Training Calendar

Recruit, Cultivate and Retain (RCR) is a leadership series designed for mid-level managers working in employment and community inclusion service provider agencies. By joining RCR, you will have the opportunity to develop immediately usable skills for developing your own career and promoting increased job satisfaction for staff you manage. In community with other program managers, we will re-energize, create solutions to complex problems and share expertise.

Goals:

• Learn strategies for recruiting, developing and retaining staff
• Increase your leadership skills as a manager and leader
• Develop a plan for advancing your career
• Hone systems and processes for developing staff into leadership positions
• Connect with other leaders that are managing employment and day services
• Deepen and develop relationships across organizations in your community

The Substance Abuse Rehabilitation Technician (SART) program is a collaborative training initiative offered by the University of Maine at Augusta (UMA) Mental Health & Human Services Program and the University of Maine at Farmington (UMF) Rehabilitation and Human Services Program.

The online 10-course SART Certificate Program provides students with the necessary coursework to meet the education requirements for entry-level licensure in substance use disorder treatment in Maine. Whether you’re interested in becoming a substance use treatment counselor, pursuing a degree in a related field, or looking to enhance your existing qualifications, the SART certificate offers a comprehensive educational foundation.

Earn 1 hour of professional development by watching the recordings and completing the short quiz.

Current topics include:

• Outcome Orientated Planning for Transition Age Youth
• Using a 30-Day Placement Plan
• Developing Work-Based Learning Experiences for Students and Youth
• Best Practices in Job Coaching and Supports
• Strategies for Developing Job Opportunities in Maine’s Rural and Remote Communities
• Initiatives and Resources for Individuals Considering Self Employment
• OADs Self Employment Stories from Rhode Island
• Using Progressive Employment
• Supporting Challenging Behaviors in the Workplace
• Technology Tools on the Job
• Best Practices in Social Media
• Practicing with Technology Tools
• The Art of Disclosure
• Creative Strategies for Showcasing Job Seekers: Beyond Traditional Resumes
• Supporting Individuals with Complex Needs
• Supporting Individuals with Brain Injuries to Meet their Employment Goals

Join us for this unique, instructor-supported, 40-hour online training course to become a Certified Employment Specialist and earn your ACRE certificate. The courses and fieldwork are available online 24/7 and there are no in-person meetings required. Log in and complete the work at your convenience!

You will also attend three mandatory live webinars on Zoom to enhance your online learning experience and network with other professionals. Instructors are available via email and during the live webinars to answer your questions and provide support.

Complete the required courses through the College of Employment Services by December 31, 2025. Submit fieldwork assignments in an easy-to-navigate learning management system by February 11, 2026.

When are the mandatory webinars?
• Monday, November 3, 2025, 10–11 am — Orientation Webinar
• Monday, December 15, 2025, 10–11am — Fieldwork Discussion
• Wednesday, February 11, 2026, 10–11am — Implementing ACRE Best Practices

Become a Career Planner! Learn the skills needed to work with people one on one, engage with businesses to connect people to companies, capture and organize accurate information, and develop written Career Plans.

This training consists of three (3) webinars that are each 2 hours long, and one in-person day in Augusta.

Dates for the full Certificate Series:

• February 5, 9-11am (Zoom webinar #1)
• February 12, 8:30am-3:30pm (Live session at the DHHS, OADS Office; 41 Anthony Avenue in Augusta; please arrive at 8:15 am)
• February 26, 9-11am (Zoom webinar #2)
• March 5, 9-11am (Zoom webinar #3)
• March 12 (back up day, if needed)

Course Requirements:

• You must be fully certified as a Work Support Professional or an ACRE Employment Specialist to attend this training.
• You must attend all sessions and complete an evaluation to receive the certificate.
• You must complete assigned homework between sessions.

Registration information:

• Registration is limited and on a first-come, first-served basis.
• The class will be limited to the first 20 enrollees.
• For questions, contact: Lisa.D.Sturtevant@maine.gov

This training provides vocational rehabilitation (VR) professionals and other workforce system professionals with an understanding of how depression and bipolar disorder can impact workplace behavior and performance.  Participants will learn to recognize common symptoms and behaviors that may be overserved in the context of work and how fluctuating (and often invisible) symptoms of bipolar disorder can influence employment stability and progression. Practical tools and light counseling techniques will be introduced to help VRCs and other practitioners foster engagement through a supportive and psychologically safe environment while maintaining focus on employment goals.

This webinar is intended for employment service professionals (ESP), vocational rehabilitation counselors (VRC), and other workforce system professionals working directly with clients to support employment.

CRC and CVE credits have been approved for this webinar.

Monthly learning opportunities for 2026!

Direct support staff, supervisors, and managers from residential, community, and employment programs can join Zoom calls to learn about strategies, tools, and resources they can use to help people make meaningful community connections, develop valued roles, and learn about and explore employment.

February topic: Age Matters- providing age-appropriate supports in services.

Sessions will be held on the last Tuesday of the month through November 2026. No registration required.

Join the monthly meeting using this link.

If you require accommodation, such as real time transcription and captioning (CART) or American Sign Language (ASL) or other language interpretation, please contact OADS at April.Keyes@maine.gov at least 2 weeks prior to the session date. You may also contact Lisa.Cline@maine.gov with questions.

