Training and Professional Development

The Coalition offers opportunities for training and professional development to our members through our case manager trainings, information sessions and General Membership meetings.

We are currently hosting trainings and meetings via Zoom. Sign up for our Homeless Services and Housing Network email list to learn more about upcoming trainings and workshops. If you have issues registering or getting call information, please email kevin[at]homelessinfo[dot]org.

*For best success, please make sure your Zoom app is up to date. If the Zoom link is not working, we recommend entering the Meeting ID at zoom.us/join.

We strive to offer high quality workshops and training to help case managers and direct service providers do their jobs well and stay informed about key issues affecting their clients. We work with local experts to secure skilled trainers who can speak with authority, focus on practical skills and applied knowledge, and provide accurate and timely information.

Click here for information about Membership, including General Membership Meetings.

Public Benefits are Key! Trainings

In partnership with Solid Ground’s Benefits Legal Assistance and Benefits Law Center, we are pleased to host the Public Benefits Are Key! training series. This series is geared towards case managers working with people experiencing homelessness – both new case managers as well as experienced providers who have questions and would like additional support in navigating these resources. You will learn what you can do as a case manager to help your client navigate the benefits process, hear key tips for avoiding barriers, and learn when to contact an attorney. These will be practical, hands-on trainings.

Register for our 2025 trainings:

Other Provider Trainings

Annually, we host a training on the complexities and rights afforded to K-12 students experiencing homelessness. This training is designed to inform and share resources to any service providers that work with children, youth, and families experiencing homelessness. Register for our 2025 training here: Helping Homeless Students: McKinney Vento 101 – Thursday, August 21, 9-11 a.m., Zoom

NW Immigrants Rights Project Immigration & Custom Enforcement Training – Tuesday, April 8th, 2025 from 9 am – 11 am. Join us to learn what to do if ICE shows up at your work place.

Check out all trainings on our YouTube Channel!

Past Case Manager Training:

  • Public Benefits are Key! Training Series
    • ABD & HEN – April 25, 2024 – this session, held multiple times in partnership with Solid Ground’s Benefits Legal Assistance team, is an in-depth training about the Aged, Blind, and Disabled (ABD) and Housing & Essential Needs (HEN) programs. The training covers topics such as eligibility, income and resource limits, the disability evaluation process, and best practices for helping clients apply for these benefits. 
    • SSI and SSDI – Jan 25, 2024 – this training, held with Benefits law Center on January 25th, 2024, covers important topics such as access to applications, expected processes, and how to support your client to get necessary disability benefits.
    • A Deep Dive into Disability Benefits – June 28, 2023 – Benefits Law Center and Solid Grounds’ Benefits Legal Assistance program joined forces for this special training that covered special topics related to accessing and maintain disability benefits. These include: accessing HEN benefits after being approved for SSI, applying for someone with SUD, and advice on how to navigate resource limits on SSI.
    • Medicaid and Medicare – May 20, 2025 – this session, held multiple times in partnership with Solid Ground’s Benefits Legal Assistance team, covers health coverage for low-income community members and those who are elders, blind, or disabled. It covers aspects to eligibility, application, and cost-savings tools like the Spenddown program and the Medicare Savings Program (MSP).
    • TANF & WorkFirst – March 27, 2025 – this session covers navigating and eligibility for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and WorkFirst programs.
    • Working Families Tax Credit – March 28, 2024 – this special training, with presenters from Statewide Poverty Action Network and Solid Ground, details an overview of this new tax credit for families and individuals, eligibility requirements, and how to apply.
    • Rights to Long-Term Care – March 29, 2023 – this special training, with presenters from Northwest Justice Project, details how clients may be unfairly removed from long-term care facilities, which can result in homelessness and other adverse impacts, and shares resources on how to serve clients to restore long-term care placement they need and deserve!
    • Accessing Long-Term Care – October 11, 2023 – this training, a follow-up to “Rights to Long-Term Care”, addresses how a client advocate or case manager can practically apply for long-term care services, guarantee placement, and advocate for their client in case of barriers.
    • Food Benefits – June 27, 2024 – Solid Ground’s Benefits Legal Assistance program led this highly-demanded training, reviewing types of benefits available for citizens and non-citizens, financial eligibility guideline, tips for increasing benefit size, work requirement exemptions, and troubleshooting tips.
  • Helping Homeless Students: McKinney-Vento 101, held in September 2019, September 2020, September 2022, August 2023, and October 2024.
  • Financial Empowerment: Tools for Homeless Service Providers, July 2020 and monthly mini-training series. Presented in partnership with Hopelink, we discussed the Your Money, Your Goals (YMYG) toolkit and took a closer looks at topics such as how to discuss finances, setting financial goals, earning income while maintaining public benefit eligibility, and dynamic budgeting.
  • What to do if ICE or Other Federal Agents Come to your Service Site – Know Your Rights Training with Northwest Immigrant Rights Project – April 8, 2025