Institute on Protective Services
The Institute on Protective Services at Temple University Harrisburg provides education and consultation to human services and law enforcement professionals on identifying, investigating, and resolving cases of elder abuse and victimization of vulnerable adults. The Institute is supported through funds from the Pennsylvania Department of Aging and the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services.
Available training opportunities for APS and OAPS staff
The courses listed below are open for enrollment. The course description, outline and additional information can be found by clicking on the course name. The list can be filtered by using the “Choose Your Training” option on the left side of the page.
Enrollment is only available to adult protective services (APS) and older adults protective services (OAPS) staff and is not available to the public.
Courses that are full or not open cannot be accessed or viewed.
If you have questions regarding the training courses, please contact Pamela Tereo at pamela.tereo@temple.edu
Choose Your Training:
The list of available courses is below. It can be sorted by clicking on the appropriate table heading (e.g., course name or campus).
| Course Name | Campus | Start Date | End Date | Start Time | End Time | Days of the Week | Checkout |
|---|
Our Mission
To prevent, respond, and when necessary, obtain justice for victimized elders and other vulnerable adults.
The Institute on Protective Services at Temple University Harrisburg provides education and consultation to human services and law enforcement professionals on identifying, investigating, and resolving cases of elder abuse and victimization of vulnerable adults. The Institute is supported through funds from the Pennsylvania Department of Aging and the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services.
Training Topics offered by the Institute on Protective Services
Protective Services Basic Training - This is mandatory training for APS and OAPS staff who will conduct protective services investigations. OAPS participants must complete the PDA OAPS Intake Worker Training curriculum located on PDA's LMS website before attending this course. Tjos prerequisite is not a requirement for APS participants.
Protective Services Five Year Refresher Training - Required for all Protective Services supervisors and Caseworkers. This is mandatory training. Any staff member involved in older adult protective services must take this course starting in the fifth year after completing Basic Protective Services Training and every five years thereafter. This requirement is in addition to the annual PS Enrichment training requirement.
Protective Services Enrichment Training - Protective Services staff are required to attend annually, as listed below:
- OAPS staff are required to attend one day of approved enrichment training (defined as 6 hours) per calendar year (January to December).
- APS staff are required to attend 40 hours of approved training per calendar year (April to March).
Protective Services Supervisors' Training - Required annually for all Protective Services Supervisors, per § 15.127 In-service Training of the regulations. Training shall consist of a minimum of one day (defined as 6 hours). This training is in addition to the required annual PS enrichment training. The requirement is based on a calendar year and is in addition to the annual PS Enrichment training requirement.
Training Courses
Protective Services Basic Training (IPS0039)
Instructors: Caroline Burnell, MS, CFE, Donna Creager, Adrienne Gardina
Format: Classroom, in-person
Location: Temple University Harrisburg Campus
This multi-day course is mandatory training for adult protective services (APS) and older adults protective services (OAPS) staff that will conduct protective services investigations. The training is focused on the basic knowledge and tools needed to conduct thorough and comprehensive investigations. Training modules are based on APS and OAPS regulations. Participants must complete all five days of training and all of the assignments to receive credit.
Dates:
- July 14-18, 2025
- August 11-15, 2025
- (Tentative Schedule) September 22-26, 2025
- (Tentative Schedule) October 20-24, 2025
- (Tentative Schedule) November 17-21, 2025
- (Tentative Schedule) December 15-19, 2025
Protective Services Five Year Refresher – OAPS ONLY (IPS0098)
Location: online, PDA LMS
The Five Year Refresher Course reviews core requirements of protective services along with any updates and new laws affecting protective services.
- This is a mandatory Training. Any staff member involved in older adult protective services must take this course starting in the fifth year after completing Basic Protective Services Training and every five years thereafter.
This training includes but is not limited to:
- full-time and part-time protective services caseworkers
- back-up/on-call/standby protective services caseworkers
- protective services supervisors and backup supervisors
- agency administrators who participate in the program either as backup investigators, supervisors, or clinical advisors
This class is a self-paced, self-study course located on PDA's Learning Management System (LMS) hosted by P4A.
- Below is a PDA LMS link and navigation path to access the training course (The course is listed in the LMS Course Catalog, under the Protective Services training category):
- COURSE LINK: Course Catalog > Protective Services > PS Five-Year Refresher Training Course
- NOTE: LMS users must have the 'Protective Services' training category enabled for their Course Catalog to access this training course. If not already enabled, click here to add/remove training categories.
- All four modules and the knowledge evaluation can be completed at any time during the year but must be completed by December 31st.
- Once all the course requirements are fulfilled, the LMS system will generate a certificate of completion. Provide a copy of the certificate to your PS Supervisor.
- It is estimated that the course and knowledge evaluation will take about 4 hours to complete.
For technical assistance with PDA's LMS or to submit an accessibility request, please contact the PDA LMS Help Center.
Protective Services Enrichment Training Courses
Enrichment Annual Requirement
- All OAPS staff are required to attend one day of approved enrichment training (defined as 6 hours) per calendar year (January to December).
- All APS staff are required to attend 40 hours of approved training per calendar year (April to March).
Fall 2025 (July – December) Enrichment Topics
Adult Mental Health First Aid
Description: Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is a skills-based training that teaches people how to identify, understand, and respond to signs and symptoms of a mental health or substance use challenge.
