The NATIONAL HEALTH CARE FOR THE HOMELESS COUNCIL offers the following trainings to improve the health of homeless people and to help end homelessness. We invite health care providers and others serving people without homes to inquire about setting up training sessions. Workshops are highly interactive and flexible to meet local needs. Trainings can be arranged for national, regional, and state conferences, community meetings, or single agencies. CMEs and CEUs are available for many trainings. You may request additional information about workshops, fees, and minimum participation requirements by clicking here.

 HCH 101: ORIENTATION FOR NEW STAFF
AVAILABLE AS SINGLE WORKSHOP OR HALF-DAY FORMAT
Designed for new HCH staff, this workshop provides an overview of the causes of homelessness, evolution of the HCH Program, and the unique HCH philosophy of care. The training is available for regional and national conferences.

 CONSUMER INVOLVEMENT IN HCH PROJECTS
AVAILABLE AS A SINGLE WORKSHOP OR HALF-DAY FORMAT
The Public Health Service Act requires consumer involvement in HCH governance. Though this reflects an HCH commitment to consumer empowerment, it is often difficult to achieve. This workshop reviews lessons learned from HCH projects across the country and explores structures and approaches to develop consumer leadership and assure meaningful consumer involvement in agency governance, and is provided in collaboration with the National Consumer Advisory Board.

DOCUMENTING DISABILITY:
TRAINING FOR MEDICAL PROVIDERS
AVAILABLE AS SINGLE WORKSHOP OR HALF-DAY FORMAT. 
A special opportunity for medical providers to learn how they can expedite Federal disability benefits (SSI/SSDI) for individuals with severe medical impairments. Participants will learn why it is especially important for clinicians to support homeless individuals’ disability claims and how they can do so efficiently and effectively. Based on Documenting Disability: Simple Strategies for Medical Providers, the training is specifically designed for physicians, psychologists, and others who are authorized to provide medical evidence of impairment in support of SSI/SSDI applications. Other clinicians (nurse practitioners, physician assistants, clinical nurse specialists, nurses, medical outreach workers) who assist with documentation of medical impairments are also welcome.

TRAINING IN OUTREACH
AVAILABLE AS SINGLE WORKSHOP, HALF-DAY, OR ONE-DAY FORMAT, AND IN A TRAIN-THE-TRAINER FORMAT.
Outreach is central to the HCH approach to care. Based on the curriculum Outreach to People Experiencing Homelessness, this workshop focuses on the purpose and principles of outreach, the Relational Outreach and Engagement Model, engagement and retention strategies, enhancing motivation, worker safety, personal and organizational wellness, ethical guidelines, working in the community, and advocacy. This workshop is intended for new and experienced staff of all disciplines involved in outreach. This workshop may also provide an opportunity to bring together outreach workers from other organizations in your community.

SELF-MANAGEMENT GOAL SETTING
AVAILABLE IN HALF-DAY OR ONE-DAY FORMAT
People experiencing homelessness bear a higher burden of illness such as diabetes, asthma, and heart disease. Managing chronic conditions while living in a shelter or on the streets can leave clients feeling helpless and overwhelmed. Self-management goal setting is designed to allow clients to take charge of their health. This training, designed for non-medical and medical personnel alike, will introduce participants to the fundamentals of behavioral change strategies to support clients in taking steps toward improving their health. This interactive workshop teaches how to help clients identify self-management goals that consider the realities of homelessness and design plans that can support their independence. From designing an action plan to assessing clients’ confidence levels for success, this workshop will walk you through the necessary steps to help clients better care for themselves.

FACILITATING CHANGE:
TRAINING IN MOTIVATIONAL INTERVIEWING
AVAILABLE IN HALF-DAY OR ONE-DAY FORMAT
Motivational interviewing is a client-centered, directive method for enhancing intrinsic motivation to change by exploring and resolving ambivalence. Consistent with the HCH approach to care, motivational interviewing is useful for clinicians of all disciplines to help effect behavioral change. In this training, participants will learn the basic principles and methods of motivational interviewing and practice skills using homeless-specific case examples.

RESPITE 101
AVAILABLE IN HALF-DAY OR ONE-DAY FORMAT.
In many communities, emergency shelters have become the only places available to provide respite care. This workshop focuses on how to build a model of respite care, maximizing respite services within a shelter system, and how support and collaboration between the HCH program and the shelter can optimize the care of shelter guests who are ill.

SHELTER HEALTH: ESSENTIALS OF CARE FOR PEOPLE LIVING IN SHELTER
AVAILABLE IN HALF-DAY OR ONE DAY FORMAT.
Individuals and families staying in shelters often have unique health issues and risks, as well as barriers to accessing traditional health care services. This workshop, based on the Shelter Health guide, is designed to increase the expertise of shelter staff and those providing services at shelters on common health conditions among homeless persons, health promotion strategies, environmental health and safety, behavioral health concerns, coping with grief and loss, communication, and community coordination of health services. The training is relevant for non-medical and medical personnel alike.

STAFF RETREATS
AVAILABLE IN HALF-DAY OR ONE DAY FORMAT
Retreats provide an effective means to increase staff morale and cohesion, commitment to mission, and staff retention in HCH projects. In the midst of very challenging work, staff need opportunities to step back, be renewed, and explore ways to promote personal and organizational wellness. Based on the resource guide, Creating and Maintaining a Healthy Work Environment, a Council staff person is available to assist with planning and facilitating retreats for HCH projects, programs, or teams.

TRAINING FOR SUPERVISORS IN HCH SETTINGS
AVAILABLE IN HALF-DAY OR ONE DAY FORMAT.
Effective supervision is critical to ensure the provision of quality patient care and to enhance staff retention in HCH projects. This interactive workshop is designed for new and experienced supervisors of all disciplines. Topics include personal experience of supervision, characteristics of an effective supervisor, developmental model of supervision, roles and functions of supervision, and challenges of supervision (constructive feedback, progressive discipline, stress and burnout). Participants will practice skills to improve their effectiveness as supervisors.