The 509 Public Sector
Training Program
The courses in our Training Program are free for SEIU Local 509 Public Sector state workers. We offer live trainings (in person or virtually) and self-paced learning on virtual platforms.
Register for a Training
Enhance your skills and take the next step to success!
Register in 3 Easy Steps!
Click on the arrow next to the training name to open the description.
Click on the registration link at bottom of the description.
Fill out the online registration form.
After registering, you’ll receive a confirmation email within one business day. Please note, ADA accommodations are available upon request. Simply indicate the accessibility services you need on the training registration form at least 2 weeks before the training date. Take the first step and explore upcoming trainings below!
Didn’t receive a confirmation email or need help registering? Please Contact Us
Advanced Practice Institute
Our Advanced Practice Institute offers career-focused programs that help workers access certifications, CEUs, PDPs, and other training and professional development focused on career specialization.
Open the description of the training to find the registration link.
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Training Date:
April 10, 2025, 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Location: Virtual on Zoom
Trainer: Ayala Livny, M. Ed. and Liz Geisel, MSW
Beyond the easy and obvious boundaries lay the complexities of human relationships. The most successful providers find ways to truly connect with, honor, and support clients while remaining professional, safe, and clear about their role.
This workshop explores these challenges and offers tools to successfully navigate the more nuanced areas. Attendees will leave feeling more confident in their abilities to identify when a boundary may have been crossed, disclose information about themselves appropriately, and ultimately provide the highest quality services to clients.
Credits:
2.5 CE credits approved for Licensed Mental Health Counselors.
3 CE credits approved for Certified Rehabilitation Counselors
Application has been submitted for CEUs for Licensed Social Workers.
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Dates: April 17 & 24, 2025
*Registration Deadline April 10, 2025
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Trainer: Stefanie Gregware, MA, LMHC and Kerrin Westerlind, MSW, LICSW
Location: Virtual on Zoom
Overview: Group is a powerful experience that can have a significant impact on participants and group leaders. Yet, many people shy away from group facilitation. This training will take the mystery out of leading groups with practical information and resources on group facilitation skills and developing your own style as a leader.
Our trainers will share a range of strategies for leading groups that people want to attend. The training will focus on creative means for engagement and incorporating strategies for building an empowering and growth-oriented group culture. Emphasis will be placed on Evidence Based Practice (EBP) curriculum-based groups, as well as ideas for integrating Motivational Interviewing and CBT strategies into any group experience. Additionally, the trainers will use examples, storytelling, and build off their group leadership experiences in addressing common challenges and solutions.
The training will include several practice opportunities and leaders will offer various experiences to help translate concepts into action. The training will be helpful for those newer to leading groups and those with experience who are looking to add to their skill set.
Following this training the participants will understand:
Participants will have a number of ideas for enhancing engagement for group.
Participants will have at least one strategy for enhancing an empowering group culture.
Participants will be able to share one strategy for using Motivational strategies in a group setting.
Participants will have increased knowledge in group planning, structure, and facilitation strategies.
Credits:
6 CE credits approved for MA Licensed Mental Health Counselors; MA Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselors; Certified Rehabilitation Counselors
5 credits approved for MA Social Workers
Please note: You must attend both sessions in order to earn CEUs.
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Training Date:
May 8, 2025, 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Location: Virtual on Zoom
Trainer: Ayala Livny, M. Ed. and Liz Geisel, MSW
Working in human services often means bearing witness to the suffering of others. How does bearing witness impact us? What are the tools we need in order to take care of ourselves as we are caring for others? Through this training, participants will explore the concepts of compassion fatigue, vicarious trauma, and burnout; connect with others with similar experiences, and develop concrete tools and strategies for self care. Participants will leave better equipped to provide services to those impacted by trauma and care for themselves as they care for others.
Credits:
Applications have been submitted for CEUs for Licensed Social Workers and Licensed Mental Health Counselors.
