Evidence-Based Training Offerings

We are living in a time of great flux, change, and uncertainty. As providers of care and support, this means the people we serve are living with much higher levels of anxiety and fear. Whether it is delivering direct supportive services to highly vulnerable marginalized people, coordinating services for diverse populations, or caring for the unique needs of older people, providers can always use some extra help, deeper knowledge, and sharpened skills.

The menu of training opportunities provided by LifeSTEPS will help your team be prepared to help the people you serve better navigate these times of extreme change, while ensuring your team also has the tools needed to feel supported and fully equipped to face the diverse current challenges and those of the future.

Workshop and Training Offerings

Motivational Interviewing
Participants will learn the value and the techniques involved in conducting motivational interviews with their clients. Principles include the expression of empathy; developing discrepancy (helping clients see that their actions are not aligned with their values); rolling with resistance; and supporting self-efficacy and optimism.

Hoarding
While hoarding is connected to certain mental health issues, resident service providers can be instrumental in helping residents work through these challenges both in providing direct service and support, while also connecting them to mental health professionals specializing in helping hoarders. When it comes to dealing with specialized issues like hoarding, being fully equipped with knowledge and effective strategies is essential in helping a resident achieve success.

Grief and Mourning
Loss is inevitable, and resident service providers will naturally work with individuals who have experienced significant loss. There are specific techniques and skills providers can use to support residents as they navigate the mourning process in healthy, meaningful ways while continuing to live productive and fulfilling lives. With the right knowledge and tools, service providers can help residents honor their grief, celebrate the life and experiences of what was lost, and gently move forward with purpose and hope.

Crisis Intervention and De-escalation
When working with diverse populations it is inevitable that crises will occur. How well the resident services provider responds to crisis situations will often determine whether a positive outcome can be accomplished. LifeSTEPS trainers will present actionable strategies that can be applied during times of crisis leading to de-escalation and creating an environment in which problems can be effectively addressed and solved.

Self-Care to Support team Members and Residents Facing Change
The helping professions can be very rewarding and very demanding. A common factor among service providers that can short-circuit overall resident success, and personal satisfaction is burn-out. LifeSTEPS trainers will provide effective ways in which individuals and teams can employ self-care strategies that not only help avoid burn-out but will lead to greater satisfaction with their day-to-day professional activities as well as their overall quality of well-being. These same principles can also be provided to residents, helping them achieve well-being.

Mental Health
When dealing with residents displaying signs of mental health issues, your job isn’t to diagnose but to provide effective intervention to get them the help they need. We’ll present effective ways to deliver first-response techniques that are professional, compassionate and lead to positive results in helping residents.

Substance Abuse
The effects of addiction not only harm the individual, but can destroy families and communities. Be it alcohol, drugs, or other substances, is a reality in all sectors and with people from all walks of life. While resident service providers may not be licensed to provide AOD counseling, there are specific things that can be done as a first responder equipped with knowledge regarding how to de-escalate and then refer residents to appropriate resources and then provide support during the recovery process

Resident Leadership Training
Empowering residents to have a voice is incredibly important in the quest to create stronger, more resilient communities. Resident service providers can be essential in helping residents acquire the tools, skills and confidence to be effective leaders and advocates within their housing communities, and the community at large. Empowering residents in this way can lead to reduced evictions, greater health outcomes, and better overall quality of life for all residents.

Housing Stability/Eviction Prevention Strategies and Working with Non-Compliant Residents
The goal in providing client services is to help residents develop self-sufficiency while learning life skills and financial planning, that can’t happen without housing stability. With over 30 years of experience in helping residents remain housed, LifeSTEPS will present numerous strategies that can be immediately put into action, including techniques that can be effectively applied when working with difficult or non-compliant residents.

Resident Bullying
It happens. A person targets another person and attempts to intimidate or embarrass them, even physically assault them. What should resident services staff do when they either witness this behavior or hear of it from the victim? There are specific actions that can be taken to first attempt to ameliorate the situation to reduce and eliminate harm – up to working with property staff to remove the abuser (who is likely in violation of their lease and the Fair Housing Act). Not getting involved isn’t an option – this training will not only provide techniques to use but also discuss the legal and ethical responsibilities of the service provider.

Trauma-Informed Care (TIC)
TIC is an organizational framework that recognizes the widespread impact of trauma and guides service providers in responding in ways that promote healing rather than unintentionally re-traumatizing. The provider mindset is one of not blaming, “what’s wrong with you,” but rather understanding “what happened to you.” This training emphasizes physical, psychological, and emotional safety for both residents and providers, while supporting survivors in rebuilding a sense of control and empowerment. By understanding how trauma affects clients, co-workers, families, and ourselves, service systems can create more compassionate, supportive environments that foster trust, resilience, and positive outcomes.

What People Are Saying

“The presentation was absolutely awesome and extremely relative, helpful, and beneficial for professional as well as personal experiences.”

“The presenters in this session were excellent. Beth and Bruce were fantastic. The way in which the information was presented connected in a way where I could grasp and understand more clearly what is happening with a person’s brain. It is not a “brain disease” but a “malfunction of the brain.”