Successful job development for people with disabilities is about uncovering employer unmet needs and aligning them with the strengths of job seekers.

This one-hour webinar will focus on practical strategies for customizing jobs by identifying opportunities within workplaces and approaching employers with confidence. You will learn how to:

• Efficiently gather information to uncover unmet employer needs
• Approach employers confidently to pitch and negotiate customized job ideas

Join us to explore how customizing jobs can create meaningful employment opportunities while meeting business needs.

A person receiving Social Security disability benefits or SSI has likely been told they can't work, or if they do work that they should limit their hours. They may believe they can't work. They may have limited work experience or education. And likely they fear losing their financial and medical safety net if they try to work.

How can a service provider encourage work for a consumer who is living this experience? What is a social service provider to do in this "Employment First" state, especially without experience in employment services?

Join a session to learn what “Work and Benefits Navigation” means, and how you can be an employment champion for your clients and your agency.

As case managers, community integration workers, DSPs, residential staff, or others with a supporting role in the life of a person with a disability, you have a critical role in the employment success of the individuals you serve.  Work and Benefits Navigation training will equip you with information, skills, and resources you need to challenge myths about work and benefits and encourage employment.

Training will be provided by Community Work Incentives Coordinators (CWICs) from Maine Medical Center’s Department of Vocational Services. They have many years of experience in assisting people with navigating Social Security’s return-to-work rules, and encouraging them - and those who play a supporting role in their lives - to think about earnings and work in a new way.

There is no cost for DHHS employees or VR Counselors.

This training provides vocational rehabilitation (VR) professionals and other workforce system professionals with a biopsychosocial perspective on how ADHD manifests in adulthood, and the various ways this can influence workplace behavior and performance.  Participants will explore how ADHD, long assumed to affect only children, can shift in symptoms and show up differently across adulthood, and the impact this can have on their career path and work performance. Resources and strategies will be introduced to help VRCs and other practitioners foster engagement through a supportive and psychologically safe environment while maintaining focus on employment goals.

This webinar is intended for employment service professionals (ESP), vocational rehabilitation counselors (VRC), and other workforce system and human service professionals working directly with clients to support employment.

CRC and CVE credits have been approved for this webinar.

This training provides vocational rehabilitation (VR) professionals and other workforce system professionals with an understanding of how borderline personality disorder can impact workplace behavior and performance. Participants will learn to recognize common symptoms and behaviors that may be overserved in the context of work and how borderline personality disorder can influence employment stability and progression, including some of the underlying relational dynamics that come into play in the therapeutic working relationship. Practical tools and light counseling techniques will be introduced to help VR counselors and other practitioners foster engagement through a supportive and psychologically safe environment while maintaining focus on employment goals.

This webinar is intended for employment service professionals (ESP), vocational rehabilitation counselors (VRC), and other workforce system and human service professionals working directly with clients to support employment.

CRC and CVE credits have been approved for this webinar.

This training provides vocational rehabilitation (VR) professionals and other workforce system professionals with an understanding of how PTSD can impact workplace behavior and performance. Participants will learn to recognize symptoms and behaviors that may be overserved in the context of work, and how PTSD can influence employment stability and progression. Strategies and tools will be introduced to help VR counselors and other practitioners foster engagement through a supportive and psychologically safe environment while maintaining focus on employment goals.

This webinar is intended for employment service professionals (ESP), vocational rehabilitation counselors (VRC), and other workforce system and human service professionals working directly with clients to support employment.

CRC credits have been approved for this webinar.

A person receiving Social Security disability benefits or SSI has likely been told they can't work, or if they do work that they should limit their hours. They may believe they can't work. They may have limited work experience or education. And likely they fear losing their financial and medical safety net if they try to work.

How can a service provider encourage work for a consumer who is living this experience? What is a social service provider to do in this "Employment First" state, especially without experience in employment services?

Join a session to learn what “Work and Benefits Navigation” means, and how you can be an employment champion for your clients and your agency.

As employment support providers, you have a critical role in the employment success of the individuals you serve.  Work and Benefits Navigation training will equip you with information, skills, and resources you need to challenge myths about work and benefits and encourage employment.

Training will be provided by Community Work Incentives Coordinators (CWICs) from Maine Medical Center’s Department of Vocational Services. They have many years of experience in assisting people with navigating Social Security’s return-to-work rules, and encouraging them - and those who play a supporting role in their lives - to think about earnings and work in a new way.

There is no cost for DHHS employees or VR Counselors.

Monthly learning opportunities for 2026!

Direct support staff, supervisors, and managers from residential, community, and employment programs can join Zoom calls to learn about strategies, tools, and resources they can use to help people make meaningful community connections, develop valued roles, and learn about and explore employment.

March topic: A Vision for Community Life - strategies for building relationships and community connections.

Sessions will be held on the last Tuesday of the month through November 2026. No registration required.

Join the monthly meeting using this link.

If you require accommodation, such as real time transcription and captioning (CART) or American Sign Language (ASL) or other language interpretation, please contact OADS at April.Keyes@maine.gov at least 2 weeks prior to the session date. You may also contact Lisa.Cline@maine.gov with questions.