3 CE credits approved for Certified Rehabilitation Counselors
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Date: June 10, 2025
*Registration Deadline June 3, 2025
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Trainer: Jean Brickman, LSW, LADC I
Location: Virtual on Zoom
Overview:
Did you know that between 50-60% of people diagnosed with a substance use disorder also experience chronic pain? Because of this, substance use treatment providers need both a working knowledge of the impact of physical pain, both generally, and on recovery, and interventions to address these two interconnected issues. This training will provide background information and a review of the evidence-based modalities that can address these two issues in concert, to help decrease stigma, and help people engage in treatment.
Following this training the participants will be able to:
Understand physical pain and the ways in which substance use and pain impact one another.
Understand the impact of stigma on accessing support for physical pain in individuals with a substance use disorder.
Identify strategies to improve engagement for individuals who experience co-occurring substance use and chronic pain.
Identify clinical strategies for addressing substance use and chronic pain simultaneously, including use of MI, Harm Reduction, CBT and other non-medical strategies to navigate management of chronic pain.
Credits:
3 CE credits approved for Certified Rehabilitation Counselors
2.5 credits approved for MA Social Workers; MA Licensed Mental Health Counselors; and MA Licensed Alcohol Drug Counselors
Languages and Cultures
Trainings in this category aim to expand workers’ awareness of the languages and cultures represented in the Commonwealth.
Open the description of the training to find the registration link.
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Training Dates:
Tuesdays and Thursdays from March 18 - May 2, 2025 from 4:15 p.m. - 5:15 p.m.
Attendance at 13 out of 16 sessions required to receive certificate
Location: Virtual on Zoom
Trainer: Jaclyn Browning, M. Ed.
This 16-hour course is an introductory Spanish course that does not require any background knowledge in the Spanish language. The course is focused on practicing speaking and listening skills in Spanish in human service settings, general community outreach, and developing cultural competency for engaging with people who speak Spanish. A complimentary copy of Outreach Spanish by William C. Harvey, M.S. is included in this course.
Please note: A personal Gmail account is required to access Google Classroom materials.
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Training Dates:
May 3, 2025 - 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
May 10, 2025 - 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
May 17, 2025 - 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
May 24, 2025 - 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Location: Virtual on Zoom
Trainer: Signing Basics Staff
Overview: In this 8-hour course, participants will learn the basics of American Sign Language, including finger lettering and common signs for communicating in human services settings.
Credits: 8 CE credits approved for Certified Rehabilitation Counselors
* Please note , you must attend each class to receive CE credits *
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Dates: June 11 and 18, 2025
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Trainer: Theresa King, Signing Basics
Location: Virtual on Zoom
Overview:
In this two-part workshop, participants will learn more about the culture of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community and some functional signs to effectively communicate with Deaf and Hard of Hearing clients and their families.
Part 1: Deaf Culture
An overview of the culture and the unique characteristics found among people within the D/deaf community. Also, you will learn about the ADA, legal issues and deaf patient rights. Participants will practice with role plays on engaging with people in the D/deaf community.
Part 2: Functional Sign Language for Human Services Staff
Train with a live, experienced ASL instructor with a focus on the signs you need to communicate with colleagues and clients. Each participant will receive a 100 Signs for Emergencies publication for reference and practice after completing the course.
Wellness and Self-Care
Our Wellness and Self-Care program is focused on workers’ personal growth and development. Centered on self-care amid trauma stewardship, the program aims to prevent burnout and support workers in the vital work that they do.
Open the description of the training to find the registration link.
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Training Date:
April 16, 2025, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Location: Virtual on Zoom
Trainer: Susan Buchholz, The HeartWell Institute
Mindfulness practice helps us exist in the present moment with awareness and without judgment of our reactions. In stressful situations, mindfulness allows us to regulate our emotions and respond purposefully, which is crucial for maintaining our ability to provide compassionate and effective care. In this session, participants will learn more about the concept of mindfulness and effective tools for managing stress, enhancing emotional resilience, and fostering a greater sense of well-being.
