IDEA Training Collaborative

IDEA Training Collaborative The Toronto Hostels Training Centre was established on September 18, 1997. We value your input.

IDEA Training Collaborative offers inclusive, diverse, and equitable training that is both accessible and affordable for individuals supporting vulnerable populations. ABOUT THTC:

The inquest into the deaths of Eugene Upper, Irwin Anderson and Mirsalah-Aldin Kopani in June and July 1996, concluded that areas which needed improvement in some hostels were:
- Staff interaction with service users
- Opportunities for an exchange of ideas and practices among hostel staff

To address these concerns as well as develop basic relevant universal staff training. Federally incorporated on November 20, 2000 and a registered charity since January 1, 2001, the Training Centre originated as a partnership between the City of Toronto Hostels Services Division and the Ontario Association of Hostels (OAH) – Toronto Chapter. The Toronto Hostels Training Centre offers practical, financially accessible training curriculum for hostel/shelter staff, managers, volunteers, students in job placements and agency board members. The Training Centre produces two calendars annually, providing over 120 workshops in a wide range of subject areas including:
- Standardized and specialized training for those working with homeless individuals and families;
- Upgrading working skills for hostel/shelter staff;
- Standardized training for Standards and Guidelines, First Aid, CPR, WHMIS ;
- Crisis Intervention Training;

Innovative education for recognized needs and trends:
- Children's Issues Training Certificate (CITC)
- Drop-In Service Skills Training Certificate (DISSTC)
- Hostel Training Centre Certificate (HTCC)
- Hostels Training Centre Certificate for Administrators (HTCCA)
- Hostels Training Centre Certificate for Shelter Boards (HTCCSB)
- Hostels Training Centre Certificate For Supervisors/Managers (HTCCSM)
- Youth Issues Training Certificate (YITC)

The Toronto Hostels Training Centre is pleased to present another series of leading edge training opportunities for hostel/shelter staff and individuals who work with the homeless population. In addition to the development of the certificate programs, there are many new and exciting topics based on feedback and training suggestions received from various agencies and participants. Please contact us if you have any comments or suggestions on how we can further meet your individual and/or agency needs.

It's World Mental Health Day, and we want to point it at the people who usually spend it thinking about someone else.If ...
10/10/2026

It's World Mental Health Day, and we want to point it at the people who usually spend it thinking about someone else.

If you work in a shelter, a supportive housing site, a drop-in, or community outreach, you spend your shifts holding other people's hardest days. That work is meaningful. It's also heavy, and the weight of it doesn't disappear when your shift ends.

So today, a few honest questions. When did you last take a real break? Who do you debrief with after a difficult call? Does your team have somewhere to put the hard stuff, or does everyone just carry it home?

Supporting frontline mental health isn't a wellness poster. It's supervision that works, debriefing that's built into the schedule, and training that gives people real tools instead of leaving them to improvise.

To everyone doing this work: thank you. Take care of yourself today.

"Why is this person being so difficult?" is a question with a better version: "What happened to this person, and what do...
10/09/2026

"Why is this person being so difficult?" is a question with a better version: "What happened to this person, and what does that mean for how I show up?"

Trauma-Informed Care Essentials runs October 23, live online from 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM. It's a full day on the foundation that everything else in this sector sits on.

You'll cover how common trauma actually is and what it does, how trauma and attachment histories shape brain development, behaviour, and relationships, and how trauma connects to mental health and the social determinants of health. From there it moves into practical territory: how to respond to trauma in a service setting, and how to build environments that are safer for the people you serve and for your own team.

$140 per person.

Register:
https://ideatraining.org/courses/trauma-informed-care-essentials/

De-escalation isn't a personality trait. It's a set of decisions you can learn to make under pressure.CPI Nonviolent Cri...
10/07/2026

De-escalation isn't a personality trait. It's a set of decisions you can learn to make under pressure.

CPI Nonviolent Crisis Intervention, 3rd Edition, runs October 20 in our Anderson Room. The blended format means you complete the self-paced modules when it suits your schedule, then spend a full day in person from 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM working through the practical side with a certified facilitator.

You'll learn to prevent and de-escalate medium to high-risk behaviour using non-restrictive methods, guided by the Crisis Development Model and the Decision-Making Matrix. The course also covers how trauma and brain psychology shape what's happening for the person in crisis and for you as the responder.

No physical or restrictive holds are taught. The physical component is limited to disengagement techniques.

$240 per person. Self-paced modules need to be complete 24 business hours before the in-person day.

Register:
https://ideatraining.org/courses/itc-cpi-non-violent-crisis-intervention-blended-two-day-training-self-paced-live-in-person/

An N5 that doesn't hold up at the Board doesn't just cost you a hearing. It costs the tenant stability, and it costs you...
10/06/2026

An N5 that doesn't hold up at the Board doesn't just cost you a hearing. It costs the tenant stability, and it costs your team weeks.

