in partnership with Aspire Training and Consulting. Most direct care resources and trainings focus on psychotherapy. This series focuses on practical approaches, successfully modified to fit case management and other helping relationships, that are NOT primarily therapeutic in nature.

    This series of six, three-hour, intensive workshops will be conducted over three months (April 27 thru July 7). This spaced format offers opportunities for education, practice and coaching that are not practical in a more tightly-sequenced series of workshops. The goal of each session is to enhance knowledge, skill and confidence in providing effective client-centered care. 

    18 hours of intensive in-person training and coaching with over 8 hours of supplemental online training for a total of 26 hours training and coaching.

    Learning Objectives

    • Define my Success
    • Understand Self Care
    • Review Best Practices in Case Management/Navigation
    • Understand the Process of Change
    • Learn about the Care Cycle (Intake through Discharge)
    • Learn about Therapeutic Communication
    • Understand Crisis Management
    • Learn about the Care/Treatment Cycle (Intake through Discharge)
    • Apply MI & Other Skills in Work with Clients (Intake through Discharge)
    • Apply Information & Skills to Case Scenarios
    • Plan to Implement Information & Skills on the job

    Supplemental Online Trainings include the following topics:

    1. Helper as a Person (50 minutes)
    2. Therapeutic Communication (40 minutes)
    3. Multiculturalism (1 hour 10 minutes)
    4. HIPAA (45 minutes)
    5. Mandatory Reporting (45 minutes)
    6. Stages of Change (40 minutes)
    7. Harm Reduction (30 minutes)
    8. Service Planning/Monitoring (40 minutes)
    9. Approaches to Difficult Situations (30 minutes)

    Direct Service Provider Certificate

    Aspire Training will provide a certificate of completion for the Direct Service Provider Certification Program, documenting all hours of both in-person and online trainings. Eligible for 26 hours continuing education credit.

    Testimonials

    • For someone new to the field, this was extremely helpful!
    • You’re awesome, thank you for this opportunity to improve my working relationship with my clients.
    • Great information, I enjoyed the examples; they helped me learn how to use these techniques.
    • This training really improved my interactions with customers and gave me the push I needed.
    • Great class – use information on a daily basis. Helps structure meetings and address critical issues.
    • Loved this training! So applicable and valuable in our positions.
    • Amazing presentation; so many good ideas and concepts. Great ways to implement.
    • As a result of this series:
      • I have found better solutions or ways to handle situations.
      • I am able to be a better listener by practicing MI approaches.
      • I feel more confident, and productive in conversations, and feel I more positively impact others.
    Presenter: Melinda Marasch, LCSW
    Aspire Training & Consulting
    It is my honor to do exciting work with the amazing, compassionate people in the nonprofit world! It has been my life’s passion to help others, first as a psycho-therapist and now as a consultant. I specialize in clinical supervision in the form of training (in-person and online), as well as individual and group sessions. We serve licensed and unlicensed individuals, as well as programs and organizations. I have expertise in many areas, including HIV/AIDS, domestic violence, mental illnesses and much more. I also provide coaching to clients who are motivated to maximize their assets. 
    • 06/14/2023
    • 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
    • Online
    Register

    An intellectual or developmental disability, also called IDD, includes many severe, chronic conditions that are due to mental and/or physical impairments. IDD can begin at any time, up to 22 years of age. It usually lasts throughout a person's lifetime.


    Individuals with disabilities are the single largest minority in the country (United States Department of Labor, 2017).  In the US alone, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that there are more than 61 million adults with a registered disability. CDC defines the term “disability” as a physical and or mental limitation that impacts one or more major life activity. This statistic equates to one in five adults living in Colorado, or 20% of our Colorado’s adult population (CDC, 2020).

    This workshop provides tools for helping professionals to empower, respect, and work with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. 

    Participants will leave with an understanding of:

      • Federal laws that protect the rights of people with disabilities.
      • How to use People First Language.
      • Implementing Person Centered Practices.
      • Disability inclusion strategies.
      • Disclosure and why (or why not) it is important.
      • Reasonable accommodations and how they can support your work. 

