This course explores the concepts of cultural awareness and sensitivity, diversity awareness and intersectionality, and serving people from different backgrounds with respect and empathy.

This course is for Information & Referral (I&R) Specialists who handle human service inquiries and need some additional knowledge and understanding to better handle issues involving U.S. military service members and their families. This interactive course will help an I&R professional to better understand military clients, what their needs are, some of their unique challenges (including the cycle of deployment and return), the military language they are speaking, and the resources that are available to help them. This course was developed in cooperation with the Navy Fleet and Family Support Center, San Diego, to assist I&R Specialists everywhere.

This package is designed to help anyone preparing to take the CRS Certification test by reviewing portions the of the training manual and standards that the certification test is based on. Completion of this package does not guarantee a passing score on the test nor does it qualify as a replacement to taking the test and grant the user certification. This package is for study purposes only.

This course is for beginners new staff at Information & Referral (I&R) organizations who want to understand the I&R process and the communication techniques required to assist in that process. ​

This course will help you understand how ethics play a part in the provision of I&R services in your organization and in your community. Along with exploring your own value system, this course discusses the nature and implications of stress, stress management and self-care, and setting healthy boundaries and expectations within I&R.

I&R organizations need to be prepared to play an active role in disaster response. This course introduces the stages of a disaster and outlines the role an I&R may play in each stage. It also explores government and nonprofit organizations that typically respond to and are active in disasters and what resources they typically provide. This course also outlines steps that should be taken to prepare the organization, the technology (including the database), and the individual team members to respond during a stressful and ever changing situation.

A resource database is a computerized body of information about community resources maintained by an I&R service. The resource database should include what you need to know about community, social, and health organizations to make good referrals, by answering basic questions such as: What does the agency do? Who does it serve? When and how can people apply? What documents might an applicant need to produce? Who provides the service?

This course is primarily for Community Resource Specialists. When you have successfully completed this course, you will be able to: Describe the range of clients who may be described as “challenging” for reasons other than the nature of the call. Outline techniques to defuse hostility and cope with challenging clients. Identify when your own feelings are being “triggered” and you are at risk of losing control of the inquiry.

Despite increased awareness, there remains a stigma about mental health disorders and a lack of understanding of about mental health. This interactive course provides general, introductory information on the nature and types of mental health disorders, the services that are available to individuals and their families/caregivers, and how to best communicate to those clients with empathy and confidence. This course is for Community Resource Specialists and is relevant to those who are new to this role as well as experienced team members who need a refresher.

Information and Referral is about much more than providing the “I” (Information) and the “R” (Referral). It is about empowering people to help themselves both now and in future situations; while it is sometimes also about advocating for people who are not currently able to help themselves. Empowerment and advocacy are fundamental principles of I&R. This interactive course is for Information & Referral (I&R) Specialists who handle human service inquiries from the public and the supervisors who oversee this essential work. The course describes the nature of empowerment (helping people to help themselves) and advocacy (when people really need additional support) within the context of I&R.