PEWL

Year in Review
July 2021-July 2022

Office of Professional Education

and Workplace Learning
 PEWL
Year in Review
July 2021-July 2022

Amy Perez
Executive Director, Professional Education and Workplace Learning

Jorge Silva-Puras
Interim Dean

Tracy Meade
Senior Associate Dean for Strategy and Innovation

Jennifer Chand
Director of Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning

Marisa Osorio
Writer/Editor

Alan Rubenstein & Ariana Souzis

Copy Editors

Dorothy Robinson
Graphic Designer

Kelly Cunningham
Senior Graphic Designer

2
ABOUT PEWL
In 2006, PEWL was created alongside CUNY SPS with the deepest conviction that a
great urban university should also attend to the needs of the city.
With that mission at the forefront, PEWL grew from a team of three to what we have
today — more than 200 learning and development professionals who partner with
city and state agencies, nonprofit organizations, and the private sector to develop and
facilitate engaging learning programs. We have served more than 250,000 learners
since our inception.
The story of PEWL can be seen in the pages of this report and highlights everything
we bring to our partners. At our core, we are consultants and yet we’re so much more.
We embed ourselves into agencies across the entire state of New York to understand
their needs and solve problems. We design curriculum in some instances and use
project management skills to help create training centers in others.
This past fiscal year, PEWL saw growth and achievements in all programs. A few
examples include the booming expansion of The Academy for Community Behavioral
Health, which not only increased its staff, but also its course offerings, and continued
its mission to strengthen the role social service providers play in behavioral health.
Over at the CUNY/Office of Child Support Services (OCSS) Training Program in lower
Manhattan, a variety of technology was implemented to train staff and ultimately
better serve the City’s families.
Meanwhile, in Rensselaer at the Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS)
Human Services Training Center, our PEWL teams maintain the training technology
that supports both the Center’s mandated in-person training, as well as its
e-learning courses. Our PEWL teams also develop and deliver synchronous and
asynchronous e-learning courses to thousands of agency employees and provider
agency staff statewide.
We received more than $32 million in funding this past fiscal year for our programs
and nearly 28,000 people have taken at least one course offered by PEWL during
fiscal year 2022.
Our work is diverse and engaging. We are experts in research-based learning
practices, both online as well as in-classroom curriculum development and
implementation. We are uniquely positioned to respond to organizational learning
needs and support change management initiatives swiftly and effectively.
Please enjoy our third report highlighting the unit’s work. We welcome you into the
world of PEWL!

Amy Perez
Executive Director

3
 PEWL BY NUMBERS
Number of
Total Budget PEWL Programs

$32.7 M 16
Individual Learners Served Course Enrollment
27,786 72,209
Individual Learners Served Since
PEWL’s Inception in 2006
280,000+

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IMPACT
PEWL Strengthens Diversity, Equity,
Inclusion Principles in Leadership
Program for Managers
• Curriculum design
As the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) come into • Facilitation and learner
engagement
sharper focus in the workplace, the Managing for Innovation program
(MFI) placed a stronger emphasis on incorporating DEI principles into • Identification and sourcing
the MFI coursework. of talent
• Marketing
Program Director Clarke Griffith said he began speaking with the • Needs assessment and analysis
facilitators about curriculum changes at the suggestion of our
partner, Associate Director of Programs and Partnerships Parker
• Organizational development
Krasney, from the Mayor’s Office for Economic Opportunity • Professional skills development
(NYC Opportunity). for workers
• Program evaluation
“I was impressed with the different ways that the facilitators, depending
• Program management
on their topic, naturally and organically wove a diversity, equity, and inclusion
lens into their materials where it wasn’t before,” Griffith said. • Training operations

MFI’s signature course, the Program Manager’s Forum, is delivered to selected

program directors, assistant directors, and other emerging leaders at NYC nonprofits,
who manage or work on City-funded human services programs. The curriculum is based on
the Program Management Core Competency Model, created by PEWL, which outlines fundamental
competencies for successful program management.
MFI’s other course is the City Partners’ Workshop, which is intended for City agency and Mayor’s Office staff who help
to oversee the design, implementation, and monitoring of City-funded human services programming and systems
change initiatives.
Griffith shared a few examples of how the facilitators incorporated DEI into the curriculum. During the module on
project management, the facilitator included a discussion of the positive impacts of having a diverse project team.
In other areas, the facilitator talked about the importance of using a participatory approach to management and
including community members in every step of the process, from designing programs to developing a final report for
new initiatives. In the contract management and budgeting module, the facilitator introduced historical background
and guidance on contracting with the Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises Program.
“We also included a discussion about key performance indicators for measuring and improving an organization’s
culture in terms of diversity, equity, and inclusion,” Griffith said. “Getting participants to ask critical questions such as
‘How are you measuring that?’ ‘What are your benchmarks?’ ‘How do you report on that?’”
Some examples of how to measure these indicators include looking at recruitment and selection, promotion, compensation,
representation, retention, engagement, and customer/supplier diversity.
Jaye Smith, the lead MFI facilitator, was thrilled to help implement indicators into the coursework. “PEWL made intentional
changes to the MFI curriculum, incorporating a DEI mindset and sets of behaviors,” Smith said. “DEI has always been
important, but in light of horrific events, we felt it was necessary to make sure the MFI leaders had the tools and resources
they needed to manage DEI within their own organizations.”

