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About Us

Changing Practice. Transforming Lives.

UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education – Human Services

Your passion improves lives. Every day, every call, every visit has the potential to nurture hope. To build connection. To change a life.

We share your passion.

For more than 40 years, we have empowered human services professionals by providing them with the research-informed and field-tested knowledge and best practices to excel throughout their careers.

The Benefits of Partnering with UC Davis

There are enormous advantages to working with UC Davis Human Services:

  • UC Davis Innovation and Quality—The practices we develop and teach are acknowledged as best practices. Our instructors are experienced professionals who will engage your staff, helping them retain and apply what they’ve learned.
  • We “get it”—We’re human services professionals, too. Because we understand your challenges and environment, the training and services we provide are designed to achieve your goals and maximize your agency’s impact.
  • Speed and Convenience—Our work is conducted in partnership with California’s human services agencies, so there’s no need to get us up-to-speed. We’re already there.
  • Flexibility and Customization—Our services can be customized to meet your specific needs. Your agency is unique. You have distinctive goals, challenges, opportunities and resources. This reality is reflected in our work.

Building Best Practices

Within the field of human services, we are a nationally recognized leader. From Safety Organized Practice to Coaching in Child Welfare to Continuous Quality Improvement, UC Davis has led the way on some of the best practices in human services.

Our team is a unique blend of academics, researchers and experienced human services professionals and leaders. This gives us holistic insight, ensuring that the education and guidance we provide is grounded in real-world application.

Examples of the workforce development services we provide include:

  • Core training for new child welfare social workers and Core for supervisors
  • Specialized training for frontline professionals in public human services
  • Updates on innovative new techniques and evidence-based practices
  • New training and technical assistance to nimbly address changes in legislation and policy
  • Leadership training to foster professional development and organizational growth

Our work is powered by the expertise and resources of UC Davis, one of the world’s premier research universities. UC Davis Human Services is housed within the Division of Continuing and Professional Education, the workforce development arm of the university. As experts in adult and online learning, UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education engages working professionals and prepares them for the ever-changing needs, demands and opportunities of the modern economy.

Comprehensive Capabilities

From training programs to organizational consulting, we offer a full spectrum of services. Our breadth of expertise gives you a convenient, one-stop resource to “connect the dots,” seamlessly addressing complex issues that impact multiple areas within your agency.

Human Services Training
Agency-wide educational programs,
from frontline workers to leadership

Research and Evaluation
Program-level or organization-wide recommendations
that improve outcomes and increase capacity

Coaching
One-on-one and group coaching for
agency staff and leaders

Consulting Services
Organizational development support to address
the unique opportunities and challenges of your agency

Flexible Formats

Get the training you need—where you want it, how you want it, when you want it. This includes:

  • Custom/on-site training
  • Classroom courses in our state-of-the-art Davis and Sacramento facilities
  • One-on-one field-based coaching
  • Online programs
  • Conferences, convenings and institutes

A History of Service

UC Davis Human Services began more than 40 years ago as a partnership between the University of California, Davis, and state government to provide rural counties with innovative new skills for their human services workers. Since our formative years, the programs have grown to serve human services organizations and professionals throughout California and across the nation. We now deliver expertise in such practice areas as Child Welfare, Employment Services and Eligibility, Continuous Quality Improvement and Coaching, Leadership and Organizational Development, Elder and Dependent Adults, Tribal Social Services, Behavioral Health and Well-Being, and Wraparound Services.

Our growth over the years can be attributed to one guiding principle: our unwavering commitment to listen to the needs of human services organizations and work as partners to create solutions that best serve adults, children and families. As our clients frequently tell us, “UC Davis isn’t just a contracted training partner. You’re part of our team.”