    Presenter: Katie Dockery

    Katie has been working in the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities for the past 20 years. Within that time, she has worked with multiple non-profits, government agencies, and the community championing services for those with disabilities. Katie’s depth of experience spans direct service, case management, community outreach, leadership / workforce development, disability training, and consulting. Katie is passionate about empowering communities and clients to challenge systemic inequalities. Currently Katie is the Chief Operating Officer at HighPointe Services here in Colorado.

    • 06/27/2023
    • 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
    • Zoom Webinar
    • 42
    Register

    The words we use to describe ourselves are central to how we understand our identities and our experience; words shape how we see ourselves and how we wish to be seen. If our work as therapists and service providers is a means to empowering clients, we need to better understand ourselves and the work we do. In the context of therapy, the words we use matter, and shape how we relate to the world, and how others relate to us. We believe language can be transformative; as a therapist we have to be purposeful in how you use language to understand each other. This workshop will look at the many facets of language and how to use language to promote understanding and healing.

    Participants in this workshop will be able to:

    1. Explore how language is defined in various cultural and therapeutic settings

    2. Describe the impact of words on empowerment

    3. Explain how words can be a barrier to effective service provision

    4. Explore how to use words to promote understanding and healing.

    Presenter: Dr. Mita Johnson

    Dr. Johnson has degrees in biology, counseling and counselor education and supervision. She has been a counselor for 30 years, consultant for 20 years, clinical supervisor for 15 years and higher learning educator for 10 years. She holds several credentials including licensed professional counselor, licensed marriage and family therapist, licensed addiction counselor, master addiction counselor, and certified telemental health professional. Dr. Johnson is a core faculty member at Walden University’s School of Counseling MS program. She teaches, trains, and speaks nationally and internationally on numerous topics including ethics, diagnosis, psychopharmacology, and substance use disorders. 

    Eligible for 3-hour Certificate of Completion

    • 07/10/2023
    • 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
    • Zoom Webinar
    • 53
    Register

    Why does poverty exist? What should we do about it? People answer these questions in very different ways. For example, is poverty a question of personal responsibility, or is it a systemic injustice? The conflict among these and other mainstream perspectives on poverty often impede meaningful political and social action to address the issue.

    But these competing answers do not exist in a vacuum. We each choose a perspective on poverty that makes sense to us given our own life experiences. By understanding why a person might choose each of the different views that show up in the poverty discourse, we can work more effectively with partners in our communities, even if they approach the issue very differently. And by seeing whatever kernels of truth there are in the perspectives we typically reject, we can make our own efforts to reduce poverty more robust and more effective.

    Eric Meade's award-winning book, Reframing Poverty: New Thinking and Feeling About Humanity's Greatest Challenge, shifts the conversation about poverty by highlighting the emotional and often unconscious mindsets we all bring to the issue. He offers a framework that allows virtually all of the mainstream views on poverty to be true at the same time.

    In this two-hour online workshop with Eric, you will interact with colleagues in the Human Services Network to generate insights for your own life and work. Equipped with these insights, you will be able to strengthen your own approach to poverty while at the same time collaborating more effectively across the fault lines that hinder effective action in so many of our communities today.

    Learning Objectives

    • Through this workshop, participants will:
    • Deepen your own connection to the issue of poverty,
    • Identify opportunities to improve the anti-poverty work you do, and
    • Develop new tools for building collaborative relationships with community partners who see the issue differently.

    Presenter

    Eric Meade is a nationally recognized futurist, facilitator, and consultant serving foundations, nonprofits, and governments. His clients have included the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Oxfam America, the VA Office of Rural Health, the Colorado Community Health Network, the Colorado Behavioral Healthcare Council, and many more. He is the principal at the Whole Mind Strategy Group and the award-winning author of Reframing Poverty: New Thinking and Feeling About Humanity’s Greatest Challenge and Whole Mind Facilitation: How to Lead Workshops That Change People, Organizations, and the World. He also teaches in American University's School of International Service. Visit him at www.ericmeade.com.

