Classes & certificates

Take your career to the next level while providing invaluable assistance to those struggling from addiction with the UW Flexible Option Substance Use Disorders Counselor certificate program. This program offers a more flexible alternative for fulfilling the specialized educational hours required for Wisconsin state substance abuse counselor certification through the Department of Safety and Professional Services. When: Register any time for six months of course access | Audience: mental health or human service professionals 

If you are a new or returning adult student at UW-Madison, this orientation workshop will help you become familiar with campus libraries, student resources, grants, scholarships, and more. Meet and network with other returning adult students who share their experiences and tips for success.

Offered through UW Extended Campus, this intensive 24-week online program is fast-paced and focused on the technical skills needed to solve data problems inspired by the real world. Throughout the course, you will gain proficiency in numerous in-demand technologies, including Excel, Python, JavaScript, SQL Databases, Tableau, machine learning and more.

Coping with loss is a major aspect of the experience of living with dementia, and of providing care, support or companionship to someone with dementia. In this course, we will explore the loss and grief experience of those impacted by dementia, including the person with dementia, family, friends and healthcare professionals, and those who are bereaved. You will gain an understanding of loss and grief that is uniquely associated with dementia, as well as effective, evidenced-based grief coping approaches. 2 CE Hours | Zoom | Instructor: Dr. Erica Srinivasan | Audience: health and human services providers, those who work with an aging population in memory care units, nursing homes, etc.

This two–part, 4–hour course is offered online via Zoom with instructor David Mays, MD, PhD and meets Wisconsin licensure renewal requirements for ethics/boundaries continuing education. Day one of the course is about the relationship between legislative and professional ethical and practice standards. We will investigate the following legal principles in this context: informed consent, the right to refuse and involuntary treatment. Day two will address the complexities of human behavior, including evidence that learning about what we believe and why can give us more control over our moral behavior, allowing us to become better more ethical people.

Join us for this free webinar, which previews our online Leading for Racial Equity Certificate course coming up March 13, April 10 and May 8, 2024. If this webinar piques your interest, we hope you'll register for the full three-day course. What you'll learn Individuals who value and care about equity and justice often interact with and within systems that constrain progress. In our Leading for Racial Equity certificate, learners engage in a deep exploration of strengths, barriers, and practical tools for advancing equity and justice in organizations. This free preview webinar introduces some of these concepts, laying the groundwork for the more intensive transformational work ahead for those ready to commit to influencing change. The webinar will be led by ananda mirilli, Director of the nINA Collective, Courtney Reed Jenkins, Associate Member of the nINA Collective and program staff. Who can attend The webinar is free and open to leaders, managers and other professionals interested in learning more about this topic and registering for the Leading for Racial Equity Certificate course.

In this free webinar, Chariti Gent (Director of Professional Coach Education, UW-Madison, Division of Continuing Studies) will facilitate a panel of senior-level leaders from Target, Caterpillar, the Wisconsin Department of Revenue, and UW Credit Union who will share how utilizing the skills and competencies of professional coaching positively impacts employee engagement, team member retention and overall results within their organization.

Polish your skills as you discuss the culture and history of France and the Francophone world. Refine your knowledge of tense, lexicon and register while improving your reading and listening abilities.

Continue to refine your French conversational skills, practice your pronunciation, and brush up on grammar with a convivial group and an experienced instructor at the French House on UW–Madison's campus.

In this course, you will have the opportunity to practice conversational French while learning about French and Francophone cultures in an informal and relaxed group atmosphere.

Continue to learn German conversation and grammar, the history and traditions of German-speaking people, and tips for travelers as you immerse yourself in a fun and relaxed environment. Prerequisites: German 2 or instructor's consent.

Learn to play the music of Django Reinhardt. Try your hand at techniques such as 'le pompe' rhythm. Explore melody, essential chords, arpeggios. Learn the unique characteristics of this genre of music. The last meeting will be a 'Djam' backed by a professional rhythm section.

This workshop is designed to be a sanctuary for anyone who is on the front lines providing mental health care. Join us for a morning of exploring self-compassion practices that nourish wellbeing and promote emotional resilience. We will identify and experiment with evidence-based practices to nurture the healer within. Please be prepared to engage in a variety of meditation practices throughout this workshop. You will also have opportunities to connect with colleagues and for personal reflection. No prior experience is required. 3 CE Hours | Zoom | Instructor: Brenda Heideman, LCSW | Audience: Health and human services providers, social workers, psychologists, clinicians, etc.

Communication across cultures often breaks down due to basic cultural differences that are misunderstood and frequently invisible. We introduce you to tools that enable you to identify and understand cultural differences and lay a foundation for strong cultural competency, domestically and globally.

New Course! Unlock the power of inclusive leadership to transform yourself and our communities. We'll embark on a journey of self-discovery and practice facilitating environments where every voice matters. By leading with curiosity and humility, we build relational trust and positive change. Throughout this course, participants will develop a nuanced understanding of cultural competence. This expanded perspective will equip you to navigate diverse contexts with sensitivity. Through discussion and real-world applications, you'll refine your skills in building relationships and promoting equity and belonging.

In this introductory-level Urdu language and culture class, participants will have the opportunity to gain a solid foundation in Urdu and learn about the rich cultural traditions of Pakistan and other Urdu-speaking regions.

To earn this certificate, participants must attend all three days. The classes are offered in a highly participatory live-online format. Whether you already serve in a leadership role or aspire to, you have an opportunity to transform your team and organization by making the commitment to racial equity. This intensive on leading for racial equity will equip learners with the knowledge base, tools, and strategies key to yielding meaningful outcomes. Learners take a deep dive into what it means to be a racially equitable organization, evaluate their own organization’s readiness and strategize on the steps needed to embark on the path of anti-racism. Moreover, learners develop a comprehensive awareness of racial equity decision tools and how to utilize them to produce equitable budget allocation, program implementation and policy determination. In addition to the engaging and highly participatory full- and small-group live online training structure, learners have the opportunity to apply an equity-focused analysis to their own ongoing work projects. This approach empowers learners to see and assess the real-world potential for actualizing efforts toward equity.

A key challenge for today's leaders is helping employees to understand the need for change. They must help employees discover new ways of working and embracing these new ideas. We explore strategies for communicating the need for change and building employee commitment to that change.

Through neuroscience-backed techniques, this skills-focused workshop helps leaders create a psychologically safe culture, increase employee engagement and productivity and improve mental and physical well-being. Participants will learn and practice techniques for cooling down their Lower Brain, our fear-based survival center, and activating the Higher Brain, the center for creativity, critical thinking and interpersonal connections. The results are a fulfilling and successful workplace, personal growth, and a high-functioning community. The program will be a mix of self-directed learning in Canvas and live online Zoom sessions. The self-directed learning exercises will be available one week before each live session and should be completed before the associated live session.

This 8-week intensive course is for clinicians who want to incorporate mindfulness into their own lives to be more present, effective and stable in their work as well as develop more confidence in applying mindfulness principles and tools with their patients (clients, students and staff). The course is appropriate for experienced practitioners as well as those with no experience in mindfulness or meditation. 20 CE Hours | Zoom and Canvas LMS | Instructor: Mare Chapman | Audience: Helping Professionals