Training Resources

The following resources provide free or low-cost online training options on topics related to victimization, trauma, and mental well being.  These links are being provided as convenience and for informational purposes.  The resources available have not be thoroughly reviewed and do not constitute an endorsement or an approval by PVSBC, its Board of Directors, or staff.

Coursera is an online learning platform working in partnership with the world’s top universities to offer free online learning opportunities.  Many courses can be accessed for free.  Fees apply if learners are wanting official certificates of completion or for access to specializations or courses that may contribute to accreditation.

  • University of Toronto – Mind Control: Managing your Mental Health During COVID-19: A new online course launched by a psychology professor at the University of Toronto Scarborough aims to help people manage their mental health during COVID-19.  Register through Coursera: https://www.coursera.org/learn/manage-health-covid-19 (Enroll for Free button)
  • University of Toronto – The Social Context of Mental Health and Illness: Learn how social factors promote mental health, influence the onset and course of mental illness, and affect how mental illnesses are diagnosed and treated. This course explores how our understanding of mental health and illness has been influenced by social attitudes and social developments in North America and around the world.  Register through Coursera: https://www.coursera.org/learn/mental-health (Enroll for Free button)
  • University of Toronto – Introduction to Psychology: This course will highlight the most interesting experiments within the field of psychology, discussing the implications of those studies for our understanding of the human mind and human behavior.  We will explore the brain and some of the cognitive abilities it supports like memory, learning, attention, perception and consciousness.  We will examine human development – both in terms of growing up and growing old – and will discuss the manner in which the behavior of others affect our own thoughts and behavior.  Finally, we will discuss various forms of mental illness and the treatments that are used to help those who suffer from them.   Register through Coursera: https://www.coursera.org/learn/introduction-psych (Enroll for Free button)
  • University of Pennsylvania: Resilience Skills in a Time of Uncertainty: In order to support you in this time of uncertainty, the University of Pennsylvania is sharing this free and unique version of Dr. Karen Reivich’s “Resilience Skills” course from the Specialization Foundations of Positive Psychology.  Learn how to incorporate resilience interventions into your personal and professional life with Dr. Karen Reivich. In this course, you are exposed to the foundational research in resilience, including protective factors such as mental agility and optimism. Several types of resilience interventions are explored including cognitive strategies; strategies to manage anxiety and increase positive emotions such as gratitude; and a critical relationship enhancement skill. Throughout the course, you will hear examples of individuals using resilience skills in their personal and professional lives.  Register though Coursera https://www.coursera.org/learn/resilience-uncertainty (Enroll for Free button)
  • University of Sydney – Positive Psychiatry and Mental Health: Positive Psychiatry is a new term that describes a dual approach to mental health, where we build strengths,  supports and healthy lifestyles as well as treating illness and distress. This course, will explore different aspects of good mental health as well as provide an overview of the major kinds of mental disorders, their causes, treatments and how to seek help and support.  Register through Coursera: https://www.coursera.org/learn/positive-psychiatry (Enroll for Free button)
  • Yale University – The Science of Well Being: In this course you will engage in a series of challenges designed to increase your own happiness and build more productive habits. As preparation for these tasks, Professor Laurie Santos reveals misconceptions about happiness, annoying features of the mind that lead us to think the way we do, and the research that can help us change. You will ultimately be prepared to successfully incorporate a specific wellness activity into your life. Register through Coursera: https://www.coursera.org/learn/the-science-of-well-being (Enroll for Free button)
  • University of Minnesota: Resilience in Children Exposed to Trauma, Disaster and War: How do children overcome hazardous experiences to succeed in life? What can be done to protect young people at risk from trauma, war, disasters, and other adversities? Learn about the importance of fostering resilience in children at risk. During this course, participants will: learn how trauma can affect children and the systems they depend on, gain insight into core concepts, research methods and lessons learned in last 50 years of resilience research, learn how research is being applied in the real world through interventions that promote resilience, and engage in discussions with others who are working with children at risk around the world.  Register through Coursera: https://www.coursera.org/learn/resilience-in-children#syllabus (Enroll for Free button)Visit https://www.coursera.org/ for a wide variety of additional free online courses in a variety of subject areas.