ASU provides free continuing education to Tucson community
Tucson skyline. Pixabay image
Southern Arizona social workers, whether they are Arizona State University alumni or not, can sharpen their skills through a series of free training sessions offered by the ASU School of Social Work’s Tucson location.
The in-house academy, which began offering the training sessions in 2021, will hold its first fall semester 2025 offering Sept. 10.
“We typically offer at least two trainings each month during the academic year, providing valuable opportunities for professional development and specialized instruction for our students, alumni and community members,” said Assistant Teaching Professor Heather Voelkel, the school’s Tucson program coordinator. “These trainings cover a wide range of relevant topics and are designed to enhance our students’ marketability as they enter the field, as well as support ongoing licensure and continuing education requirements for practicing professionals.”
Voelkel said she and Practicum Assistant Manager Diana Jimenez-Young created the in-house academy to provide supplemental learning opportunities for students while also responding to community requests for continuing education training.
The sessions, usually offered twice monthly during the academic year, provide a hub for networking in addition to building skills, Voelkel said, as they bring together students and social workers from the broader community.
“These gatherings strengthen our role as a trusted resource in southern Arizona and help foster meaningful connections across the region,” she said.
Voelkel added that the school often partners with southern Arizona social service agencies who want their employees trained in certain subjects.
Sessions also allow synchronous and online students based in southern Arizona to feel more connected to the Tucson location and social work community, Voelkel said. Professionals can earn continuing education credits toward maintaining licensure.
Student Megan Brajevich, who will earn her bachelor's degree in social work in May 2026, came to ASU last year as a junior. She said universities she attended previously did not offer the supplemental education trainings ASU does.
Brajevich, a Long Island, New York, native, lives in Tucson. She attended several academy training sessions in 2024, which she said help students to secure jobs after graduating as well as provide opportunities for personal growth.
“I was lucky to attend multiple trainings, one of those being Introduction to Motivational Interviewing, and another, Motivational Interviewing for People Who Do Not Want to Change,” Brajevich said. “The motivational interviewing sessions covered topics such as techniques to lower barriers to achieving goals for clients, disarming the ‘fixing reflex,’ person-centered practices and role-playing conversations with our peers to apply the knowledge learned.”
Students in the session were also given scales to help clients gauge their readiness, confidence and importance of the goals they set for themselves, she said.
“This was beneficial because we were given both knowledge and tools to take with us into the field. Mary Dillon, along with most instructors invited to the in-house academy, taught with passion as we were guided to the full understanding of how to apply our new skills,” Brajevich said.
Brajevich said anyone participating in the in-house academy sessions should ask questions designed to spark conversations.
“The people you’re learning from are often the most invested in the topic, and they want to share their passion,” she said. “Sometimes the people in the classrooms are already working in the field and will share experiences that apply to the knowledge being shared. ... Lastly, it is a really great place to meet people you will work with in the future, so I would definitely take the time to get to know your peers.”
Fall schedule
Sept. 10: Narcan training
Sept. 12: Motivational interviewing training
Sept. 26: Safe talk training
Oct. 10: Expressive arts
Oct. 17: Youth mental health first aid
Nov. 7: Motivational interviewing training
Nov. 21: Isolation with older adults training
For more information, contact Voelkel at [email protected] or visit the School of Social Work events page for in-house academy registration.
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