Prerequisite Requirement: Yes
Presenter: Donna Creager
Duration: 2-hour prerequisite, followed by a 6-hour instructor-led session
Dates:
- Prerequisite Due: Wednesday, July 16, 2025
- Training Session: Wednesday, July 30, 2025
Format: Presented live, Zoom Meeting
Power and Control Dynamics
Description: During the training, participants will learn various tactics abusers use, explore many reasons and situations where someone may feel they cannot or will not leave an abusive relationship and work through an experiential exercise to help develop empathy and awareness of various outcomes and resources when working with people who are being abused.
Presenters: Donna Creager, Adrienne Gardina
Format: Presented in person, classroom training
Duration: 6-hours
Dates & Locations:
- Tuesday, Aug. 05, 2025 – Allegheny County AAA
- Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025 – Temple University Ambler Campus, Learning Center
- Tuesday, Oct. 07, 2025 – Borough of State College Municipal Building
- Thursday, Nov. 06, 2025 – Temple University Harrisburg Campus
Format: Presented in person, classroom training
Trauma 101
Description: This training provides adult and older adult protective services case workers with a foundational understanding of trauma and its impact on the populations they serve. Learners will understand the basics of what trauma is and how it impacts adults and older adults. They will gain skills to be trauma-sensitive and trauma-informed. Through this learning experience, PS caseworkers will also be introduced to strategies for building compassion resilience as they experience vicarious trauma.
Presenter: Donna Creager
Duration: 3-hours
Dates:
- Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025
- Thursday, Oct. 09, 2025
- Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025
Format: Presented live, over Zoom Meeting
Putting People First: A Person-Centered Approach to Protective Services
Description: Putting people first in protective services means respecting each individual’s unique experiences, valuing their autonomy, and empowering them with a voice and choice to meet their specific needs and preferences. A one-size-fits-all approach can have devastating consequences. By approaching each situation with empathy and recognizing that individuals are the experts in their own lives, protective services can better support them and enhance the likelihood of a positive outcome. In this training, PS workers will learn practical skills that promote a person-centered approach in each case, while upholding their dedication to ensuring the individual’s safety.
Presenter: Donna Creager
Format: Presented live, over Zoom Meeting
Duration: 3-hours
Dates:
- Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025
- Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025
- Tuesday, Dec. 02, 2025
Format: Presented live, over Zoom Meeting
Valuing Lived Experiences Series
Valuing Lived Experiences (Prerequisite Course)
Description: This course is designed to enhance the understanding of protective service workers by adressing personal biases, fostering awareness of those who live differently, and developing strategies for best practices to ensure the safety of those they serve. Participants will engage in self-reflection, learn key concepts of humility, and acquire practical skills to effectively support individuals from different backgrounds.
Duration: 2 hours
Format: Self-paced module on PDA and DHS Learning Management Systems
Note: If the prerequisite course has already been completed, it does not need to be retaken.
Valuing Lived Experiences: Developmental & Intellectual Disabilities
Presenters: Donna Creager, Tina Wise
Duration: 2 hours
Date: Thursday, July 24, 2025
Format: Presented live, over Zoom Meeting
Valuing Lived Experiences: Unhoused
Presenters: Donna Creager, Tina Wise
Duration: 2 hours
Date: Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025
Format: Presented live, over Zoom Meeting
Valuing Lived Experiences: Veterans
Presenters: Donna Creager, Tina Wise
Duration: 2 hours
Date: Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025
Format: Presented live, over Zoom Meeting
Schedule at a Glance
| MONTH | DATE | ENRICHMENT TITLE | LENGTH |
|---|---|---|---|
| July | Th, July 24 | Valuing Lived Experiences: Developmental & Intellectual Disabilities | 2 hours |
| W, July 30 | Adult Mental Health First Aid | 6 hours | |
| August | Tu, Aug. 05 | Power and Control Dynamics | 6 hours |
| September | Tu, Sept. 16 | Trauma 101 | 3 hours |
| W, Sept. 17 | Valuing Lived Experiences: Unhoused | 2 hours | |
| Th, Sept. 18 | Power and Control Dynamics | 6 hours | |
| Tu, Sept. 30 | Putting People First: A Person-Centered Approach to Protective Services | 3 hours | |
| October | Tu, Oct. 07 | Power and Control Dynamics | 6 hours |
| Th, Oct. 09 | Trauma 101 | 3 hours | |
| W, Oct. 29 | Putting People First: A Person-Centered Approach to Protective Services | 3 hours | |
| November | Th, Nov. 06 | Power and Control Dynamics | 6 hours |
| W, Nov. 12 | Trauma 101 | 3 hours | |
| Th, Nov. 13 | Valuing Lived Experiences: Veterans | 2 hours | |
| December | Tu, Dec. 02 | Putting People First: A Person-Centered Approach to Protective Services | 3 hours |
Questions about the Institute on Protective Services or a training course?
| Contact Person: | Pamela Tereo, Project Manager, Institute on Protective Services at Temple University Harrisburg |
|---|---|
| Email Address: | pamela.tereo@temple.edu |
| Telephone Number: | (717) 232-6400 |
| Program Office Address: |
234 Strawberry Square
Harrisburg, PA 17101 |
| Office Hours: |
Monday through Friday
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. |