    • 07/12/2023
    • 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
    • Zoom Webinar
    • 56
    Register

    While healthy boundaries can be subjective and consist of many different variables, defining healthy boundaries is imperative to the work we do, and allows us to gain a better sense of agency over one’s feelings, energy, and personal space. Setting healthy boundaries is a learned skill that, if done on a consistent basis, will allow us to form stronger relationships with our co-workers, clients and loved ones.

    When we set healthy boundaries, we lead by example for everyone around us. As we all know, every person has limits. When we demonstrate healthy boundaries we express our limits through verbal, nonverbal, and paraverbal communication. In this workshop we will delve into tools to support creating and maintaining professional boundaries. This two- hour workshop will allow us to get comfortable with setting healthy boundaries no matter how challenging it may feel. We will learn to better trust our instincts and delve into the barriers that make it difficult to set boundaries. In an anxiety ridden society it can be intimidating to establish healthy boundaries.

    Fear of rejection, the unconscious desire to please others, lack of understanding around setting boundaries, or the fear of being seen as someone who is “difficult” to work with are some of the many reasons we choose not to practice this essential piece of self-care. Together we can foster self-respect, community empowerment, and genuine happiness by implementing boundaries that allow us all to get our wants and needs met.

    Learning objectives:

    • Articulate what it means to set healthy boundaries

    • Demonstrate an understanding of boundaries and the intersection of cultural, ethical, and professional boundaries in the workplace

    • Analyze the purpose of boundaries and gain valuable insight as to why healthy boundaries are imperative to the work we do

    • Establish techniques to express ones needs and boundaries

    • Identify the supervisor’s role in dealing with boundary issues and create a protocol around violations.

    • Discuss boundaries and barriers when working with a team

    • Examine the correlation between boundaries and burn-out

    • Dissect issues that challenge our professional boundaries and ways to re-establish boundaries

    Presenter:

    Fatima Kiass, Founder & Chief Catalyst.  Empowered Connections

    Fatima is a creative strategist whose life work is committed to strengthening community connectedness and empowering vulnerable populations through leadership, agency, and advocacy. Known for her empathy, Fatima is gifted in having difficult conversations in a way that makes people feel valued and supported. Her communication and interpersonal skills shine at the intersections of community education, organizing, and wellness.

    She was named "Maverick Thinker" by Urban Peak and the City and County of Denver in 2019 for her leadership in designing and facilitating various trainings at national conferences, including the Runaway and Homeless Youth Training Technical Assistance Center (RHYTTAC) and The Race Forward conference. As a mentor, social worker, teacher, and facilitator, Fatima grounds her work in her lived experiences over coming trauma, generational poverty, homelessness, and structural barriers.


    Eligible for two (2) hours Certificate of Completion

    • 07/19/2023
    • 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
    • Zoom Webinar
    • 75
    Register

    De-escalation of disruptive behavior has become an essential skill, pertinent to all staff providing human services. The need for safe, effective techniques to manage the disruptive client is no longer limited to those who work with severe mental illness in residential or hospital settings.

    To add to the problem, the current de-institutionalization trend has injected thousands of individuals who once were treated on an inpatient basis, into a society which is not quite sure how to manage their behavior. Outpatient mental health facilities are being asked to service clients who formerly had inpatient care. Frequently, staff at a community-based treatment centers do not have the training or experience to manage the aggressive behaviors of clients who were once institutionalized.

    This training provides attendees with a safe, non-harmful techniques, designed to aid human service professionals in the management of disruptive clients. Strategies and specific skills for dealing with clients in varying stages of escalation will be presented and discussed. Non-restraining physical protective maneuvers will be reviewed, demonstrated and discussed. Principles of debriefing and using teaching moments will also be addressed.

    ___________

    De-escalation will be presented in three phases:

    • Phase 1 Avoiding escalation through Self Care and Awareness;
    • Phase 2 Anatomy of crisis development and de-escalating skill sets; and
    • Phase 3 Exit maneuvers and debriefing skills.