“Great information, you guys present in a way that’s personable and easy to follow.”

“This workshop reminded me to be more attentive in watching my residents and the community as a whole. You shared insights I hadn’t been aware of, and they’ve given me a fresh perspective.”

“Great information! Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience. Very helpful for the population I work with. I have 150+ individuals on my caseload. It is often challenging to understand and work with some of these individuals.”

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LifeSTEPS’ Expertise

Beth Southorn

Executive Director

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Beth Southorn has been a leader in the social services field for over 30 years. Experienced in working with numerous special needs populations, her approach to housing and the prevention of homelessness was shaped and has continuously evolved from her spent time working at Mills/Peninsula Hospital and the Shelter Network of San Mateo County. Beth has built a career out of a unique combination of experience in diversity, leadership, training, and program development that have allowed her to form successful national models that are inclusive of vocational rehabilitation, supportive services, and affordable housing programs.

As Executive Director of LifeSTEPS, Beth has propelled LifeSTEPS to its current status as one of the premier social services providers in affordable housing, now serving over 36,000 homes representing over 100,000 residents throughout the entire state of California from the border of Oregon to the edges of San Diego County. Beth has not only created and grown a successful model of resident empowerment for affordable housing communities throughout California, but has also been actively addressing the “Missing Middle” paradigm faced by many seniors, in her efforts to assist older adults to age in place.

Additionally, through her leadership, LifeSTEPS currently serves over 600 special needs residents in six counties throughout California, with 266 formerly homeless residents now housed in permanent supportive housing. In 2020, LifeSTEPS’ housing retention rate was 98.3% with 20 fulltime staff providing services. The successful program additionally connected 98% of special needs residents with a primary care physician within first 30 days of services and the Family Self Sufficiency Program moved from less than 100 participants to over 400. In 2022, LifeSTEPS has added Enhanced Care Management services to this successful program.

In 2016, LifeSTEPS’ robust after school program was enhanced with a Summer Reading program designed to mitigate the “summer slide” wherein according to Summer Matters children in low-income households fall behind an average of two months in reading during the summer, with these learning losses building up summer after summer. LifeSTEPS’ Summer Reading program has consistently seeing 96% of participants statewide maintaining or increasing their reading levels during the summer reading portion of our After School Program.

Bruce Kuban

Training Specialist/HIPAA Privacy Officer

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Bruce Kuban has been a member of the LifeSTEPS team since 2014 and having completed five years as the Regional Director of Support Service programs, Bruce became semi-retired on January 1, 2023, moving to a new part-time position as the LifeSTEPS Project and Trainer Specialist. Bruce previously had the primary responsibility of providing clinical supervision, contract compliance and oversight to several special projects contracted by LifeSTEPS to provide direct services to residents living in affordable permanent housing, including formerly chronically homeless individuals and families now residing in permanent supportive housing. He has his Master’s Degree in Marriage, Family and Child Counseling from Sacramento State University and over 30 years of experience working in social services. While moving from the field to an administrative role, Bruce admits to always having a soft spot in his heart for direct services and face to face to contact with clients, including those difficult clients. In fact, collaborating with difficult clients has brought him his greatest rewards throughout his career and now in semi-retirement, Bruce hopes to be able to share his experiences with others while also continuing to be a lifelong learner in the vocation of helping others.

Benefits of LifeSTEPS Trainings

There are multiple benefits individuals and organizations receive from participating in training delivered by LifeSTEPS.

Acquisition of knowledge – your team will have access to the most up-to-date knowledge and best practices which helps them deliver services with confidence.
Learn useful techniques – whatever the area of training, your team is sure to learn useful techniques that can be applied immediately and effectively. This leads your team to feeling higher degrees of competency and professional satisfaction.
Experience greater degree of support – while the call to deliver resident services is noble, providers can also sometimes feel alone in their quest. By having your team learn as a group a spirit of camaraderie will be fortified, leading to team members providing one another greater levels of support.
More effective outcomes – Your team will come away from trainings delivered by LifeSTEPS with the tools necessary to achieve better outcomes. Obviously, this helps residents achieve a greater quality of life but also enables your agency to strengthen ties with housing providers and housing staff.
Elevated inspiration – the team of Beth Southorn and Bruce Kuban are dynamic and engaging. As leaders in this space they provide team members with a sense of what is possible!

Evidence-Based Training Offerings

Workshop and Training Offerings

Motivational Interviewing

Hoarding

Grief and Mourning

Crisis Intervention and De-escalation

Self-Care to Support team Members and Residents Facing Change

Mental Health

Substance Abuse

Resident Leadership Training

Housing Stability/Eviction Prevention Strategies and Working with Non-Compliant Residents

Resident Bullying

Trauma-Informed Care (TIC)

What People Are Saying

LifeSTEPS’ Expertise

Beth Southorn

Executive Director

Bruce Kuban

Training Specialist/HIPAA Privacy Officer

Benefits of LifeSTEPS Trainings

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