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Training Date:
May 14, 2025, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Location: Virtual on Zoom
Trainer: Amy Ebbeson, Worcester Addresses Childhood Trauma (ACTs)
Designed to help participants learn about the fundamentals of mental health and trauma, this program integrates current trauma science and provides actionable knowledge on positive steps towards supporting mental health, with a focus on cultivating personal well-being strategies.
Intended Audience: Open to anyone seeking a foundational understanding of how to maintain good mental health and the influence of trauma on mental well-being, catering to those interested in personal growth and resilience.
Learning Outcomes:
Analyze the role social forces such as family, abuse, culture and stigma play in mental health and illness
Use reflection to identify, evaluate and apply personal strategies for stress management, self-care and improved mental health
Understand the multidimensional and intersectional nature of diverse lived experiences and the ongoing, reciprocal, and transactional nature of the relationship between persons and their environments (knowledge and values).
Understand the forms and mechanisms of oppression and power differences as they are manifest in theories and conceptual frameworks that provide ways to understand trauma, abuse and its manifestation in human behavior and group dynamics (knowledge and values)
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Training Date:
June 12, 2025, 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Location: Virtual on Zoom
Trainer: Ayala Livny, M. Ed. and Liz Geisel, MSW
The challenges of working in front-line human services are significant. Staffing shortages, high levels of client distress, resources that are insufficient to meet the needs, the demands of in-person work, and the vicarious and actual trauma staff experience while working with marginalized and vulnerable populations all contribute to challenges with staff engagement, retention, and morale. However, despite these very real challenges, there are things staff can do to promote and enhance a culture of self- and community- care. This workshop will explore the difference between stress and burnout, and how adequate resources and appropriate supports can encourage retention and well-being despite difficult circumstances. Grounded in and guided by models of Trauma-informed Care and Trauma-Informed Supervision, participants will leave with concrete tools and identify the next steps to create and improve a culture of care in their organization.
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Training Date:
June 18, 2025, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Location: Virtual on Zoom
Trainer: Kelsey Hopkins, Worcester ACTs
In demanding work environments, the ability to manage stress, emotions, and reactions is key to personal well-being and workplace success. Self-regulation is the ability to manage emotions, thoughts, and behaviors in a way that aligns with personal values and goals. In this interactive workshop, participants will explore practical techniques for improving emotional awareness, impulse control, and stress management. Through guided exercises, discussions, and real-life applications, attendees will leave with a toolkit of strategies to reduce stress and manage challenging situations with more ease.
Learning Outcomes:
Increase emotional awareness to better recognize and manage your feelings.
Develop self-regulation techniques to align thoughts, emotions, and behaviors with personal goals and values.
Improve stress management by practicing with tools to stay calm and focused in challenging situations.
Frequently Asked Questions
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There are no costs associated with these training sessions. All offerings are free to SEIU Local 509 Public Sector state workers.
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Members will not have to take personal time off for these training sessions. Please follow the guidelines of your agency for requesting time for professional development or training.
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It is always advisable to check in with your supervisor when planning to attend training. You may sign up for training in advance. If you are unable to attend for any reason, please let us know by contacting us at 509commtraining@seiuesf.org.
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Email confirmations will be sent by the end of the business day. If you register after 4 p.m. Eastern Time or on a weekend day, you will receive confirmation by the end of the following business day.
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Yes, all of the details needed for each session are contained within the confirmation. Please note that you may receive additional information from the training provider ahead of the training session.
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Yes, you can register for more than one course at a time. Please note that many of these courses will repeat as the training series continues, so we encourage you to spread out your participation over time. Spreading out participation will allow the most members to participate at one time.
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Yes, some trainings will offer CEUs. Please refer to specific training descriptions for CEU information.
“ It was a very good training and I loved the presenters!! I learned so much and it gave the a more more appreciation and understanding of the community and the language!! THANK YOU so much! "
- Local 509 Member