5
 IMPACT continued

DHS Financial Independence Now (FIN)

Learning and Coaching Program
The moment Janelle Hammond took the Financial Independence Now (FIN) Learning and Coaching Program she knew it
was something she could readily apply to help the residents at Carpenter House, a homeless shelter on Staten Island.
“It’s a very vulnerable population and a lot of the individuals that we serve have been homeless on the street for
a long time,” said Hammond, program director at Carpenter House. “As a result, there wasn’t a need to
save money, budget or open up a bank account.”

• E-learning module design The first step for Hammond and her staff was to help residents secure a source of income. Once
they have that, they are then given the tools to start saving money.
• Facilitation and learner
engagement “We record their deposits and withdrawals on a ledger,” explained Hammond. “They would
• On-the-job training get an actual receipt for that money. There would be specific times during the day when they
• Program evaluation could do their personal banking.”
• Program expansion Hammond is one of more than 700 Department of Social Services-Department of Homeless
• Program management Services (DSS-DHS) shelter and agency staff who completed the FIN training and continue the
• Training operations mission of helping their clients with personal finances.
The FIN program is a partnership between PEWL, DSS-DHS, and Change Machine – a nonprofit
organization that builds financial security for low-income communities. It provides training on how to
assist clients with setting financial goals, developing spending and savings plans, managing credit and debt,
and increasing their access to free off-site financial empowerment services via a referral process.
This collaboration was formed in January 2018 with the goal of equipping DSS-DHS professionals with the tools to lead
conversations with clients about personal finances, including the assessment of credit scores and reports, as well as finding
no-cost or low-cost banking services.
Since the program launched in September 2018, shelter and agency staff have been trained across approximately 120
shelters and low-barrier programs serving a range of clients, including single adults, young adults, adult families, and
families with children. The program aims to ultimately reach all the agency’s shelters across the five boroughs.
In surveys administered at the end of training, staff report having richer and more frequent conversations with clients about
their finances, and feeling better informed and more confident about having those conversations.
Overall, they found the training to be useful. They attest to the importance and value of improving financial literacy among
their clients, and are committed to having these conversations.
“Financial Independence Now exemplifies the kind of innovation that strengthens our commitment to offering New Yorkers
experiencing homelessness the high-quality services and supports they need and deserve,” said Department of Homeless
Services Administrator Joslyn Carter. “We are grateful to Change Machine and CUNY SPS PEWL for their incredible
partnership in in helping to build our comprehensive efforts and equip our clients with vital tools for financial sustenance as
they get back on their feet.”
Hammond said she uses what she learned from the FIN Program with her clients, who are issued a certificate when they
complete an in-house financial training program that the shelter offers to help them with budgeting, establishing credit, and
saving money.
“Some folks really embraced these educational workshops and were able to save a considerable amount of money so that
when they left Carpenter House, they were able to buy all the things that they wanted for their apartments,” Hammond said
with pride.
6
 GROWTH
The Academy for Community
Behavorial Health Expands Its Efforts

