Dharma Consulting LLC
www.findingdharma.org
Continuing Education for Paraprofessionals in Healthcare, Education & Community Services
This 12-workshop continuing education curriculum is designed for paraprofessionals in healthcare, education, and community services — including Traditional Health Workers, Peer Support Specialists, Behavioral Health Skills Trainers, and frontline paraprofessionals across helping disciplines. Each workshop is aligned to OHA THW core competencies and built around the real challenges of frontline paraprofessional work.
Workshops are organized into six thematic areas covering crisis response, trauma-informed practice, digital behavioral health, systems navigation, communication skills, and workforce wellness. All sessions are available online through our learning platform — study anytime, anywhere at your own pace. Use them for individual professional development or as a comprehensive 12-course certification series.
Paraprofessionals across healthcare, education, and community services
Click any course to view the description and learning objectives
Equips peer support specialists with practical de-escalation techniques and collaborative safety planning skills. Participants learn to recognize escalating behaviors, apply verbal and non-verbal strategies, and co-develop personalized safety plans using trauma-informed, autonomy-respecting approaches.
Explores the unique ethical considerations and boundary challenges inherent in peer support work. Covers strategic self-disclosure, dual relationships, confidentiality requirements, and ethical decision-making frameworks aligned with National Practice Guidelines for Peer Supporters and professional ethical standards for paraprofessionals.
Provides a comprehensive understanding of trauma and its neurobiological effects. Participants explore SAMHSA's six principles of trauma-informed care, learn to recognize trauma responses in peer relationships, and develop skills for creating psychological safety while managing vicarious trauma.
Moves beyond cultural competence to cultural humility — a lifelong practice of self-reflection, openness, and accountability. Participants explore personal cultural identities, examine implicit biases, and develop practical skills for serving Oregon's diverse communities including communities of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, immigrants, refugees, and rural populations.
Explores the complex relationship between technology use and mental health. Peer supporters learn to recognize problematic technology use, understand the psychological mechanisms behind social media's impact on wellbeing, and develop strategies for supporting peers in building healthier digital habits — including the beneficial uses of technology in recovery.
Prepares peer support specialists to deliver effective telehealth services. Covers technical best practices, strategies for building rapport virtually, HIPAA compliance, adapting peer support techniques to virtual delivery, and managing crisis situations remotely — with hands-on paired practice.
Provides a comprehensive overview of Oregon's behavioral health system including CCOs, community mental health programs, the Oregon Health Plan, and the full continuum of care from prevention to crisis. Participants practice navigating referral processes, supporting care transitions, and advocating for peers within system constraints.
Develops systematic skills for mapping and connecting peers to community resources. Covers social determinants of health, resource evaluation for cultural responsiveness and accessibility, strategies for building community partnerships, and executing warm referrals that support successful connection.
Develops skills for facilitating peer-led support groups — distinct from clinical therapy groups. Participants learn to create psychologically safe group environments, use effective facilitation techniques, and manage common group challenges including dominant participants, conflict, and emotional escalation.
Builds advanced communication skills using motivational interviewing (MI) principles and the OARS framework. Participants practice the "I Notice, I Wonder" technique for non-confrontational conversations, navigate difficult dialogues, and communicate effectively as advocates within multidisciplinary teams.
Addresses the unique burnout risks facing peer support specialists who manage their own recovery while supporting others. Distinguishes individual self-care, community care, and organizational responsibility — and guides participants in developing a personalized wellness plan with an accountability partner.
Empowers peer support specialists to advocate for themselves and their workforce at organizational, community, and policy levels. Participants learn to articulate the evidence-based value of peer support, develop compelling narratives, and create a personal advocacy action plan for meaningful systems change.
All 12 workshops are aligned to Oregon Health Authority THW core competencies and built around the professional standards and real-world challenges of paraprofessional helping work.
Complete courses on your own timeline with no fixed deadlines. Revisit materials as often as you need — study when it works best for your schedule.
Facilitation honors the lived experience that peer supporters bring to this work. Every session is designed with safety, dignity, and self-awareness at its core.
Role-play, case studies, small group discussion, and real-world scenario practice — learning translates directly into your daily work.
Receive a certificate of completion for each workshop attended, along with CEU documentation to support your professional development records and credentialing requirements.
Online platform access means you can learn anytime, anywhere. No travel required — study at home, at work, or wherever works best for you.
Your continuing education should be as meaningful as the work you do. These workshops honor your experience while building your practice. Enroll in individual workshops or the full 12-course series — available now on our learning platform.