Training

Building Capacity for Social Change

YWCA Greater Austin is committed to implementing racial and social justice programming in our daily work. Our Training Program provides a space for education, personal growth, and professional development that builds capacity for social change. Offering educational and informative presentations by mental health professionals, social workers, educators, school counselors, youth workers, nationally-known speakers, and others working in social service organizations, provides the opportunity to disseminate new ideas on racial justice and equity in our communities.

Our trainings include the provision of continuing education units for licensed professionals, training for students completing their licensure requirements in social work and counseling, and personalized organizational training for community entities seeking to address equity issues in their work.

Training and Group Rates

Training Offerings

CONTINUING EDUCATION SERIES | CEU

For over 20 years, YWCA Greater Austin has been an accredited provider of Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for licensed social workers (LM/LCSW), licensed marriage & family therapists (LMFT) and licensed professional counselors (LPC). Through the Continuing Education Series, licensed clinicians, educators, and others working in social services have the opportunity to sharpen their professional skills. Topics in this series have included:

  • The Neurobiology of Trauma

  • Ethical Decision Making

  • Working with Families and Children

  • Compassion Fatigue

  • Understanding Secondary Trauma

  • Ethical Considerations Utilizing Somatic Approaches in Trauma Resolution

  • Death Row: A manifestation of racism, oppression, and trauma in the US

YWCA PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SERIES | PDS

Through the innovative and informative Professional Development Series, YWCA Training Institute harnesses the skills and talent of locally-known speakers and professionals to educate Greater Austin community members about emerging issues in the ever-changing workplace. Topics in this series have included

  • Positions to Uplift or Oppress: the Impact of Unrecognized Power

  • Building Rapport

  • Financial Literacy

  • Interpersonal Communications

  • Exploring Implicit Bias in the Workplace

YWCA PERSONAL GROWTH SERIES | PGS

YWCA Personal Growth Series helps participants capitalize on their personal resources and develop new inner strengths to facilitate growth and self-awareness. Topics in this series have included:

  • Mindfulness

  • Yoga

  • Self-defense and Bystander Intervention

  • Creative Writing

  • Reorienting to life after a year of COVID-19 - Supporting Adults and Families

Additional Trainings

  • Self-Regulate to Co-Regulate: A Trauma-Informed Approach to De-escalation
    Polyvagal Theory, the science of feeling safe, will be examined as a way of understanding how our sense of safety or lack of safety influences our behaviors. Participants will gain strategies to invite self-regulation in times of dysregulation and learn how a grounded nervous system invites a sense of safety and calm in others for co-regulation. 

  • Working With Diverse Populations from a Trauma-Informed Perspective
    This workshop will build awareness of self by inviting individuals to look explore the domains of identity, biases, beliefs, and assumptions.  We will discuss what is trauma and how it might present in diverse populations. There will be experiential exercises, group discussion, and presentation of information.

  • Open Minds, Open Hearts: Trauma-Informed Group Facilitation

  • This multi-part training will explore how to create trauma-informed group spaces, as facilitators, which take into consideration not just personal trauma responses, but also collective, historical, and intergenerational trauma responses. 

  • Exploring Systemic Privilege and Microaggressions
    This workshop evaluates systemic power dynamics and imbalances. It provides tools to identify and remedy subtle/hidden barriers inherent that are codified through existing and acceptable policies and procedures.

  • Addressing Intersectionality
    This workshop examines influential, interlocking dimensions of social identities that shape institutions, dynamics, processes, and cultures. It draws on a variety of sources to understand how social identities set-up power dynamics in different environments and systems, thereby impacting the lived experiences of vulnerable/marginalized communities.

  • Know Thyself: Identifying Patterns of Oppression
    This workshop guides participants through an honest discussion and assessment of the barriers that exist within an organization that inhibit equity and access and how individuals contribute to the continuation of these barriers. Participants will begin to develop ideas around addressing the barriers and integrating social equity as part of the organizational culture.

  • Customize a training for your workplace! YWCA Greater Austin staff will consult with your team to design a customized training plan for your nuanced needs.

Clinical Placements

YWCA Greater Austin works cooperatively with colleges and universities to provide students impactful and inspiring real world experience.

Most of our masters-level interns are social work and counseling students. Students typically receive 15 hours of training, carry a case-load, complete intake assessments, attend individual and group supervision, conduct research and co-facilitate groups.

Our bachelor-level internships are more generalist and offers students the opportunity to develop case-management, advocacy, outreach, group facilitation, research, and administrative and planning skills.

We regularly collaborate with the University of Texas at Austin, St. Edward's University, Baylor University, Texas State University, and The University of Texas at San Antonio. We anticipate fostering relationships with other universities and colleges as students express an interest.

Clinical Volunteers

The YWCA Counseling and Referral center accepts people with LPC-Is and LMSWs working towards completing their clinical hours for advanced licensure. Clinical volunteers formulate a plan with their supervisor, carry an on-going caseload, co-facilitate groups, and attend individual and group supervision.

Supervision

Within the YWCA Counseling and Referral center program, students, clinical volunteers, and community volunteers work under the supervision of the Clinical Director, the Clinical Supervisor, or a Lead Counselor. They receive individual and group supervision on a weekly basis.

To Apply

If you are a professor or student interested in the social work/counseling intern/practicum program, or if you are interested in the clinical or community volunteer positions, please contact Practice Director Haleigh Campbell at haleigh@ywcaaustin.org and Clinical Director Laura Gomez-Horton at laura@ywcaaustin.org.

History

YWCA Greater Austin's first documented education and training experience dates back to 1920. Since then its course offerings have evolved to meet the changing realities of the Greater Austin community. The Volunteer and Training Institute promotes racial justice and civil rights by building capacity both within YWCA Greater Austin and in the Greater Austin community to address the root causes of gender and racial injustice from the personal to the professional and institutional.