2026 Events

Please Note

Only Risking Connection (RC) Basic and Restorative Approach (RA) Basic trainings are open to the public. All other events listed are available only to our Client Agencies. Interested in learning more about our program? Click here for information.

October

RC Recertification

October 14, 2026, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. ET (check local time here)

This is a virtual event.

This training offers an intensive learning and practice experience aimed at helping RC Trainers teach the RC Basic Training with fidelity to the model. The training: provides updated information related to teaching RC; reviews critical components of the RC Basic Training; expands and deepens learning about RC concepts; discusses implementation of trauma-informed care; and helps trainers reflect on and address their vicarious trauma and that of the staff with whom they work. This training is open only to RC Trainers and is required only once every two years.

Please note: This session is not open to IDD RC Trainers due to an IDD RC curriculum revision. IDD RC Recertifications are scheduled for December 1, 2026 and January 14, 2027. See listings for details.

RC Webinar - Beyond Good Intentions: Strategies for Inclusive Trauma-Informed Training and Beyond

October 27, 2026, 3-4:30 p.m. ET (check local time here)

This is a virtual event.

This webinar will take a deeper look at how racial trauma and trauma uniquely experienced by other historically marginalized groups are addressed in the 2024 revision of Risking Connection. As we often say at TSI, trauma-informed care is difficult, and sustaining it is even more difficult. The 2024 revision took that one step further by acknowledging inequities in both exposure to trauma and access to trauma-healing resources.

At TSI, we believe it is imperative that racial trauma and trauma unique to historically marginalized identity groups, such as LGBTQIA+, immigrants, and those with disabilities, be acknowledged and explicitly included in trauma-informed care principles, practices, policies, and training. Saying so is the easy part. Doing so is the hard part, and this webinar provides specific tips and strategies that Risking Connection Associate Trainers can apply when training RC and that RC Champions can use in daily practice to help create an inclusive trauma-informed organizational culture.

Learning Objectives:

Identify at least three specific points, each with an example, in the RC Basic curriculum for Associate Trainers to highlight the impact of racial trauma.
Identify at least three specific points, each with an example, in the RC Basic curriculum for Associate Trainers to highlight the impact of trauma on historically marginalized groups, including LGBTQIA+, immigrants, and those with disabilities.
Identify at least three concrete barriers, and ways to navigate them, that RC Associate Trainers experience when training about racial trauma healing and trauma healing of historically marginalized groups, such as LGBTQIA+, immigrants, and those with disabilities.
Explain at least three concrete strategies that can be used by RC Associate Trainers when working in cross-race training teams to create an inclusive training experience in the training room and beyond.
Discuss the resources available in the RC Associate Trainer Resource Guide, including where to access it.

Presenter Information

LaVerne Baker Hotep is a Program Coordinator for the Traumatic Stress Institute of Klingberg Family Centers. With over 30 years in social service and a special interest in historical and intergenerational trauma, she has co-lead training for various client serving agencies around the country. With members of Mediators Beyond Borders International, LaVerne has co-facilitated trauma response training in Liberia and South Sudan.

Previously, LaVerne served as a Family Development Specialist and Resource Navigator at the Kingsley Association in Pittsburgh, PA, serving Allegheny County’s East Liberty Family Center where she founded and continues to convene Me2 Sister Circle, an international trauma-informed self-care and enrichment group for women. As former director of community education for the Center for Victims in Pittsburgh, PA, she initiated and convened culturally significant conferences to educate about trauma and its impact in vulnerable communities.

John Engel is the Director for the Traumatic Stress Institute of Klingberg Family Centers. John first brought his background in nonprofit leadership and organizational change to TSI in 2017, serving most recently as the Associate Director. In his time with the organization, John has engaged with initiatives across all facets of TSI’s work, including as the champion of a strategic planning process that catalyzed growth, onboarding a growing list of clients, and fostering staff development.

Beyond his work at TSI, John is pursuing an Ed.D. in change leadership. His research focuses on how leaders in human services experience psychological safety within racially diverse teams. As a leader, he excels at fostering the professional growth of others and creating collaborative processes that fuel shared vision and purpose.

November

RC Train-the-Trainer

November 3-5, 2026, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. ET (check local time here)

This is a virtual event.

The RC Train-the-Trainer is the avenue by which organizations and systems can implement and sustain trauma-informed care via the RC training program. Organizations that have met the requirements for adopting RC as a training model can train selected staff to be RC Associate Trainers or RC Champions. RC Trainers train RC within their organization on an ongoing basis. While not formally credentialed to train, RC Champions are critical agents of change who support the implementation of RC at your agency. This event is open only to RC Client Agencies, and this session is open to future RC Trainers and Champions.