In New York City and throughout the Academy offered more than 20 courses is unique. It offers teams a seven-month
country, only a fraction of people and reached over 2,000 learners from learning path with comprehensive
experiencing mental or behavioral health 250 organizations across the city in implementation support, training, and
conditions receive effective care. Treatment FY22, prioritizing the 33 neighborhoods ongoing coaching. This is the support
access, quality, and outcomes are often identified by the New York City Taskforce organizations need to successfully use an
significantly worse for people of color, on Racial Inclusion and Equity (TRIE) evidence-based practice like MI, with the
those with low incomes, LGBTQ+ people, as most impacted by COVID-19 or skill and consistency that lead to positive
immigrants, and other marginalized groups. experiencing high rates of health and other outcomes. It reflects our commitment to
socioeconomic disparities. closing the gap between evidence and
PEWL created the Academy for Community
practice, and getting proven behavioral
Behavioral Health to help close these gaps. Academy courses have helped learners
health tools into the hands of providers
develop skills to support community
The Academy invests in the behavioral who can use them,” said Academy
members who are grieving; manage
health knowledge, skills, and wellbeing of Program Director Elise Tosatti.
stress; help people process pain related
social service providers who already have
to experiences of racism; explore new In FY23, the Academy will expand its
meaningful relationships in communities.
frameworks for post-traumatic growth; comprehensive certificate programs to
The Academy launched in Spring 2021
and more. include new courses on trauma-informed
with support from the Mayor’s Office of
leadership, trauma-informed supervision,
Community Mental Health (OCMH) and the “The Academy has intentionally and
and advanced grief counseling skills. It
Mayor’s Office for Economic Opportunity thoughtfully created courses that
will also expand single and multi-session
(NYC Opportunity). really addressed not just the needs of
courses in other focus areas.
communities, but also [recognized] that
In its first full program year, the Academy
a lot of the staff doing the work are from The Academy is building cross-disciplinary
developed free courses for NYC social
those communities themselves,” said collaborations that will help advance new
service providers, custom services for City
Debbie Panek, director of family and youth programs, reach new audiences, deepen
and State agencies, and a hub for new
programs at Mercy Center in the Bronx. its impact, and offer new paths to career
collaborations and knowledge building
“The Academy recognizes that vicarious advancement or academic credit. This
to strengthen the role that social service
trauma and the stress of what all the includes collaborating with the CUNY SPS
providers play in behavioral health. The
families were going through also affect Youth Studies Program to create a training
our staff and teams. If we don’t support program that will equip young people to
staff, there was no way they could provide act as peer mental health advocates in
• Facilitation and learner support to people in the community.” community organizations.
engagement Mercy Center was one of five organizations “The work of the Academy during this
• Identification and sourcing of to participate in the first cohort of the past year, as New York City emerges and
talent Academy’s Motivational Interviewing recovers from the devastating effects of
• Learning management systems Certificate Program for organizations or the COVID-19 pandemic, is nothing short
• Needs assessment teams, launched in FY22. Motivational of remarkable,” said PEWL Executive
• Professional skills development Interviewing (MI) is a collaborative, Director Amy Perez. “We are grateful
• Program evaluation goal-oriented counseling method to NYC Opportunity and the Mayor’s
• Program expansion that helps people make and sustain Office of Community Mental Health for
positive behavior changes, leading to this partnership and look forward to
• Program management
improved health and social outcomes. extending our reach among community-
• Specialized learning program based organizations.”
design “The Academy’s MI Certificate Program
• Training operations 7
 TECHNOLOGY
New Programs from the CUNY-OCSS Training Program
Foster Professional Development, Employer Outreach,
and Community-Based Organizations
Mapping out “Learning Paths”—blueprints for individual learners different Learning Path than OCSS caseworkers doing intake work
to guide their career development—is emblematic of the ways that with custodial parents.
Program Director Anita Staeheli and her team at the CUNY/Office of
The result was the creation of a multitude of Learning Paths covering
Child Support Services (OCSS) Training Program used technology to
the entire OCSS organization, which was finalized in 2019. The next
further the agency’s goals.
step, from 2020 through 2022, was configuring the Paths into the
Implementing a new learning management system on the project Absorb LMS.
was the first step, but they also needed a better way to track
“The LMS now makes it really easy for supervisors to access
enrollment and progress in the courses that would help OCSS staff
information about their staff’s training history,” Gasdaska continued.
develop the necessary knowledge and skills to excel at their jobs.
“If I’m a supervisor and need to see which staff have or haven’t taken
Program Manager Allyson Gasdaska explained that OCSS had been a particular course in their Learning Path, I can quickly access their
using their own in-house course-tracking system, but it was hard to course history within Absorb to check. Or, if I have a staff member
use and underutilized. struggling with something, I can see if they’ve taken any courses
about that topic and help them access additional training ASAP.”
Gasdaska said the opportunity to develop a system to track courses
To enable all of this, Gasdaska added, it was important to have the
taken by staff came when the new Absorb Learning Management
existing historical course information for OCSS staff, which was also
System (LMS) was deployed by PEWL. Developing Learning Paths—
integrated into the LMS.
a customized schema outlining the series of classes and courses
each staff member would take over the course of their career—was In Spring 2022, PEWL staff began offering trainings to supervisors
a critical goal for Frances Pardus-Abbadessa, executive deputy and directors to learn how to access Learning Path reports and
commissioner at the Department of Human Resources. training transcripts within the LMS. “We offered an asynchronous
e-learning course and also webinar office hours for supervisors,
Creating and implementing Learning Paths was a multi-year process.
teaching them how to access and use all of their direct
The first steps were to interview department
reports’ training data on demand in the LMS,”
managers within OCSS to see what courses
Gasdaska added.
were integral for their staff. “OCSS and
PEWL came together to try to figure Staeheli noted this was a great example
out what is a standardized training • Change management of how CUNY and OCSS partnered
curriculum that every type of • Facilitation and learner engagement together to bring a vision to life.
worker in this agency should • E-learning module design “It was a very detailed and
take,” Gasdaska said. time-consuming project,” she
• Identification and sourcing of talent said. “It’s something that will
While each Learning • Learner recruitment and registration enhance both PEWL’s ability
Path included a core set • Learning management systems to offer the right training and
of courses for all OCSS
staff, there would be
• Needs assessment also the stakeholder’s ability
additional individually • Organizational development to really get an overview of
• Process re-engineering training and how to strategize
tailored entries for different
• Program evaluation for future training needs.”
departments, employee
titles, and workstreams. For • Program management Staeheli added that her
example, Gasdaska said, staff • Specialized learning program design team had two other important
in an OCSS department doing • Training operations accomplishments this past
administrative work, such as the fiscal year. The first was converting
finance department, would have a and facilitating the OCSS employer
8
 TECHNOLOGY continued

