CUCS is thrilled to announce a training initiative for staff of human service organizations.  While human service organizations are charged with the difficult task of helping individuals and families with multiple challenges to improve their lives, many staff at these agencies have trouble finding trainings that help them develop the practical skills and knowledge they need. CUCS, a long time training and service provider, is launching this new training initiative to address this need. Trainings are targeted to front line staff and their supervisors, priced on a per-person basis, and include topics such as developing counseling skills, preventing and responding to crises, understanding mental illness, managing stress, and others of practical, day to day benefit to human services staff. 

For fifteen years, CUCS has been known for its expertise in training transitional and permanent housing providers working with mentally ill adults through its long-standing contract with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH).  Through this new initiative, CUCS will offer customized training to other human service providers who are not eligible to attend the trainings offered under their DOHMH contract.

As CUCS’ Deputy Director, Joe DeGenova explains, “For years we have received requests from organizations that are not eligible for the DOHMH sponsored trainings.  Many pay a fee to have us come to their site and provide a training exclusively for them, but for those who couldn’t afford that, or didn’t want a large enough group trained to justify the expense, we had nothing to offer them.  This new training initiative enables human services staff to attend CUCS trainings on an affordable, fee per person basis.”

These new trainings are designed for staff working with people living with HIV/AIDS, substance abuse issues and/or mental illness and the skills participants learn can be used in homeless service settings, permanent housing, the criminal justice system, substance abuse treatment and other social services programs.  Trainings are available for experienced service providers as well as people who are new to the field, and many are New York State Office of Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) accredited.

“Because CUCS is not just a training organization, but also a human service provider, we are able to combine real-word experience with the latest research and evidence-based interventions.  This results in trainings that apply theory in a practical way that can be immediately used by training participants in their day-to-day work,” claims, Lauren Pareti, CUCS’ Director of Training and Consulting Services.

CUCS trains more than 5,000 people each year, provides services to more than 25,000 individuals and families annually and is recognized as a leader in advancing effective programs and policies for disadvantaged populations.  CUCS asks trainees to evaluate each training it provides, and that feedback is used to improve trainings to better meet the needs of training participants.  93% of people trained by CUCS report that they would recommend the training to their peers and 80% say that they plan on using their new knowledge at least weekly in their work.

CUCS offers trainings on more than a dozen human services topics at its comfortable and modern training center in East Harlem.   Half-day trainings are $65 and full-day trainings are$110.  For more information about the trainings currently available, please click here .