RC Webinar - Trauma in Neurodivergent Youth: What to Look for and How to Assess

November 12, 2026, 3 – 4:30 p.m. ET (check local time here)

This is a virtual event.

Too often, youth with intellectual disabilities and/or autism are traumatized by life events, with lasting negative effects on emotion and behavior. This presentation reviews current scientific findings to help recognize trauma in these youth and tell it apart from other conditions, behaviors, and issues. Cutting edge assessment measures will be discussed, along with common traps and pitfalls in understanding the overlaps between trauma and neurodivergence. Case illustrations will be used to highlight diagnostic dilemmas and outcomes.

Learning Objectives:

Discuss the prevalence of trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder in youth with intellectual disabilities and/or autism.
Define the term “diagnostic overshadowing” and apply it to real-life situations with neurodivergent youth.
Explore the ways in which siloing and ablism impact the provision of mental health care in this population.
Identify measures and assessment strategies to help identify trauma and inform recommendations for intervention.

Presenter Information

Daniel Hoover, Ph.D., ABPP is a board-certified clinical child and adolescent psychologist at Kennedy Krieger Institute and Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. As a psychologist with 30 years of experience as a service provider, trainer, and clinical supervisor, he directs psychology internship and postdoctoral training at the Center for Child and Family Traumatic Stress. Dr. Hoover founded and directs the Horizons Clinic, treating children with developmental disabilities who are exposed to trauma; one of the few such treatment clinics nationwide.

RC Recertification

November 18, 2026, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. ET (check local time here)

This is a virtual event.

This one-day training offers an intensive learning and practice experience aimed at helping RC Trainers teach the RC Basic Training with fidelity to the model. The training: provides updated information related to teaching RC; reviews critical components of the RC Basic Training; expands and deepens learning about RC concepts; discusses implementation of trauma-informed care; and helps trainers reflect on and address their vicarious trauma and that of the staff with whom they work. This training is open only to RC Trainers and is required every two years.

December

IDD RC Recertification

December 1, 2026, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. ET (check local time here)

This is a virtual event.

This training offers an intensive learning and practice experience aimed at helping RC IDD Trainers teach the RC IDD Basic Training with fidelity to the model. The training: provides updated information related to teaching RC; reviews critical components of the RC Basic Training; expands and deepens learning about RC concepts; discusses implementation of trauma-informed care; and helps trainers reflect on and address their vicarious trauma and that of the staff with whom they work.

Please note: Due to the updated RC IDD curriculum, this training is open only to RC IDD Trainers. Recertification is required for all RC Trainers every two years.

Additionally, whether you attend the December or January RC IDD Recertification, your attendance at the event will count toward the year you are due for your Recertification. For instance, if you are due in 2026 but attend the January 2027 event, your 2026 event count will be updated.

RC Webinar - Legacy Burdens: Intergenerational Trauma Through an RC Lens

December 8, 2026, 3-4:30 ET (check local time here)

This is a virtual event.

Intergenerational trauma shows up in ways we see every day – mistrust, shutting down, big emotions, perfectionism, or always being on alert. These patterns often didn’t start with the person in front of us. They are shaped by pain, stress, and survival lessons passed down through families, communities, and systems over many years.

In this webinar, we’ll take a straightforward look at how trauma gets carried across generations and how “legacy burdens” shape behavior, relationships, and even organizational culture. Using the Risking Connection® framework, we’ll explore why inherited survival strategies make sense and how RICH® can help us respond in ways that build safety, understanding, and connection.

We’ll also pause to reflect on our own histories – because who we are and what we’ve lived through always influences how we show up as treaters and trainers. The goal of this session is simple: more understanding, more compassion, and more tools for supporting healing across generations.

Learning Objectives:

Describe what intergenerational trauma is in simple terms and recognize how legacy burdens show up in the behaviors and stress responses of clients, staff, and organizations
Reframe challenging behaviors as inherited survival strategies and use the RICH® principles to respond with more clarity, steadiness, and compassion.
Recognize and reflect on how their own histories and patterns shape their reactions and learn simple ways to stay grounded and reduce reenactment in training or service relationships

Presenter Information

January 2027

IDD RC Recertification

January 14, 2027, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. ET (check local time here)

This is a virtual event.

Please note: Due to the updated RC IDD curriculum, this training is open only to RC IDD Trainers. Recertification is required for all RC Trainers every two years.

Event Archive

View Past RC Trainer Events

Continuing Education Credits

The Traumatic Stress Institute’s (TSI) continuing education credit co-sponsor is The Institute on Violence, Abuse, and Trauma (IVAT), which in addition to providing credits is a leading resource and training center focused on violence-free living.