conference from an in-person event to a virtual one, with multiple complexities of the City’s child support system, expanded its reach
presentations from state and local experts. and broadened its audience to include OCSS clients—custodial and
noncustodial parents, explained Program Manager Chuck DeLaney.
This was partly prompted by the pandemic, explained Program
Manager Angela Barraco-Levine, who designed the programming for DeLaney said the Institute develops and delivers shorter
the conference. But they were also able to reach more employers by presentations that are geared to specific audiences such as new
converting it to an online format. moms or noncustodial parents with debt issues. “We’ve also
recorded presentations so they can be available on the OCSS website
The conference is imperative to the work of OCSS because it helps
and YouTube channel on demand, and another innovation is creating
employers with the process of withholding income from noncustodial
presentations for Spanish-speaking clients.”
parents, which accounts for about $550 million a year collected by
OCSS on behalf of the City’s children. In addition, he said the Training Institute now issues a quarterly
calendar and regularly develops new presentations devoted to topics
“The new conference format was so successful that the agency will
of interest to both CBO staff and individual parents. In the coming
continue this format moving forward,” Staeheli said.
months, “Ask the Leadership of OCSS” sessions will be held and
Lastly, the Training Institute, which provides short webinars to City feature OCSS executive staff holding Q&A sessions with custodial
agencies and community-based organizations (CBOs) about the and noncustodial parents.

Simulation Center and Technology Sustains

State Child Welfare Training
It is the level of detail in the rooms that is particularly striking. licensed childcare professionals, among others. Our
PEWL teams maintain and support the training
The fake vomit and flies near the baby indicating
technology used at the Center, as well as
neglect. The food growing mold that reeks
develop many e-learning courses that are
in the refrigerator. The “poopy” diapers • E-learning module design delivered to the agency’s thousands
purposely stained brown.
• Facilitation and learner of employees and voluntary provider
Known as “Sim Alley,” the long engagement agency staff statewide.
hallway has various rooms and • Learning management systems The training center was two years
painted facades of a cafe, a • Professional skills development in the making and is one of only two
Broadway show, and the subway. for workers such centers nationwide.
These simulation labs feature • Program management
one-way glass observation rooms The new facilities, in addition to
and hidden microphones where as
• Specialized learning program offering state-of-the-art training
design
many as 20 trainees can gather at a rooms, also has the benefit of bringing
time to observe the training simulations • Training operations PEWL team members closer, enabling
in real time at the New York State Office of them to collaborate and more easily expand
Children and Family Services (OCFS) Human upon their work.
Services Training Center in Rensselaer.
“When we launched our partnership with the OCFS
PEWL launched its partnership with the OCFS Bureau of Training Bureau of Training and Development in 2010, our PEWL staff were
and Development (BTD) in 2010 and employs nearly 20 staff physically more spread out and located within different wings
members at the 100,000 square foot center, as well as another of the agency’s home office,” explained PEWL Senior Program
nine team members at the OCFS regional office in Buffalo. Director Rebecca Brown Cesarani.
At the Center in Rensselaer, in-person mandated training is “There were only a couple of training rooms and labs there, so the
provided to workers around the state, including child welfare Bureau of Training and Development’s move to the completely
caseworkers and supervisors, juvenile justice workers, and renovated Human Services Training Center in late 2018 was a
9
 TECHNOLOGY continued

major transition for both the teams, who are now closer together, building additional proprietary data systems to track training
as well as for certain aspects of their work,” she added. assets and classes taking place there, explained Brown Cesarani.
While PEWL’s work for OCFS has always focused on designing and “This opportunity for caseworkers and detention center staff
delivering asynchronous and synchronous web-based learning to practice these hard and soft skills in a controlled, safe, and
solutions for staff statewide, the work has since expanded to also supported environment is crucial in strengthening their ability
include much more technology support for the Training Center’s to act in the moment when they encounter life-threatening and
many more classrooms, labs, and simulation rooms, as well as emotionally challenging situations on the job,” said Edwina Nuñez,
PEWL former program director.

