Training and Technical Assistance Announcement

 

Upcoming Trainings!

Diversion Training for Connecticut’s Homeless Response System

June 30th, 2026


10:00 A.M. - 12:00 P.M.

Homeless Diversion: The Alternative to Homelessness

 

Homeless diversion is a proactive, housing-focused strategy that helps individuals and families resolve housing crises quickly, safely, and with the least disruption possible. This interactive training is designed for frontline staff, housing professionals, and community partners who support households experiencing housing instability. 

Participants will learn how to use person-centered, trauma-informed, and strengths-based approaches to help households identify safe alternatives to shelter, strengthen natural supports, and connect to community resources that promote long-term housing stability. 


Training Objectives 

By the end of this training, participants will be able to: 

  • Define diversion and understand its role within Connecticut's Homeless Response System. 
  • Apply the core principles of effective diversion, including housing-focused, person-centered, and trauma-informed practices. 
  • Utilize the 6 Steps to Housing Problem-Solving Conversations to support households in crisis. 
  • Strengthen communication skills through active listening, motivational interviewing, and empathy-based engagement. 
  • Identify household strengths, natural supports, and community resources that can help resolve housing crises. 
  • Develop practical diversion plans that support housing stability, income growth, and connection to services. 
  • Improve documentation practices and understand key CAN appointment outcomes. 



This training invites participants to think differently about homelessness response, shifting from program placement to housing problem-solving, and equips staff with practical tools to help households achieve safe, immediate, and sustainable housing solutions. 


Presenter:  

Bobbi T. Riddick-Jackson 

Community Impact Program Manager 

Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness (CCEH) 

What Everyone Needs to Know about Homelessness, Railroads, and Transit Security

July 14th, 2026


10:00 A.M. - 11:30 A.M.

This training provides an overview of rail safety awareness and cross-system coordination strategies for professionals working with individuals experiencing homelessness. Participants will learn key rail safety concepts, including Operation Lifesaver principles, the Emergency Notification System, and critical safety information for unhoused individuals and outreach workers interacting near rail lines and train systems. 


The training will also explore coordination efforts with DMHAS-funded outreach teams (T-HOP) and current approaches to supporting unhoused individuals within the rail system. Emphasis will be placed on practical safety awareness, collaborative response efforts, and strengthening understanding of how transportation systems and homeless outreach services intersect to support safety, engagement, and community response. 


Learning Objectives: 

By the end of this training, participants will be able to: 

  • Identify key rail safety risks and safety practices relevant to unhoused individuals and outreach staff working near rail systems. 
  • Describe the purpose and use of rail safety resources, including Operation Lifesaver and the Emergency Notification System. 
  • Explain current coordination efforts between transportation systems and DMHAS-funded outreach teams (T-HOP) supporting individuals experiencing homelessness. 
  • Recognize opportunities for collaboration between transportation partners, outreach providers, and homeless response systems to improve safety, engagement, and crisis response. 
  • Apply practical safety awareness strategies when working with or supporting individuals in rail environments. 


Presenters: 


Diana Palmer 

Transportation Rail Officer 

Connecticut Department of Transportation 


Jude Garden 

CTrail 

Understanding Anger Workshop

September 18th, 2026


9:00 A.M. - 4:00 P.M.

Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence (CCADV)

100 Roscommon Drive

Middletown CT, 06457

CCEH Member Rate: $90


Non-Member Rate: $110

Across different care settings, service providers routinely see clients whose anger reactions contribute to significant loss and suffering. While anger is a frequent and universal human emotion, it has received surprisingly little attention as a clinical problem. 


When addressing anger, service providers commonly engage in unproductive conversation (e.g., clients venting about unfair actions of others) and struggle to help clients move away from impulsive reactions toward more thoughtful decisions and behaviors likely to lead to better outcomes. 


In this session, participants will practice identifying the key features of client anger reactions by applying a 6-stage Anger Episode Model Interview to understand how anger is experienced and expressed in the client’s real-life interactions. The analysis of anger episodes forms the groundwork for effective case management and collaboratively identifying relevant intervention goals. A flexible menu of well-established interventions for managing anger difficulties will be reviewed. 


This workshop is highly interactive, incorporating structured learning activities that include recorded work samples, small group exercises, and “real”-plays. This session provides an efficient way to update your knowledge and skills in this challenging clinical area. 


 Learning Objectives 

In this workshop, participants will: 

  • Understand common anger myths and learn about scientifically supported anger facts 
  • Be able to understand client anger reactions according to a 6-stage sequential anger episode model 
  • Practice conducting an anger episode interview to efficiently identify relevant anger components in clients’ typical reactions 
  • Acquire knowledge of empirically supported interventions and additional resources to help clientele with dysregulated anger 


 Meet the Trainer: 

Raymond Chip Tafrate, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and Criminology and Criminal Justice professor at Central Connecticut State University. He is on the advisory board of the forensic special interest group for the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, the editorial board for Criminal Justice and Behavior, and a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers. 


Dr. Tafrate frequently consults with criminal justice agencies, programs, and community mental health centers and has trained thousands of professionals to work more effectively with adolescents and adults with difficult-to-change problems such as anger dysregulation and criminal behavior. He has presented his research throughout North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. 



 His most recent anger podcast from the American Psychological Association is: 

  • American Psychological Association, Speaking of Psychology (March 2022). How to keep anger from getting the best of you. 

 His most recent books are: 

  • The Practitioner’s Guide to Anger Management: Customizable Interventions, Treatments, and Tools for Clients with Problem Anger 
  • Anger Management for Everyone: Ten Proven Strategies to Help you Control Anger and Live a Happier Life 
  • CBT with Justice-involved Clients: Interventions for Antisocial and Self-destructive Behaviors 
  • Forensic CBT: A Handbook for Clinical Practice 

*Please contact Amber Freeman at afreeman@cceh.org or Angie Frias at afrias@cceh.org if you have any questions or concerns.

Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness

(860) 721-7876 | training@cceh.org | www.cceh.org

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