IVAT is accredited to offer continuing credits through the American Psychological Association (APA), the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB), as well as provisions for nurses and drug and alcohol addiction counselors. Read more below for specific information pertaining to TSI trainings.

APA Continuing Education Credit Statement

The Institute on Violence, Abuse and Trauma (IVAT) is approved by the American Psychological Association (APA) to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Institute on Violence, Abuse, and Trauma (IVAT) maintains responsibility for this continuing education program and its content. Institute on Violence, Abuse, and Trauma (IVAT) provides American Psychological Association (APA) continuing education courses to social workers, marriage and family therapists, and counselors. APA approval satisfies requirements for different disciplines in many states; however, requirements vary. Please check with your state credentialing board.

ASWB Continuing Education Credit Statements

Risking Connection® Basic Training: Agenda 3-day [6113], is approved by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program to be offered by the Institute on Violence, Abuse and Trauma as an individual course. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE course approval period: [1/27/2025-1/27/2027]. Social workers completing this course receive 18 general continuing education credits.
Risking Connection® Train-the-Trainer [6129], is approved by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program to be offered by the Institute on Violence, Abuse and Trauma as an individual course. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE course approval period: [2/21/2025-2/21/2027]. Social workers completing this course receive 16.5 general continuing education credits.
Risking Connection Basic Training for Organizations Supporting People with Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities [6126], is approved by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program to be offered by the Institute on Violence, Abuse and Trauma as an individual course. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE course approval period: [2/21/2025-2/21/2027]. Social workers completing this course receive 2 cultural competence continuing education credits and 10 general continuing education credits.
Risking Connection® Train-the-Trainer Training for Organizations Supporting People with Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities [6140], is approved by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program to be offered by the Institute on Violence, Abuse and Trauma as an individual course. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE course approval period: [2/21/2025-2/21/2027]. Social workers completing this course receive 3 cultural competence continuing education credits and 8.5 general continuing education credits.
Risking Connection Associate Trainer Recertification [6128], is approved by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program to be offered by the Institute on Violence, Abuse and Trauma as an individual course. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE course approval period:[2/21/2025-2/21/2027]. Social workers completing this course receive 6 cultural competence continuing education credits.
Restorative Approach® (RA) Basic[6121], is approved by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program to be offered by the Institute on Violence, Abuse and Trauma as an individual course. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE course approval period: [2/21/2025-2/21/2027]. Social workers completing this course receive 6 general continuing education credits.
Restorative Approach™ Train-The-Trainer [6122], is approved by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program to be offered by the Institute on Violence, Abuse and Trauma as an individual course. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE course approval period: [2/21/2025-2/21/2027]. Social workers completing this course receive 3 general continuing education credits.
Risking Connection® Foster Care Train-the-Trainer [6125], is approved by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program to be offered by the Institute on Violence, Abuse and Trauma as an individual course. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE course approval period: [2/21/2025-2/21/2027]. Social workers completing this course receive 3 general continuing education credits.

ASWB approval satisfies requirements for social work disciplines in many states; however, requirements vary. Please check with your state credentialing board.

Additional Course Approval Coverage

Traumatic Stress Institute course approvals with IVAT are through:

The American Psychological Association (APA), which is as broad a coverage of licensures as possible throughout the United States, though some license boards may require additional effort for these to be approved.
The Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB), which covers many social work licensures throughout the United States.
Registered nurses (RNs) are covered through the California Board of Registered Nurses (CEP #13737), though this approval can be used in most states. Please check with your credentialing board.
Certified alcohol and drug counselors are covered through the California Consortium of Addiction Programs and Professionals (CCAPP) (Provider #1S-03-499-0223), though this approval can be used in most states. Please check with your credentialing board.

Apologies, IVAT continuing education credits are not available outside of the United States.

How Many CE Credits Will I Get?

TSI trainings over 3 hours are eligible for Continuing Education (CE) Credits. Our current list of eligible trainings and credit hours:

RC Basic – 18
RC IDD Basic – 10 for general CE and 2 for cultural competence, totaling 12
RC Train-the-Trainer – 16.5
RC IDD Train-the-Trainer – 8.5 for general CE and 3 for cultural competence CE, totaling 11.5
RC Recertification – 6
RA Basic – 6
RA Train-the-Trainer – 3
Foster Care Train-the-Trainer – 3

I'm Still Not Sure I'm Eligible for CE Credits

CE Credits can be confusing, as the panoply of possible licensures all have different requirements. If after reading TSI’s CE statement you are still unsure if you’re covered, you can request CE credits (a link to a request form is provided at the time of the training) and submit them to your licensing board for approval. Since CE credit fees are rolled into the cost of TSI trainings, there is no financial risk for you should the CE credits not be approved.