LTB Essentials runs October 16, live and in person from 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM. It's built for supportive and Rent-Geared-to-Income housing, where the Residential Tenancies Act meets high-support realities every day.

You'll work through issuing N4, N5, N6, N7, and N8 notices, building a defensible case, documentation standards, procedural fairness, the duty to accommodate, and the legal thresholds that apply in supportive housing. We spend real time on the common reasons applications get dismissed, plus progressive engagement and accommodation analysis through case studies and practical exercises.

The result is an approach that's trauma-informed, ethical, and legally sound.

$140 per person.

Register:
https://ideatraining.org/courses/ltb-essentials/

You don't need to be a therapist to use CBT well.Cognitive Behavioural Techniques in Social Services runs October 15, li...
10/05/2026

You don't need to be a therapist to use CBT well.

Cognitive Behavioural Techniques in Social Services runs October 15, live online from 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM. It's designed for community-based settings, where you've got a short window with someone and need tools that actually fit the conversation you're having.

The day covers how thoughts drive behaviour and how cognitive-behavioural interventions can help clients working through addiction, depression, and anxiety. You'll get the theory, but most of the time goes into active learning, case examples, and role play so the techniques are usable by Friday.

$140 per person.

It's Mental Illness Awareness Week. Good time to add something practical to your toolkit.

Register:
https://ideatraining.org/courses/cognitive-behavioural-techniques-cbt-in-social-services/

10/03/2026

Through our partnership with Street Haven, we offer courses designed for women’s professional development! 🎓✨

In this video, our instructor Tammy covers engaging and truly valuable topics to empower you in your career journey.

Check out our schedule and enroll in our courses today!

👉 Visit ideatraining.org to sign up!

TorontoNonProfit

Most situations don't need hands. They need a calmer voice and a clear read on what's happening.Our one-day Verbal De-es...
10/02/2026

Most situations don't need hands. They need a calmer voice and a clear read on what's happening.

Our one-day Verbal De-escalation workshop runs October 13, live online from 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM. It's for anyone who works with clients in distress and wants a compassionate, respectful way to bring the temperature down.

You'll work through the Continuum of Aggressive Behaviour and what your role looks like in each of its three phases: Pre-Crisis, Crisis, and Post-Crisis. The day also covers trauma-informed approaches, calming and defusing techniques, debriefing after an incident, and the self-awareness and self-care piece that keeps this work sustainable.

$140 per person. One day, no physical intervention component.

Register:
https://ideatraining.org/courses/understanding-and-managing-aggressive-behaviour-one-day-verbal-de-escalation/

Upgrade your professional impact with our Anti-Racism & Anti-Oppression (ARAO) training. Take advantage of our special o...
10/01/2026

Upgrade your professional impact with our Anti-Racism & Anti-Oppression (ARAO) training. Take advantage of our special offer and get $40 CAD off.

📌 Course Details:
🗓️ Date: Next Friday
⏰ Time: 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM (EST)
💻 Format: Live Online
💰 Special Rate: $100 CAD (Regular Price: $140 CAD)
🎟️ To secure your spot at this discounted price, send an email directly to:
📧 [email protected] or [email protected]

Spots are limited! Tag a colleague who needs to see this.

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When a situation turns physical, knowing what to do next shouldn't come down to instinct.UMAB's two-day workshop runs Oc...
10/01/2026

When a situation turns physical, knowing what to do next shouldn't come down to instinct.

UMAB's two-day workshop runs October 13, and it's built for frontline staff who need both sides of the skill set. Day one is live online. Day two is live in person, where you practise the physical piece with a facilitator watching.

You'll work through self-protection, disengagement, safe physical intervention, verbal de-escalation, positioning, and environmental awareness. All of it framed around legislative requirements, service mandates, and protecting your clients' dignity while you keep everyone safe.

9:30 AM to 4:30 PM both days. $240 per person.

If your team's been asking for practical, hands-on training rather than theory, this is it.

Register:
https://ideatraining.org/courses/umab-two-day-workshop/

09/30/2026

Stop asking "what's wrong?" Start asking "what happened?"

Trauma-responsive service delivery isn't about diagnosing people or saying yes to everything. It's about responding with safety, care, and dignity, and noticing when the system is the barrier.

🗓️ In-Person Session: November 26th | 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM
💳️ Registration: $140 per person

If you work with people, this one's for you. Link in bio.

Content note: this training discusses trauma.

Address

65 Wellesley Street E. Suite 501
Toronto, ON
M4Y1G7

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+14164690007

Website

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