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Human Services Network of Colorado

Upcoming events

  • Motivational Interviewing - Jan 7,9,14,16

    • 01/07/2025
    • 01/16/2025
    • 4 sessions
    • Zoom webinar
    • 0
    • 31 registrants
    Join waitlist

    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. A broadband Internet connection and working webcam are required for participation. You must be on-camera during the event to receive a certificate of completion.

     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, 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 16 hours MINT Certificate of Completion, valid worldwide.

    Show details

  • Conscious Inclusion - Embodying DEI in your Practice

    • 01/22/2025
    • 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
    • Zoom Webinar
    • 56
    • 4 registrants
    Register

    This interactive workshop on the basics of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is a dynamic and engaging learning experience designed to foster a deeper understanding of key DEI concepts. In this workshop, participants will embark on a journey to explore the critical aspects of diversity, equity, and inclusion, while also addressing important topics such as accessibility, bias, empathy, and dignity.

    Through a combination of informative presentation, group discussion, and interactive activities, participants will gain practical knowledge and skills to promote a more inclusive and equitable environment in their personal and professional lives. Breakout sessions will encourage participants to connect with one another, share their experiences, and collaborate on solutions, making it a truly immersive and enriching learning experience.

    Objectives:

    • Enhance Understanding: The first objective of this workshop is to deepen participants' understanding of the core principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Through interactive discussions and real-world examples, participants will gain insight into the significance of these concepts and how they intersect with accessibility, bias, empathy, and dignity.
    • Identify Personal Biases: Our second objective is to help participants recognize their own biases and unconscious prejudices. By engaging in self-reflection exercises and open dialogues, attendees will develop the ability to identify and challenge their biases, a crucial step towards creating more inclusive environments.
    • Foster Empathy and Connection: The third objective is to foster empathy and encourage meaningful connections among participants. Through breakout sessions and group activities, attendees will have the opportunity to share their experiences, learn from one another, and collectively brainstorm strategies for promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in their communities and workplaces. Building empathy and connections will be key to ensuring lasting positive change.

    Presenter: Sydney Jackson-Clockston Presenter: Sydney Jackson-Clockston, MTM

    Sydney founded Citrine Unlimited LLC in 2020 as a tool to empower and mobilize clients. She is committed to creating a transformative experience through her dynamic, engaging presentations. Sydney is an accessibility advocate, mental health normalizer, and a 2022 Good Business Colorado Award winner. She just published My Own Worst Enemy: Understanding and Overcoming Imposter Syndrome. Sydney is also a member of Consultants For Good, Good Business Colorado, Woman in Sustainability, Posner Center of International Development, and Colorado Neurodiversity Chamber of Commerce

    Eligible for 1.5 hours Certificate of Completion

    Show details

  • Networking Happy Hour at Diverse Talent

    • 01/23/2025
    • 6:00 PM - 8:30 PM
    • Diverse Talent, 1410 High St, Denver CO 80218
    • 31
    • 9 registrants
    Register

    Join The Network board and staff for an evening of networking with your colleagues. All event registrants will be entered in a drawing for a workshop registration. We're bringing you another opportunity to connect with peers who experience the same ups and downs that you do. We want to makes it easy for you to find resources and support. Come for this casual, drop-in affair and network with others in the human services field.

    So come join us. A splendid time is guaranteed for all.

    Our event sponsor is Diverse Talent, a Human Resource & Placement Firm, whose work supports the notion a pipeline exists across all industries. We provide our clients with the necessary tools and resources to build culture, and our candidates with the skills and direction to grow professionally.

    Show details

  • Leading your Clients from Anxiety & Depression to Healing & Empowerment

    • 01/30/2025
    • 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
    • Zoom Webinar
    • 50
    • Be the first
    Register

    This workshop will define and discuss various aspects of anxiety and depression and how they may present in your clients.

    Anxiety: Anxiety presents itself in different ways in all of us; no two individuals experience anxiety the same. Much like fingerprints, the way an individual experiences and responds to anxiety is unique to them. However, common physiological and neuro responses to stress and anxiety do occur in all of us. We will look at aspects of anxiety that are common across the wide spectrum of anxiety diagnoses. We will focus on these traits and offer actionable approaches in which to navigate acute and chronic anxiety.

    Depression: Recognizing the signs of a depressive episode or period can be critical in taking the necessary steps in preventing its onset. This portion of the workshop will discuss traits commonly associated with a depressive episode. It will offer possible techniques and actions that can be taken to begin the journey out of a depressive episode as well as actionable steps to maintain awareness of signs that an episode may be approaching.