Unlocking Unemployment Course Enhances Skills

and Effectiveness of Workforce Practitioners
Eddie Santiago is familiar with how hard it can be to find a job “It’s focused on a strengths-based perspective and reframes
after spending 15 years in prison. how to work with job seekers, who are in need of a fair chance.”
“I paid my dues to society and then you go and try to get a Santiago suggested the course should include language that
job, and employers raise eyebrows when they learn about your avoids using the words “criminal,” “jail,” or “prison” because
past—and then it’s rejection, rejection, rejection,” Santiago that immediately biases potential employers. His advice was
said. “How do you get people to see that there’s more incorporated into the design of the course.
to you than that?”
“Input such as Santiago’s was paramount in
Santiago, a community technician at Bowery ensuring that the course and materials
Residence Committee, received the were developed with a person-centered
opportunity to change the narrative by • Learning management approach,” said Edwina Nuñez, former
becoming an advisor to the e-learning systems PEWL program director, who oversaw the
course Unlocking Employment: How to • Needs assessment development of Unlocking Employment.
Partner with Job Seekers Impacted by • Professional skills
development for workers “We created Unlocking Employment
the Legal System.
as an aid for workforce development
The course was created to enhance
• Project management professionals, so they can better support
the skills and increase the effectiveness • Vendor management job seekers with legal system involvement,”
of workforce development practitioners said NYC Opportunity Acting Executive
serving job seekers who have been involved Director Carson Hicks. “This e-learning course is
with the legal system. It is a collaborative project filled with key insights on the impact of legal system
between PEWL, the Mayor’s Office for Economic involvement, legal protections available to those with criminal
Opportunity (NYC Opportunity), and John Jay College Institute convictions, and tools and best practices to support a job
for Justice and Opportunity (The Institute). search. We are excited to partner with PEWL and The Institute to
create this crucial resource.”
PEWL staff project-managed the development and launch
of the courses, served as the liaison across stakeholders, Corinthia Tart, an employment coordinator for Bronx Works,
and customized and implemented the program’s learning was one of the practitioners who participated in a pilot review of
management system. Unlocking Employment. “I would 100 percent recommend this,”
she said. “This course would be a blessing for anyone working
“This course is essential for workforce development
in the area of workforce development who needs to know more
practitioners to become more informed about the rights and
about the rights and needs of those previously involved in the
needs of people who have had previous involvement with the
legal system.”
legal system,” said PEWL Senior Program Director Dawn Picken.

10
PEWL EXPERTISE
What do you get when you
hire CUNY SPS PEWL?
Experts in:
Change management
Curriculum design
E-learning module design
Fa c i l t a i o n a n d l e a r n e r e n g a e m n t
Identification and sourcing of talent
Learning management systems
Learner recruitment and registration
Marketing

eV ndor management

11
 HERE’S WHAT OUR PARTNERS
SAY ABOUT OUR WORK:
“ Our partnership with PEWL allows us to benefit from experts and consultants who help us develop
interactive learning programs to advance the work of child welfare and juvenile justice workforce and
to better serve the City’s most vulnerable children and families. I love the diversity of the staff and their
commitment to racial equity and social justice. ”
— Cheryl L. Beamon, Associate Commissioner with the City’s Office of Training and Workforce
Development, about the ACS Workforce Institute partnership

“ I like the professionalism and expertise that is being provided to support our program area. While not the subject matter experts
themselves for the projects they are working on, getting so embedded with the work and those that are the experts to the point that
it is hard to distinguish between CUNY SPS PEWL staff and DSS staff. The efficient and effective communication has helped lead to
a well-functioning partnership. ”
— Adam Waitzman, Assistant Deputy Commissioner, Policy and Procedures, about the DSS DHS Staff Learning and Development
Program

“ I enjoy PEWL’s organization and attention to detail. The DSS DHS Staff Learning and Development program team is very
knowledgeable, creative, and easy to work with—this is a winning combination, as it not only makes for incredibly useful trainings,
but also a collaborative work relationship.”
— Elizabeth A. Iannone, Esq., MPA, NIC, MHC, DSS Office of Legal Affairs, Legal Implementation Strategist

“ PEWL has been instrumental in advancing the work of the Mayor’s Office for Economic Opportunity.
Through our yearslong partnership, PEWL has consistently delivered as an instructional designer, project
manager, and training administrator, helping to build organizational capacity across our office, City
partners, and the human service provider workforce. ”
— Carson C. Hicks, PhD, Acting Executive Director, Mayor’s Office for Economic Opportunity

“ We are grateful to PEWL for their incredible partnership on the FIN initiative which has provided valuable training for DSS-DHS and
our provider-partner staff to better assist clients looking to develop financial literacy skills as they stabilize their lives. This is the kind of
innovation that helps build on our ongoing efforts to offer vulnerable New Yorkers the high-quality supports they need and deserve.”
— Shereen Margolis, Former Partner Liaison Manager, Office of Public/Private Partnerships and Erin Foster, Project Manager,
Adult Services Division DHS

