Registration is now open for a one-day professional development program, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for Social and Human Services Training & Workshop, on May 20, from 9:30 a.m.–noon, through the University of Maine Hutchinson Center. The fee for this online, instructor-led program is $70.

Designed to deepen participants' awareness around diversity, equity and inclusivity, this program will support participants in the social and human services fields to increase how they can implement strategies to make their practice a safer space for all. 

This interactive and dynamic program, held synchronously via a live Zoom session, is a solution-focused program, focusing on individual and collaborative education, theory, philosophy, and action steps.

Interested people from social and human services are welcome to participate: licensed clinical social workers (LCSW), social work students, mental health counselors and behavior management aides, psychiatrists, nurses, psychologists, social workers, rehabilitation and addiction/substance abuse counselors and child protective caseworkers. Teams of people from the same institution, business, school or organization are encouraged to participate. 

The program is facilitated by UMaine alumnus David Patrick, MSW, co-founder of Racial Equity & Justice Firm. As an advocate for communities of color, Patrick supports families, individuals and students through his work as a co-founder of Racial Equity & Justice, and associate director of The Peace & Justice Center of Eastern Maine. Patrick combines experiential knowledge, social work education and clinical problem-solving skills to build cross-cultural relationships, offer consultation and provide mediation. His focus is working with strategic partners, stakeholders and community leaders for policy development and implementation, and community change.

For those interested in continuing education credits, 0.2 CEUs and 2.5 contact hours are available.

For information or to request a reasonable accommodation, contact Michelle Patten, um.fhc.pd@maine.edu; 207.338.8002. A limited number of need-based scholarships are available for people who live or work in Knox or Waldo County. For more information about upcoming professional development programs, scholarships or to register, go online. Early registration is recommended as spots are limited. 

About the Hutchinson Center:

The Hutchinson Center is an outreach center for the University of Maine in Orono that serves as an educational and cultural center for the Midcoast area. It is named for University of Maine President Emeritus Frederick E. Hutchinson. The mission of the Hutchinson Center is to broaden access to University of Maine academic and non-degree programs and services, lifelong learning opportunities, and professional and career development experiences using innovative approaches that increase synergy among University of Maine System entities, University of Maine departments and divisions, and that engage a wider Maine community.

About the University of Maine:

The University of Maine, founded in Orono in 1865, is the state's land grant, sea grant and space grant university, with a regional campus at the University of Maine at Machias. UMaine is located on Marsh Island in the homeland of the Penobscot Nation. UMaine Machias is located in the homeland of the Passamaquoddy Nation. As Maine's flagship public university, UMaine has a statewide mission of teaching, research and economic development, and community service. UMaine is the state's only public research university and among the most comprehensive higher education institutions in the Northeast. It attracts students from all 50 states and 81 countries. UMaine currently enrolls 11,989 undergraduate and graduate students, and UMaine Machias enrolls 747 undergraduates. Our students have opportunities to participate in groundbreaking research with world-class scholars. UMaine offers more than 100 degree programs through which students can earn master's, doctoral or professional science master's degrees, as well as graduate certificates. UMaine Machias offers 18 degree programs. The university promotes environmental stewardship, with substantial efforts campuswide to conserve energy, recycle and adhere to green building standards in new construction. For more information about UMaine and UMaine Machias, visit umaine.edu and machias.edu.