The Homeless Services Training Resource System (HSTRS) funded by the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) and housed at the Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College, provides free year-round training courses on a variety of topics for staff of shelters and other homelessness service providers in New York City (NYC) and throughout New York Rest of State (ROS). 

Most trainings are currently conducted virtually and instructor-led using the Webex platform. Select In-person trainings are hosted at Silberman School of Social Work, 2180 Third Avenue, New York, NY and various other locations throughout the Rest of State (ROS) for staff working outside the five boroughs of NYC.  Virtual trainings are held on half-days from 10am–12pm/12:30pm, 1pm-3pm/3:30pm and on full days from 10am-3pm/3:30pm (with an hour lunch break). 

Training classes are instructor-led, interactive webinars for staff to increase their professional knowledge and enhance their skillset to foster a sense of empathy and compassion for individuals/families living with housing insecurity. 

Training topics include but are not limited to:

• New Worker Institute (Modules 1 and 2)
  • Day 1: Overview: Case Managing Foundations 
  • Day 2:  Best Practices and Documentation
• Conflict Management & Crisis Intervention 
• Cultural Humility: Assessment of Perceptions, Values, and Beliefs 
• Effective Communication 
• Foundations of Supervision 
• Homelessness, Mental Illness and Promoting Recovery
• Identifying and Working with Strengths of Shelter Residents
• Implementing Self-Compassion for Staff and Shelter Residents 
• Motivational Interviewing –Part 1 
• Motivational Interviewing –Part 2
• Organizational Skills – Time and Office Management 
• Personal Safety 
• Working with Trauma 1 – (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder)
• Working with Trauma 2 
• Reducing Job Related Stress for Shelter Workers T
• Transitioning from Worker to Supervisor
• Understanding Hoarding Disorder to Enhance Staff Response 
• Understanding Opioid Use and Effective Shelter Staff Response 
• Understanding Reentry: From Incarceration to the Community 
• Working Effectively with LGBTQ+ Residents – Part 1 
• Self and Community Care for Shelter Community Members
• Suicide Assessment & Prevention

These highlighted training topics support the mission of the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) and aim to build core competencies for homeless shelter staff that contribute to the standardization of service delivery and promote consistency in the application of policy that promotes housing stability.