HCS Behavioral Health and Professional Development Training Opportunities
Home and Community Services (HCS) is offering a series of virtual trainings throughout 2026 to help long-term care providers strengthen their knowledge and skills in behavioral health, dementia care, crisis intervention, trauma-informed care, cultural competency, and professional resilience.
These trainings are designed for community providers and caregivers and offer Continuing Education (CE) credits for participants who attend the entire training and complete the required evaluation.
Training Requirements
To receive Continuing Education (CE) credit and a certificate, participants must:
- Attend and actively participate for the entire training.
- Complete the required evaluation at the end of the session.
- Join the training using a desktop or laptop computer through Microsoft Teams.
- Have an account in CareLearn (community providers/caregivers) or the DSHS Learning Center (LMS) for DSHS staff.
- Request ASL and/or CART services by emailing bstref@dshs.wa.gov at least 60 days before the scheduled training.
Dementia-Specific Behavioral Interventions (1 CEU)
This training teaches participants how to respond to dementia-related distress behaviors using person centered, non-pharmacological, and least-restrictive strategies, including identifying triggers, adapting
communication, reducing distress during ADLs, and documenting effective responses.
Training Dates
- July 8, 2026 | 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
- September 9, 2026 | 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Cultural Competency and Diversity in Residential Care (1 CEU)
This training covers cultural humility, bias awareness, and communication skills to build respectful,
inclusive, person-centered care, including language-access resources and applying diversity awareness to
documentation, planning, and daily interactions.
Training Dates
- July 15, 2026 | 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
- September 16, 2026 | 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Suicidal and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury (2 CEUs)
his training covers terminology, contextual factors surrounding suicidal ideation, and the development
and expression of suicidal ideation and self-harming behaviors. Participants learn how to recognize and
prevent self-harming behaviors to support safer long-term care environments.
Training Date
- July 22, 2026 | 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
- September 30, 2026 | 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Trauma-Informed Care: Trauma Theory and Orientation – Part One (1 CEU)
The training Provides an overview of trauma types, co-occurring disorders, and the impact of trauma
exposure. Part One introduces the concepts and theoretical
background of trauma and trauma-informed care.
Training Dates
- July 29, 2026 | 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
- August 5, 2026 | 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Trauma-Informed Care: Application and Practice – Part Two (1.5 CEUs)
The training provides an overview of trauma types, co-occurring disorders, and the impact of trauma
exposure. Part Two focuses on practical skills and reinforces knowledge introduced in Part One.
Training Date
- August 5, 2026 | 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Mental Health Disorders: Foundations of Signs, Symptoms, and Interventions (1.5 CEUs)
The training Introduces core foundations of mental health conditions in long-term care, with a focus on
anxiety and mood disorders such as depression and bipolar disorder. Covers impacts on behavior,
communication, and daily functioning, along with stigma reduction and person-centered interventions.
Training Date
- August 12, 2026 | 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Social Connections: Mental Health Conditions in Nursing Facilities (1.75 CEUs)
This training course provides the foundational knowledge to support the mental health needs of clients in
nursing facilities.
Training Date
- August 26, 2026 | 10:00 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.
Beyond Surviving: Reclaiming Identity through Mental Health Recovery (1 CEU)
The training introduces behavior modification for individuals living with severe mental illness, including
observing behavior, modifying problematic behaviors, documenting behaviors, assessing behavior,
identifying person-centered interventions, and tracking changes.
Training Date
- September 2, 2026 | 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Understanding and Responding to Mental Health Crises (2.5 CEUs)
This training provides foundational knowledge and strategies for responding to mental health crises,
including de-escalation, situational awareness, evidence-based responses to emotional and behavioral
outbursts, and crisis planning
Training Dates
- October 7, 2026 | 9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
- December 2, 2026 | 9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Registration: Click Here
Motivational Interviewing and Crisis Response: A Trauma-Informed Approach (1 CEU)
This training provides an overview of using motivational interviewing in crisis situations through a traumainformed approach. Covers motivational interviewing tenets, crisis stabilization, and supporting individuals
with problematic behaviors during crisis
Training Dates
- October 14, 2026 | 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
- December 9, 2026 | 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Emotionally Intelligent Care: Enhancing Resilience with Trauma-Informed Practices (2.5 CEUs)
The training introduces trauma-informed care, emotional resilience, and emotional intelligence in
caregiving settings. Covers recognizing trauma, building resilience, managing stress and interactions,
responding to trauma-related behaviors, and applying learning through case studies and activities.
Training Dates
- October 21, 2026 | 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
- December 16, 2026 | 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Cultivating Behavioral Interventions for Mental Health Disorders (1.5 CEUs)
The training introduces the creation of behavioral interventions for individuals living with severe mental
illness. Covers behavioral assessment, documenting behaviors associated with mental illness, using
assessment information to create interventions, and applying
case studies and practical methods.
Training Date
- October 28, 2026 | 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Mental Health Disorders: Complex Diagnoses and Advanced Intervention Strategies (2 CEUs)
This training provides an overview of substance use and substance use disorders, including key terms, the
spectrum of use, common observable signs, stigma-free language, harm reduction basics, and clear
behavior-support pathways.
Training Date
- November 4, 2026 | 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Substance Use and Co-Occurring Disorders (1 CEU)
This training provides an overview of substance use and substance use disorders, including key terms, the
spectrum of use, common observable signs, stigma-free language, harm reduction basics, and clear
behavior-support pathways.
Training Date
- November 18, 2026 | 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
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