    Actionable Takeaways

    • tools to navigate acute and chronic anxiety
    • techniques to initiate the journey out of a depressive episode
    • signs that a depressive episode may be approaching

    PRESENTER: Charles Floyd (he/him/his) retired from the United States Army after twenty years of honorable service as an Airborne Infantryman. He earned a Master of Arts in International Disaster Psychology from the University of Denver’s Graduate School of Professional Psychology and is a Licensed Professional Counselor candidate working on his licensure requirements. Charles is currently a Community Engagement Coordinator focusing on the Veteran population and Jefferson Center’s Gun Shop Project.

    Eligible for two hours Certificate of Completion
    Show details

  • Healing Vicarious Trauma

    • 02/11/2025
    • 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
    • Zoom Webinar
    • 60
    • Be the first
    Register

    When working with people who are in the midst of personal crisis, trauma, or emotional distress, it is common to eventually exhaust yourself from vicarious trauma (aka secondary trauma or compassion fatigue). This workshop is focused on ways to exercise self-care and self-compassion for human services professionals. Self-compassion involves treating ourselves with the care that you would offer a close friend. We will discuss the benefits of self-compassion and how to cope with caregiver fatigue. We will also talk about how to incorporate self-compassion into everyday life. We encourage you to fight caregiver fatigue by taking this time to learn to care for yourself at this enjoyable, interactive workshop.

    Participants will learn about the impact of traumatic stress on the brain and on the body. Concepts of vicarious trauma, secondary trauma, compassion fatigue, and burnout will be addressed. Finally, we will explore organizational and personal strategies that can be employed to mitigate the effects of secondary traumatic stress.

    Causes of vicarious trauma

    Your clients may have experienced trauma associated with childhood abuse, domestic violence, sexual assault or other violent crimes, disasters, war, forced migration, or even political torture. Vicarious traumatic stress is now recognized as an occupational hazard of providing direct services to populations with histories of trauma. Vicarious trauma involves a transformation which occurs in the inner experience of the human services practitioner as a result of empathetic engagement with their clients' traumatic experiences. The emotional costs of caring for clients with histories of trauma can be significant, including the loss of personal and professional resiliency. A growing body of research evidence has demonstrated that secondary traumatic stress has the potential to erode work performance, undermine motivation and morale, and adversely impact the personal health of the practitioner.

    Healing (Trauma) Informed Self-Care (HISC) is an important best practice model for all direct care workers to understand. Understanding Healing Informed self-care is at least as important in the direct care field. Research in trauma, neuropsychology, positive psychology and other disciplines identify several approaches to self-care that help mitigate stress, trauma, secondary trauma, compassion fatigue and burn-out. Understanding how we are affected, as well as how we can care well for ourselves and others, will undoubtedly help us lead and shape the future together. Learning objectives include the following.

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

    • Describe Stress, Trauma, Secondary Trauma, Burn-Out, Compassion Fatigue, Zoom Fatigue, Moral Fatigue &/or Comparative Suffering;
    • Be able to identify symptoms in yourself and others and know how to access help;
    • Understand what predicts Vicarious Trauma;
    • Become aware of causes and consequences in order to help decrease vulnerability;
    • Practice self-administered stress reduction relaxation techniques
    • Identify at least one way to insulate themselves from Vicarious/Secondary Trauma, Burn-Out &/or Compassion Fatigue
    • Identify at least one thing they will do for better Self-Care.

    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. 

    Eligible for 3 hours Certificate of Completion

    Show details

  • MI for Supervisors & Champions - Feb 18 & 20, 2025

    • 02/18/2025
    • 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
    • Zoom Webinar
    • 28
    • 3 registrants
    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

    Show details

  • Everyone is hiring... so why aren't your clients working? Tips and Techniques for Finding Employment

    • 02/19/2025
    • 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
    • Zoom Webinar
    • 56
    • 4 registrants
    Register

    Are your clients feeling hopeless in their search for employment? Sometimes it seems like an endless task, searching for a job; and losing hope is the face in the mirror. Especially when you are justice-involved or lack the educational requirements.

    During this webinar, we will discover proven methods to help build a solid plan, open up employment options, and develop partnerships to overcome these struggles and obstacles.

    GOALS:

    Discuss current and local employment resources and opportunities.

    Identify and discuss ways to improve support for families in need.