    By the end of the webinar, learners will be able to:

    • Recognize the importance of self-care in how it relates to escalating/de-escalating any situation;
    • Apply de-escalation techniques effective in approaching and reducing the • tension of an agitated person;
    • Understand the impact of their reactions on the agitated person;
    • Utilize tools to control their anxieties during interventions toward maintaining the best possible professional attitude; and

    • Describe nonverbal, para-verbal and verbal skills to maintain the best possible care and welfare, as well as safety and security, for all involved.

    _____________

    Presenter: Tracy L. Hutchinson, LPC, MAC, LAC 

    Tracy has been working in the field of Addictions and Mental Health for the past 40 years. Currently, through her Counseling and Consulting private practice, Tracy is a facilitator of professional growth and development for team building. See more information about Tracy HERE.


    Eligible for 6 hours Certificate of Completion

    • 07/24/2023
    • 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
    • Zoom Webinar
    • 98
    Register

    Working with adults and juveniles who have committed sexually based offenses requires an understanding of how Colorado classifies, supervises, and treats such clients, based on the Sex Offender Management Board (SOMB) Standards. This training will provide an overview of best practices in providing therapy to, and working with, this population. Additional relevant information for human service providers will also be presented, including the legal definition of sex offender, the sex offense-specific evaluation requirements, sex offender registry requirements, risk factors, and working as part of a Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) or Community Supervision Team (CST). 

    1.     Participants will have basic knowledge of SOMB Standards, and the differences between working with adults and juveniles. 

    2.     While there is no simple answer to the question of why people engage in sexual offending behavior, research suggests a number of factors related to the etiology and typology regarding individuals who commit sexual offenses. An overview will be provided about these topics, so participants can recognize there is no “one size fits all” in working with this population.  

    3.     Participants will learn how the sex offense specific evaluation is conducted and used as a source of information to guide treatment planning.  

    4.     Participants will have a basic understanding of what sex offense specific treatment requires, including the client taking responsibility for the sexual offending behavior, developing victim empathy, learning how to utilize appropriate social skills, and managing the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors which lead to the sexual offending. The importance of victim and community safety will be highlighted. Treatment-related topics such as assessing risk, addressing safety concerns, and working as part of a team will also be introduced.  

    5.     There will be several case presentations, so participants will apply this knowledge about sex offense specific treatment to particular cases, utilizing a discussion format.  

    Presenter: Ashley Charbonneau, LCSW, LAC

    I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Licensed Addiction Counselor, and Colorado Sex Offender Management Board (SOMB) Full Operating Treatment Provider and Evaluator. I started Enso Counseling in 2016. I specialize in providing individual therapy to address substance abuse, healthy relationships, unhealthy sexual behavior, and trauma. Read more about Ashley HERE.

    Eligible for 2 hours Certificate of Completion

    • 07/31/2023
    • 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
    • Zoom Webinar
    • 44
    Register

    This workshop will focus on what providers should do when the police contact their client; whether it be on the street, in a vehicle, or at a residence, providing practical guidance to protect their rights and preserve their future. The first half will be about client rights and best practices. The second half will explore practical tools for applying those rights and best practices. There will be time for discussion and questions after both halves of the presentation.

    Goals and takeaways include:

    • Empowering providers with knowledge of their clients’ legal rights;
    • tools they can use to protect clients and their families;
    • best practices to follow during police encounters;
    • how to discuss these practices with and educate different human services populations;
    • how to remain empathetic through these tough conversations; and
    • resources available to you and your clients.

    PRESENTERS

     Eric Faddis is an attorney, media legal correspondent, and Colorado native. He is a former felony prosecutor, current criminal defense and civil litigation attorney, Founding Partner of Varner Faddis Elite Legal, and a regular contributor to Court TV and other media outlets.
     Jamie Ray is a Colorado Native who Leads Civic Engagement for Second Chance Center in North Aurora. Jamie Ray comes from small tight-knit family that was heavily affected by incarceration, which led to her passion for criminal justice reform. She is now pursuing a degree in Law at the University of Denver. 

    Eligible for two hours Certificate of Completion.