“ As part of our commitment to ensuring that we provide vulnerable New Yorkers with holistic services
and supports, we are proud of our continued partnership with CUNY SPS PEWL which provides meaningful
training supports to our staff through a variety of strategic initiatives. From strengthening our trauma-
informed delivery of services to helping staff equip our clients with financial literacy tools, we are grateful
for the many ways in which PEWL helps us build on our comprehensive efforts to serve and support
vulnerable New Yorkers as they stabilize their lives. ”
— Gary P. Jenkins, Commissioner, NYC Department of Social Services

12
 16 PEWL PROGRAMS
1ANTI-BIAS TRAUMA- 2
ACS WORKFORCE
3
THE COASTAL STORM PLAN
INFORMED TRAINING INSTITUTE Michael Schultz
(ABTI) Charlene Armstrong Senior Program Manager
Dorothea Nixon-Porter Program Director Partners: NYC Department of
Program Director Partner: NYC Administration for Citywide Administrative Services
Partner: NYC Department of Social Children’s Services (ACS) (DCAS) and NYC Emergency
Services (DSS) Inception: 2015 Inception: 2010
Inception: 2019 The Workforce Institute, a partnership The Coastal Storm Plan (CSP) training
The Anti-Bias Trauma-Informed Training between the Administration for Children’s program is targeted primarily towards City
(ABTI) program provides training for the Services, PEWL, and the Hunter College agency staff who are assigned a role in
DSS, Human Resources Administration Silberman School of Social Work provides the CSP evacuation and sheltering system
(HRA) and the Department of Homeless ongoing professional skills development and require training to perform necessary
Services (DHS). The trainings focus for direct service staff and supervisors tasks. The program is also available to
on the intersections of individual and at ACS and its many partner agencies. state, federal, NGO, and private partner
structural biases, racism, trauma, Programs include strengths-based organizations that provide support for
and their influence on behavior and practice, coaching, safety and risk these operations. Core services:
decision-making in the workplace. The assessment, implicit bias, evidence- •  Learning management systems
ABTI team helps staff to understand based modeling, and other specialized
•  Professional training
automatic patterns of thinking and coursework to numerous staff members
mitigate bias. The training is conducted across the child welfare and juvenile •  Program management
using in-person, asynchronous e-learn justice sectors. Core services:
programming and virtual instructor-led
•  Change management
training courses consisting of lecture,
small group exercises, case studies, and •  E-learning module design
large group discussions. Core services: •  Facilitation and learner engagement
•  Identification and sourcing of talent
•  E-learning module design
•  Learning management systems
•  Facilitation and learner engagement
•  Learner recruitment and registration
•  Identification and sourcing of talent
•  Marketing
•  Organizational development
•  Needs assessment
•  Program evaluation
•  Organizational development
•  Specialized learning program design
•  Professional skills development
•  Training operations
•  Program expansion
•  Project management
•  Specialized learning program design
•  Training operations
•  Vendor management

13
 16 PEWL PROGRAMS continued

4
DEPARTMENT OF
5
DEPARTMENT OF
6
ENERGY MANAGEMENT
CORRECTION (DOC) HOMELESS SERVICES INSTITUTE
ON-THE-JOB TRAINING STAFF LEARNING AND Michelle Attles
Viktoriia Chubirka DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM Program Director
Senior Program Manager Tanja Carter-Searls Partner: NYC Department of
Partner: Senior Program Director Citywide Administrative Services
NYC Department of Correction Partner: NYC Department of Social (DCAS) Division of Energy
Inception: 2017 Services (DSS) Office of Policy, Management (DEM)
Procedures and Training (OPPT) Inception: 2009
PEWL’s partnership with the Department
of Correction supports the agency’s Inception: 2019 The Energy Management Institute (EMI)
mission through the development of The DSS DHS Staff Learning and trains New York City staff in energy
learning programs for uniform and non- Development Program team writes management best practices and helps
uniform staff. Our work with the agency comprehensive procedures and designs them develop the skills they need to
includes instructor-led training (ILT) and deploys training to DHS and DHS optimize building performance. EMI offers
leadership courses, e-learning modules, provider staff on operational processes a broad range of trainings, certifications,
on-the-job training (OJT) scenarios, and City-mandated topics, focusing on and other technical support to City staff
and other programs and workshops. how to operate and maintain DHS-funded from diverse disciplines, including energy
Core services: facilities and programs. Core services: managers, energy auditors, building
operators, engineers, and tradespeople.
•  Needs assessment •  Assessment
The courses and workshops focus on
•  On-the-job training •  Curriculum design improving the skills of DCAS-DEM-
•  Program evaluation •  Facilitation and learner engagement supported agency employees responsible
•  Vendor management •  Identification and sourcing of talent for implementing energy-efficient
•  E-learning modules and simulations measures that support the City’s major
•  Learning management systems greenhouse gas emission reduction
goals. EMI helps empower City staff to
•  Marketing
make energy-smart decisions, implement
•  Organizational development operational improvements, and advocate
•  Process re-engineering for energy retrofits and clean energy
•  Project management projects across the City’s portfolio.
•  Specialized learning program design Core services:
•  E-learning module design
•  Facilitation and learner engagement
•  Identification and sourcing of talent
•  Learning management systems
•  Organizational development
•  Professional skills development
•  Professional training
•  Program evaluation
•  Program management
•  Specialized learning program design