I Have Questions, Accommodation Requests, or Grievances

If you have any questions, grievances or need any other addtional accommodations, please contact us at tsisupport@klingberg.org.

Are RC Webinars Eligible for CE Credits?

TSI offers CE credits for trainings of 3 or more hours. Most RC Webinars are 1.5 hours, and thus CE credits for them are not currently offered.

Can My Agency Give Credits for RC Basics Run at Our Agency?

CE credits through IVAT are only available for trainings that TSI provides. If your agency would like to offer CE credits to its RC Basic participants it is possible to do so, but involves some work and cost.

You would need to secure a CE vendor and submit an RC Basic application through them or apply directly to a board. You would also need to plan for administrative support to prepare and track submissions. We can supply you with the information needed for an application, but otherwise are unable to provide support. Contact us at tsisupport@klingberg.com to request application information.

Not Yet Part of the RC Community?

For 26 years, the Risking Connection® (RC) has fostered learning and connection that has rippled outward. This milestone is not just about RC; it’s about the powerful, lasting change the Traumatic Stress Institute has created alongside our partnering client organizations.

We celebrated Risking Connection’s 25th anniversary last year by offering 3 free RC Sampler Sessions.

Join our newsletter list to gain access to the RC Samplers — experience how Risking Connection and trauma-informed care can strengthen your agency and the communities you serve.

Sign Me Up!

Event Attendance Requirements

Part of the Risking Connection Change Model is ongoing engagement and learning. Confused about requirements? Check out the details below, and please know you’re always welcome to ask for help at tsisupport@klingberg.org.

For New RC Associate Trainers

For New RC Associate Trainers (both regular and IDD) that Have Completed the Train-the-Trainer (TTT) in the Current Calendar Year:

RC Trainers are required to attend 2 trainer-level events per year. The RC TTT counts as one event. You must attend at least one other event this year unless your TTT occurs after October 1st (in which case you do NOT need to attend a second event).
TSI offers 6 to 8 webinars per year for you to choose from. We occasionally may
structure webinars differently but will give advance notice.
There is no additional cost during the year of your RC TTT.
You can attend as many webinars as you like at no additional cost.

For Existing RC Associate Trainers

For RC Associate Trainers (both regular and IDD) that Have Completed the Train-the-Trainer in Previous Calendar Years:

You must attend at least 2 Trainer events during each calendar year.
If you are in a Recertification year (once every 2 years), that training counts as one of your two events.
TSI offers 6 to 8 webinars per year for you to choose from. We occasionally may structure webinars differently but will give advance notice.
Your agency pays an annual fee per Trainer to cover RC Webinars.
You can attend as many webinars as you like for the same annual fee.
There is a separate cost for the Recertification training.

What and When is Recertification?

Trainers must attend a Recertification training once every two years. This is a one-day training that is offered virtually.

Recertification training offers an intensive learning and practice experience aimed at helping RC Trainers teach the RC Basic Training with fidelity to the model. It is required once every two years, anytime during the year you are due. You will receive email notices about Reinstatement in any year you are due for it.

There is a separate cost for this training.

An Exception: In 2026, IDD RC Trainers will be offered their own Recertification sessions in the fall due to an IDD RC Basic curriculum update scheduled for this spring. Please do not register for the regular RC Trainer Recertifications. You will receive notice when those are open for registration.

RC Champions

RC Champions help their organizations with implementation of trauma-informed care by leading

RC Champions go through a modified version of the RC Train-the-Trainer training, but are not formally credentialed to teach RC Basic. Champions are agents of change who support the implementation of Risking Connection at their agency through teaching smaller mini-trainings for their staff and modeling trauma-informed principles in their work. Champions can be crucial contributors to the culture change necessary to the implementation process.

RC Champions are not required to attend training beyond the RC Train-the-Trainer, but they are welcome to come to any and all RC Webinars. Agencies are not charged any annual fees for Champion attendance at RC Webinars.

RC Faculty Trainers

RC Faculty Trainers have an additional level of skill and knowledge. They are the trainers that run trainings beyond the RC Basic – RC Train-the-Trainers, RC Recertification, and RC Webinars, for instance.

With this additional level of skill and responsibility comes more flexibility; RC Faculty Trainers are exempted from the annual attendace requirement, but are always welcome to attend RC Webinars.

If you’re not sure what kind of RC Trainer you are, you are most likely an RC Associate Trainer.

Check Out Stop It Now!

Stop It Now! is a department of Klingberg Family Centers that focuses on preventing the sexual abuse of children by mobilizing adults, families and communities to take actions that protect children before they are harmed. They have a sister site, What’s OK?, that is focused on helping young adults find answers to questions about their sexuality. Find more information below about their work:

STOP IT NOW!

WHAT'S OK?

TRAINING