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.

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn how AI can transform your approach to supporting individuals seeking employment. This session will provide practical tools and strategies for professionals, including:
• A beginner’s guide to using AI
• Guidelines around privacy and ethical use of AI
• Common uses of AI in employment services for people with disabilities
• Techniques for refining prompts to achieve more precise results
• Utilizing AI tools for job matching, crafting cover letters, and optimizing resumes

Questions? Email Kelly.Wanzer@umb.edu.

This webinar is appropriate for any staff or educators who are assisting individuals to find or maintain competitive employment. Earn 1 hour of professional development credits.

Join the Brain Injury Association of America for this premier conference focused on brain injury treatment, recovery, research, and resources in Maine.

• Keynote Address on Young Brains, Real Strokes: Navigating Cerebrovascular Injury Across the Lifespan by Elizabeth Rosen, MD, Director, TIA-CARE Program, Tufts Medical Center
• Beverley Bryant Memorial Lecture on Forward through the Fog: Turning Challenges into Strength by Marc Landry
• 15 breakout sessions for professionals, individuals living with brain injury, and family caregivers
• Exhibits from leading organizations serving the brain injury community in Maine

Questions related to registration should be emailed to conferences@biausa.org.

Helping youth with disabilities successfully transition from school to employment requires intentional planning, strong partnerships, and person-centered approaches.

Person-centered practices are more than a planning process, they are a way of thinking that places the individual at the center of decision-making and supports people in pursuing lives filled with choice, purpose, and meaningful community participation.

In this webinar, participants will explore the relationship between person-centered thinking and person-centered planning. This includes concepts of what is important to and important for a person, as well as strategies for building supports that leverage personal strengths, relationships, community resources, technology, and eligibility-specific services.

Questions? Email Kelly.Wanzer@umb.edu

Effective communication is essential for workplace success. Many job seekers and employees with disabilities benefit from communication-focused accommodations and support.

In this two-part webinar series, participants will learn how to recognize and support diverse communication needs during the employment process. Learners will explore practical strategies for fostering effective communication, building understanding among coworkers and supervisors, and helping employees express their thoughts, needs, and preferences.

This webinar is appropriate for any staff or educators who assist individuals to find or maintain competitive employment.

Questions? Email Kelly.Wanzer@umb.edu.

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.

September Topic: Inclusion Through Technology—using assistive technology to live a more independent
life

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.

A well-crafted resume is one of the most powerful tools a job seeker has, but creating one that captures an employer’s attention requires more than simply listing past jobs.

In today's competitive hiring environment, resumes need to communicate skills, accomplishments, and qualifications in a succinct and clear way, while also meeting the expectations of hiring professionals and Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS).

This training equips employment service professionals and job seekers with practical strategies for developing strong, customized resumes that highlight each job candidate’s unique strengths and experiences and matches them to the job they want by exploring effective writing techniques, formatting best practices, and methods for tailoring resumes to specific job postings.

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.

October Topic: Putting Employment First—understanding your role in supporting people to learn about and explore employment.

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.

You can become a Career Planner! Learn the skills you need 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 includes three (3) webinars that are each 2 hours long, and one in-person day in Augusta.

Certificate Series Schedule:

• Thursday, November 5, 9–11am (Zoom Webinar #1)
• Thursday, November 12, 8:30am–3:30pm (In-Person Meeting in Augusta)
• Thursday, November 19, 9–11am (Zoom Webinar #2)
• Thursday, December 3, 9–11am (Zoom Webinar #3)

The 1-day, in-person meeting will be at the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Aging and Disability Services on 41 Anthony Avenue in Augusta, ME. Please arrive at 8:15am.

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.
• The course will be limited to the first 20 enrollees.

Registration is limited and on a first-come, first-served basis. For questions, contact: Lisa.D.Sturtevant@maine.gov.

Who can benefit from Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS), and are we reaching them?

This webinar will unpack the difference between eligible and potentially eligible students with disabilities and examine how employment service providers, schools, and community partners can work together to expand access. Participants will explore practical strategies for promoting Pre-ETS and reaching students in both traditional and non-traditional school settings, connecting more young people with services that can help prepare them for employment.

Audience: This webinar is intended for employment service professionals (ESP), vocational rehabilitation counselors (VRC), special education teachers, and others who support students with disabilities as they engage in secondary transition services and prepare to reach their education, training, employment, independent living, and community inclusion goals after high school.