This package helps Community Resource Specialists expand and round out their skills for serving special populations like military, youth, and individuals with mental health disorders. It also explores the role of I&R in disaster preparation and response and how to apply your skills in the digital environment of chat and text. These courses can be taken in any order. Packages are 10% cheaper than purchasing each course separately.

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 package covers the essentials for those who are new to the I&R world and beginning the understand what it means to be a Community Resource Specialist. This package includes an introduction to information and referral and the information and referral process, confidentiality, an overview of using the resource database to retrieve referrals, as well as ethics, values and self-care. Please take the courses in the prescribed order. The package includes a 10% discount over purchasing the courses separately.

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 package consists of 5 courses essential to providing a foundation of success for Community Resource Specialists - Database Curators.

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