Policy & Practice | August 2019

association news

NSDTA 2019: Learn, Network, and Grow in Long Beach

S omething happens when you surround yourself with people equally passionate about training and staff development as you are—ideas flow, connections are made, and a shared commitment to shape the future of human services is forged. This special kind of collaborative magic will occur between health and human services leaders and organizational development and training experts again this year at the National Staff Development and Training Association (NSDTA) Educational Conference in Long Beach, CA on October 20–23. “My first NSDTA conference was in 2013 in Pennsylvania,” shares LaTrece Thompson, Deputy Director of Staff Development at the Indiana Department of Child Services. “I was new as a training manager and was excited to attend this conference. I was able to attend several workshops and bring some really great ideas to Indiana’s training division. I also had an opportunity to meet a couple of other training directors and we remain friends. We are constantly brainstorming and sharing information with each other to enhance the work we do in our states.” The 31st annual NSDTA Educational Conference con- tinues to evolve, along with its attendees who come to learn, and then leave energized with ideas and connections about coaching, training, organizational effectiveness, and transfer of learning. National leaders speak to emerging trends in human services workforce development and participants take their pick of hands-on workshops from multiple learning tracks—evaluation/research, curriculum design and instructional technology, training/facilitation, human services leadership, organizational development and effectiveness, and workforce development and planning. “It’s not just about training anymore,” notes Charmaine Brittain, PhD, MSW, Director of Organizational Development at the Butler Institute for Families at the University of Denver. “It’s about workforce development and providing a really positive organizational environment for employees.” We are looking forward to connecting with you in Long Beach for the 2019 NSDTA Educational Conference ( https://www.nsdtaconference.com ). Take time to invest in yourself, your career, your agency, and your workforce.

“It’s not just about training anymore. It’s about workforce development and providing a really positive organizational environment for employees.” – CHARMAINE BRITTAIN, PHD, MSW, DIRECTOR OF ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AT THE BUTLER INSTITUTE FOR FAMILIES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF DENVER

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