    This event is co-sponsored by

    Second Chance Center of Colorado

    and Varner Faddis Elite Legal


    • 08/08/2023
    • 08/17/2023
    • 4 sessions
    • Zoom webinar
    • 26
    Register

    This evidence-based approach has consistently shown positive outcomes in dealing with resistance and defensiveness. Motivational Interviewing is a collaborative conversation style for strengthening a person's own motivation and commitment to change. It has been successfully used with populations where resistance is prevalent, including adults and adolescents who deal with legal problems, substance abuse and mental health issues. 

    Motivational Interviewing provides a “tool box” of techniques and strategies which will help you to be more effective in working with clients who bring a wide range of challenges. This is a four-day online training with a four-hour session each day.

     Attendees will: 

    Understand the basic principles and skills of Motivational Interviewing

    Experience a collaborative versus an authoritarian communication style and see how you can effectively decrease defensiveness in clients​;​

    Learn and practice resistance skills​;

    Learn and practice directive skills that help move a client towards positive behavior change​;​

    Be able to elicit commitment language from a client that is correlated to positive outcomes​;​

    Explore proven implementation strategies that help improve your Motivational Interviewing skills in the field​.

    _____

    Presenter: Avani G. Dilger, MEd, MA, LPC, BC-DMT, CA
    Avani specializes in substance abuse prevention and treatment with adults, teens and their families. She is the founder and director of the “Natural Highs – Healthy Alternatives to Drugs & Alcohol” nonprofit program. Avani has been training professionals in in Motivational Interviewing and other evidence-based practices worldwide for over 20 years. Find out more about Avani HERE.

    Eligible for 16 hours Certificate of Completion

    • 08/18/2023
    • 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
    • Zoom Webinar
    • 55
    Register

    Have you recognized mental illness and substance abuse in working with participants?  Perhaps you weren't sure which symptom needed which approach. Learning more and developing resources and partners to address co-occurring disorders can help you provide more efficient, targeted services and referrals, and help your participants feel better.

    For those who seek to enhance their ability and understanding of Addictions and Co-occurring Disorder; this workshop will present a solid foundation for recognizing substance abuse as well as understanding and working with these issues. "Co-occurring Disorder" is descriptive of people who struggle with both a mental health disorder and a substance use disorder. It is often difficult to tease out a co-occurring disorder, especially when the person is in acute phases of instability.

    There are numerous issues we will discuss related to the struggle of managing this disorder. Stigma and stability issues consistent with the individuals specific combination of disorders, support access, legal, medical health, and cultural uniqueness create a complexity for the care providers approach and management of services for these clients. We will discuss basic strategies, and practical guidelines for providing early intervention, stability and integrated services for Co-occurring Disorder clients.

    Participants will leave with:

    • The ability to identify symptoms of substance abuse and mental health disorders;
    • A working definition of the “co-occurring disorder” and a look at the stigma attached to that definition;
    • An understanding of the most common difficulties (and clues) in recognizing co-occurring disorders
    • Practical strategies in managing co-occurring clients, including; basic CBT skills, Medication compliance concerns, high risk stability, sobriety management, and multiple systems coordination;
    • An understanding of the stability concerns with co-occurring disorder clients; and
    • Approaches to practical and culturally sensitive assessment.


    Presenter: Tracy L. Hutchinson, LPC, MAC, LAC 

    Tracy has been working in the field of Addictions and Mental Health for the past 40 years. Currently, through her Counseling and Consulting private practice, Tracy is a facilitator of professional growth and development for team building. See more information about Tracy HERE.

    Eligible for 6 Hours Certificate of Completion.

    • 08/22/2023
    • 08/24/2023
    • 2 sessions
    • Zoom Webinar
    • 27
    Register

    MI_cartoon

    Motivational Interviewing provides a “tool box” of techniques and strategies which will help you to be more effective in working with clients who bring a wide range of challenges. This one-day advanced Motivational Interviewing Training is the next step for teams who are serious about an evidence-based implementation of Motivational Interviewing skills. The development and maintenance of MI skills is a challenge for front-line workers. Participating in the workshops is a great start but ongoing feedback and mentoring are needed in order for most workers to use MI skillfully. This workshop can help enhance both supervisor MI skills and the quality and nature of the mentoring process. It’s a win-win for clients and agency staff alike.
    This advanced MI training is only for those who have already taken the Motivational Interviewing Basic Two-Day training series. The training builds on the two-day MI Skills Training and teaches supervisors and professionals who are passionate about MI how to keep the practice of MI alive within their teams. If you have not undergone the MI Basic Series, please register for that course instead of this one; we conduct MI Basic regularly.