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7 8 9
FAMILY DEVELOPMENT FAMILIES FORWARD FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE
CREDENTIAL PROGRAM DEMONSTRATION (FFD) NOW (FIN)
(FDC) Anita Staeheli Jennifer DePalma
Jennifer DePalma Program Director Program Director
Program Director Partner: NYC Human Resources Partner: NYC Department of
Partner: NYC Department of Youth Administration Office of Child Homeless Services (DHS)
and Community Development Support Services (OCSS) Inception: 2018
(DYCD) Program Ended June 30, 2022 DHS FIN provides financial coaching
Inception: 2011 The FFD is a national multi-site program strategies and tools to shelter-based
PEWL coordinates the professional designed to increase the earnings of staff, including case managers,
development FDC training in partnership low-income noncustodial parents to independent living specialists,
with the DYCD. FDC is an interactive, help them pay their court-ordered child housing specialists, and leadership,
professional development training for support. Partnering with specialized to help shelter clients set financial
front-line workers and supervisors from workforce development vendors, FFD goals, develop monthly spending and
public, private, and nonprofit health offers participants free vocational savings plans, check credit scores and
and human services systems, with an training, employment services, child reports, and ultimately transition to
emphasis on empowerment and family support navigation assistance, financial permanent housing. The program also
support to reorient the way services counseling, and wraparound supports. aims to increase clients’ access to
are delivered. The credential, issued Core services: NYC Financial Empowerment Centers,
by the Center for Culture, Health & which provide more in-depth financial
•  Project management
Human Development at the University of counseling services, via a referral
Connecticut, is earned after completion •  Vendor management
process. Core services:
of interactive classroom study facilitated •  Professional training
•  E-learning module design
by a certified instructor, completion of an
examination, and the development of a •  Facilitation and learner engagement
portfolio. Core services: •  On-the-job training
•  Program evaluation
•  Facilitation and learner engagement
•  Program expansion
•  Program management
•  Program management
•  Professional skills development
•  Training operations

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10
GAS SAFETY TRAINING
11
MANAGING FOR
12
OCSS/CUNY TRAINING
Michelle Attles INNOVATION PROGRAM
Program Director Clarke Griffith Anita Staeheli
Partners: Con Edison and CUNY Program Director Program Director
Building Performance Lab Partner: The Mayor’s Office for Partner: NYC Human Resources
Inception: 2018 Economic Opportunity (NYC Administration Office of Child
Opportunity) Support Services (OCSS)
This program offers a free gas
safety training class for building Inception: 2011 Inception: 2008
superintendents, operators, and Managing for Innovation is a leadership In support of employee learning and
maintenance staff of all New York program consisting of the Program performance support goals, this
City residential buildings. The training Managers’ Forum, the City Partners’ workforce development program
consists of three e-learning modules and Workshop, and an alumni network. The develops new training courses and
a 2.5-hour instructor-led class offered Program Managers’ Forum, the signature procedures. The program maintains and
entirely online. Core services: course, is designed for program directors, delivers an ongoing training calendar,
assistant directors, and other emerging including a rotation of existing courses.
•  E-learning modules
leaders at NYC nonprofits who manage PEWL supports OCSS in their mission to
•  Needs assessment or work on City-funded human services lift New York City children out of poverty
•  On-the-job training programs. The City Partners’ Workshop each year. Core services:
•  Program management is for City agency and Mayor’s Office
•  Change management
staff who help to oversee the design,
implementation, and monitoring of City- •  E-learning module design
funded human services programming and •  Facilitation and learner engagement
systems change initiatives. Core services: •  Identification and sourcing of talent
•  Curriculum design •  Learner recruitment and registration
•  Facilitation and learner engagement •  Learning management systems
•  Identification and sourcing of talent •  Needs assessment
•  Marketing •  Organizational development
•  Needs assessment and analysis •  Process re-engineering
•  Organizational development •  Program evaluation
•  Professional skills development •  Program management
•  Program evaluation •  Specialized learning program design
•  Program management •  Training operations
•  Training operations