    Develop additional communication streams for up-to-date resources for adequate employment and compensation.

    Help improve community relationships and partnership opportunities for employment, resources, hiring events, and recruitment fairs.

    OUTLINE

    1. Where are the jobs and career opportunities?

    • Felony-friendly employment resources and opportunities.
    • No experience necessary employment opportunities (OTJT)
    • Non-GED or high school graduate

    2. What about Apprenticeship Opportunities? How does an apprenticeship program work?

    3. What are Career Training Programs? How does this program work to benefit job seekers?

    4. Building a plan of resources and jobs based on the availability

    • Resource Centers and Workforce Development locations?
    • Develop expectations and review obstacles and barriers.
    • Improving warm introductions and follow-up techniques?
    • How do you develop an online strategy for job applications?
    • How much does that job pay?

    Two Break-Out Sessions will build upon the topics above.

    Eligible for a two-hour certificate of completion.

    Presenter: Marsha Brown, CORE Inspirate LLC

    Ms. Brown has a multifaceted career history that allows her to serve the community she lives in. She brings her sharpened skills and experience to help inspire and empower others. Ms. Brown has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. Her career has moved from Customer Service Manager over accounts like The Detroit Zoological Institute to NA Manager for TransUnion LLC., overseeing relationships with homeowners and FEMA guidelines. Ms. Brown’s diverse career path and "lived experience" has allowed her to build a wealth of knowledge- focusing on; advocacy for resilience, job creation; and enhancing self-sufficiency programs. Ms. Brown teaches others how to maximize best practices, advocacy, financial health, and home ownership. She served as a Commissioner for the DHA Board, is an Alumni of Warren Village Transitional Housing and a seasoned Storyteller for the Close to Home Campaign to end homelessness.

    Show details

  • Healthy Boundaries

    • 02/24/2025
    • 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
    • Zoom Webinar
    • 60
    • Be the first
    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
    Show details

  • Motivational Interviewing - Mar 4,6,11,13

    • 03/04/2025
    • 03/13/2025
    • 4 sessions
    • Zoom webinar
    • 26
    • 5 registrants
    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. A broadband Internet connection and working webcam are required for participation. You must be on-camera during the event to receive a certificate of completion.

     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, 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 16 hours MINT Certificate of Completion, valid worldwide.

    Show details

  • Your Legal Rights—Protect Yourself and Your Clients

    • 03/19/2025
    • 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
    • Zoom Webinar
    • 50
    • Be the first
    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


    Show details

  • Advanced MI Training focusing on MI Strategy

    • 03/25/2025
    • 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
    • Zoom Webinar
    • 50
    • Be the first
    Register

    A lot of practitioners are familiar with the basic MI Skills and comfortable with using the OARS Skills. Are you interested in going to the next level with your MI Practice and gaining more confidence around the strategic use of MI?

    Motivational Interviewing can achieve powerful results in a very short amount of time when a practitioner knows the MAP of CHANGE and understands how to use MI skills strategically, so when to use which skill set for maximizing the client’s momentum towards positive change.

    During this training you will:

      • Understand and be able to utilize the Map of Change
      • Review the different Skill Sets in MI and their STRATEGIC use
      • Practice MI Strategy with client examples
      • Learn how to assess for success in your MI practice

    Presenter: Avani G. Dilger, MEd, MA, LPC, BC-DMT, CAC III, ADS

    Avani is a Licensed Professional Counselor, a Certified Addiction Counselor, a Somatic Psychotherapist, an Acupuncture Detoxification Specialist, and a Motivational Interviewing Trainer (MINT), who 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, an innovative, grassroots substance abuse prevention and intervention program that teaches teens to become leaders around healthier lifestyles and positive peer culture. In addition to teaching the Natural Highs program at several high schools in Boulder and at Naropa University, Avani works as a psychotherapist with teens, families and adults with issues around substance abuse, addiction and trauma using approaches such as Somatic Psychotherapy, Brainspotting and Systemic Constellationwork. She is a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT) and trains Motivational Interviewing for criminal justice, mental health, health care, and substance abuse professionals.

    Show details

  • Working with Sex Offenders

    • 04/07/2025
    • 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
    • Zoom Webinar
    • 49
    • 1 registrant
    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 3 hours Certificate of Completion

    Show details

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.

Human Services Network of Colorado
PO Box 24788
Denver, CO 80224

p: 720-252-3628
e: info@thenetwork-co.org

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