    Participants will leave with an understanding of:
    • the research-based building-blocks of a successful MI implementation
    • MI coaching skills
    • how to facilitate MI practice sessions
    • a manual with tailored MI exercises to build & sustain their team’s MI skills

    _________

    Presenter: Avani G. Dilger, MEd, MA, LPC, BC-DMT, CAS 
    Avani specializes in substance abuse prevention and treatment with adults, teens and their families. She is the founder and director of the “Natural Highs – Healthy Alternatives to Drugs & Alcohol” nonprofit program. Avani has been training professionals in in Motivational Interviewing and other evidence-based practices worldwide for over 20 years. Find out more about Avani HERE.

    ________

    Eligible for 8 hours Certificate of Completion

    • 08/31/2023
    • 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
    • Zoom Webinar
    • 60
    Register

    Do you work with veterans or others suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury? Then this in-depth, full-day session is for you.


    Anyone can get PTSD at any age. This includes war veterans and survivors of physical and sexual assault, abuse, accidents, disasters, and many other serious events. Traumatic Brain Injury will almost certainly result in PTSD. But not everyone with PTSD has been through a dangerous event. Some people get PTSD after a friend or family member experiences danger or is harmed. The sudden, unexpected death of a loved one can also cause PTSD.

    Our understanding of complex trauma and how to treat it has expanded over the last decade. No two people have the same reaction to a traumatic experience. And many experience a loss of connection with themselves, their bodies, and others as they process what has happened to them or others. Trauma-informed clinical approaches equip behavioral health service providers with strategies and tools to better engage those affected by complex trauma. This workshop will focus on understanding how a person who has experienced complex trauma responds to and deciphers information and can be triggered. This workshop will define the DSM-5 diagnoses that fall under “Trauma and Stressor-Related Disorders,” unpack complex trauma, and discuss evidence-based treatment modalities, practices, and tools for treating complex trauma.

    Objective: Participants in this workshop will be able to:

    • Discuss the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for Trauma and Stressor-Related Disorders
    • Describe the influence of traumatic brain injury on PTSD, treatment, and recovery
    • Explore the many facets of PTSD
    • Articulate at least three evidence-based treatment and practices useful for trauma-informed, trauma-sensitive care


    Presenter: Dr. Mita Johnson

    Dr. Johnson has degrees in biology, counseling and counselor education and supervision. She has been a counselor for 30 years, consultant for 20 years, clinical supervisor for 15 years and higher learning educator for 10 years. She holds several credentials including licensed professional counselor, licensed marriage and family therapist, licensed addiction counselor, master addiction counselor, and certified telemental health professional. Dr. Johnson is a core faculty member at Walden University’s School of Counseling MS program. She teaches, trains, and speaks nationally and internationally on numerous topics including ethics, diagnosis, psychopharmacology, and substance use disorders. Dr. Johnson is the President-Elect and Ethics Chair of NAADAC. She is passionate about understanding how psychopharmaceuticals and illicit substances influence the body systemically.

    Eligible for 3 hours Certificate of Completion

Event Schedule

View the Network's projected training topics and other training information here. To view event information and fees (including member discounts) before registering, click Show details in the lower right -hand corner of each event description above.

 Cancellation Policy

  • Substitutions are welcome; please let us know in advance.
  • No-shows and cancellations 7 days or less prior to an event will be granted neither credit nor refund.
  • Up to 8 days prior to event:  25% refund will be issued in the form of a credit towards future registration.
  • Up to 15 days prior to event: 50% refund will be issued in the form of a credit towards future registration.
  • Up to 29 days prior to event: A full refund will be issued.
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