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13 14
THE ACADEMY FOR Core services: TRAINING TECHNOLOGY,
COMMUNITY BEHAVIORAL •  Curriculum design DISTANCE LEARNING,
HEALTH (THE ACADEMY) AND DIRECT TRAINING
•  Marketing
Elise Tosatti SERVICES PROGRAM
•  Facilitation and learner engagement
Program Director Rebecca Brown Cesarani
•  Identification and sourcing of talent Senior Program Director
Partners: The Mayor’s Office
for Economic Opportunity (NYC •  Learning management systems Partner: New York State Office of
Opportunity) and The Mayor’s •  Needs assessment Children and Family Services (OCFS)
Office of Community Mental Health •  Professional skills development Inception: 2010
(OCMH)
•  Program evaluation PEWL provides OCFS state, local district,
Inception: 2021
•  Program expansion and provider agency staff statewide with
The Academy provides training, mandated training on topics designed to
•  Program management
coaching, and technical support promote health and safety among children
that equip social service providers to •  Specialized learning program design
and adults. The primary training audience
proactively address behavioral health. •  Training operations
includes child welfare and adult protective
Academy services include free courses services caseworkers and supervisors,
for community-based organizations, as well as foster/adoptive parents. Core
City or State agencies, and a hub for services:
new collaborations and knowledge
building and other nonprofit social •  E-learning module design
service providers. Capacity building •  Facilitation and learner engagement
is prioritized in the 33 neighborhoods •  Learning management systems
identified by the New York City Taskfore •  Professional skills development
on Racial Inclusion and Equity (TRIE)
•  Program management
as most impacted by COVID-19 or
experiencing high rates of health and •  Specialized learning program design
other socioeconomic disparities. •  Training operations

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 16 PEWL PROGRAMS continued

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UNLOCKING EMPLOYMENT: URBAN PARK LEADERSHIP The Essentials of Urban Park
HOW TO PARTNER WITH PROGRAM AND Management Certificate offers a fully
JOB SEEKERS IMPACTED ESSENTIALS OF URBAN online, self-paced, 14-week, non-credit
BY THE LEGAL SYSTEM PARK MANAGEMENT credential for entry- to mid-level staff
Dawn Picken CERTIFICATE in public park agencies and nonprofit
Senior Program Director urban parks groups nationally and
Clarke Griffith
Program Director internationally focusing on practices
Partner: The Mayor’s Office for
Economic Opportunity (NYC critical to the care and management of
Partner: Central Park Conservancy
Opportunity) Institute for Urban Parks urban parks. Core services:
Inception: 2018 Inception: 2017 •  Facilitation and learner engagement
Unlocking Employment is a 90-minute, The Urban Park Leadership Program is a •  Learner recruitment and registration
self-paced, e-learning course that non-credit credential that brings together •  Learning management systems
provides City-funded, workforce executive and senior-level, urban park •  Marketing
development provider staff with best professionals from across the country •  Professional skills development
practices and resources for working and internationally for a nine-month
•  Program evaluation
with job seekers who have criminal legal professional development experience of
system involvement. Emphasizing a synchronous and asynchronous learning, •  Program management
strengths-based approach, the course network building, and creative problem- •  Specialized learning program design
content was developed in partnership solving relevant to urban park leadership
with the John Jay College Institute for and management.
Justice and Opportunity, workforce
development provider staff, and job
seekers with experience in the legal
system. Core services:
•  Learning management systems
•  Needs assessment
•  Professional skills development
•  Project management
•  Vendor management

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LOOKING AHEAD TO FY23 —
WHAT IS PEWL WORKING ON?
Anti-Bias Trauma-Informed Training
• Work with the Department of Social Services to develop additional equity-based content to
achieve their goal of dignity-centered services for all

The Academy for Community Behavioral Health

• Co-design a new certificate program in trauma-informed organizational practice, with input
from direct care staff, supervisors, and senior leaders in NYC social service organizations
• Collaborate with the CUNY SPS Youth Studies Program to develop a training program that will
equip young people to act as peer mental health advocates in community organizations

Central Park Conservancy Institute for Urban Parks

• Partner in planning and supporting the return of a week-long in-person session in April 2023 in
New York City

Department of Homeless Services Staff Learning and Development Program

• Develop Medically Appropriate Procedure Training (e-learning), which will provide an overview
of the Medical Appropriateness Procedure documenting the steps needed during intake when
individuals present medical needs

Energy Management Institute

• Implement a new Learning Management System: Blackboard Learn
• Pilot Post-Training Evaluation Methodology
Financial Independence Now Program
• Optimize the online learning experience by combining shelter leadership and frontline staff
into single shorter live “kick-off” sessions
• Convert more of the program’s live content to self-paced e-learning modules
• Introduce “office hours” support sessions
Essentials of Urban Park Management Certificate Program
• Add live webinars to the program, which is currently a fully online, asynchronous program
Managing for Innovation
• Redesign and refresh the return to in-person learning in Spring 2023
OCSS CUNY Training Program
• Roll out the Electronic Case File system, including the areas of data management and
interpretation for one of the units

19
PEWL
Office of Professional Education
and Workplace Learning