Duration: Variable, with a minimum of 1.0 hour
Description of Course:
In this interactive workshop, an overview of mindfulness and its positive effects will be provided along with instruction and practice of a variety of easy and accessible mindfulness-based stress-reduction techniques.
Course Objectives:
- Describe mindfulness.
- Understand the positive effects of mindfulness.
- Utilize and/or explain one or more simple mindfulness-based stress-reduction practices for purposes of self-care and/or helping others to experience such practices.
Duration: Variable, with a minimum of 1.0 hour
Description of Course:
Participants explore the features, symptoms, and risk factors of compassion fatigue, along with self-awareness exercises and self-care strategies as key components for prevention.
Course Objectives:
- Define compassion fatigue.
- Understand the difference between compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue.
- Understand the difference between burnout and secondary trauma as features of compassion fatigue.
- Identify symptoms and risk factors of compassion fatigue.
- Utilize various self-awareness exercises to identify one’s risk of developing compassion fatigue.
- Identify and understand how to apply the ABC’s of preventing compassion fatigue (awareness, balance, connections) and key components of self-care (physical, psychological, behavioral).
Duration: Variable, with a minimum of 1.0 hour
Description of Course:
Customized workshop designed to meet the needs of participants. Sample topics:
Course Objectives:
- Anger Management
- Motivational Interviewing
- Personality Disorders
- PTSD
- Verbal De-escalation
- Wellness
Duration: Variable, with a minimum of 1.0 hour
Description of Course:
Participants will explore the sources and nature of conflict, and complete various exercises designed to identify their individual conflict management styles and increase their repertoire of conflict management strategies.
Course Objectives:
- Define conflict.
- Understand the nature and sources of conflict.
- Identify their individual conflict management styles.
- Identify personal conflict situations they find stressful.
- Discover and practice alternative approaches for preventing or managing conflict.
- Explore the potential of affirmation as a conflict management skill.
- Increase their repertoire of affirming behaviors related to conflict management.
QPR stands for Question, Persuade, Refer and is the CPR of mental health.
Duration: Variable, with a minimum of 1.0 hour
Description of Course:
Suicide prevention course that teaches participants how to help someone who may be considering suicide.
Course Objectives:
- Refer a suicidal person to the appropriate resources.
- Recognize the common causes, risk factors and warning signs of suicide.
- Understand the common myths and facts surrounding suicidal behavior.
- Question a person about suicide.
- Persuade a suicidal person to get help.
Modules: Adult | Youth | Public Safety | Older Adults | Veterans | Higher Education
Duration: 8 hours
Description of Course:
Just as CPR helps you to assist an individual having a heart attack — even if you have no clinical training — Mental Health First Aid helps you to assist someone experiencing a mental health-related crisis. In the Mental Health First Aid Course, you will learn risk factors and warning signs for mental health and addiction concerns, strategies for how to help someone in both crisis and non-crisis situations, and where to turn for help. You will learn how to apply the Mental Health First Aid action plan in a variety of situations, including when someone is experiencing:
- Panic attacks
- Suicidal thoughts or behavior
- Non-suicidal self-injury
- Acute psychosis (e.g., hallucination or delusions)
- Overdose or withdrawal from alcohol or drug use
Help the amazing people we support by playing the
“Squares for our Stars” game!
With a $50 square purchase, you have a chance to win one of our great prizes!
Prizes ranging from airline gift card to sport tickets!
Includes a chance to be our guest at the First Look for Charity 2027 event.
A limited number of squares will be sold.
Winners will be chosen at our
“Fore” the Future Golf Outing on September 21, 2026.
Winners need not be present.
On June 16, Sertoma Star Services hosted the 2nd Annual Night at the Park, where Indiana families enjoyed a Gary SouthShore RailCats game. The weather was perfect, the night was filled with smiles, a few baseball souvenirs were caught, and to top it all off, the RailCats brought home a big win.
This special outing was made possible through the generosity of a donor who is deeply committed to the individuals we support and to advancing our mission. Their support helps create meaningful opportunities for connection, community, and unforgettable experiences, and we are truly grateful.
We were also pleased to welcome staff from The Arc of Indiana who visited our chapter and joined in the fun. Thank you to everyone who helped make the evening such a memorable success.
Sertoma Star Services Hosts Unique Wellness Event Designed Specifically for First Responders and Their Loved Ones
First responders are trained to answer the call when others need help. Yet the emotional toll of serving on the front lines often extends beyond the individual, impacting marriages, families, and personal well-being. To address this often-overlooked reality, Sertoma Star Services is hosting Responding First to Each Other: Wellness for First Responders and Their Loved Ones (ages 16+,) a free wellness event created specifically to strengthen relationships and support the mental health of first responder families.
The in-person event will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Friday, June 12, at the Bremen Township Senior Complex, 15350 Oak Park Avenue, Oak Forest, Illinois. Attendance is free, but advance registration is required.
There is a growing need for resources that focus not only on the well-being of first responders but also on the families who share in the challenges of the profession. While many wellness programs are designed for first responders alone, this unique event brings first responders and adult family members together to learn, connect, and build strategies for navigating the stressors that come with careers in law enforcement, fire service, emergency medical services, and other emergency response professions.
First responders regularly face trauma, long hours, unpredictable schedules, and high-pressure situations. These realities can create communication barriers, emotional strain, and increased stress at home. Responding First to Each Other was developed to help families better understand these challenges and equip them with practical tools to strengthen communication, build resilience, and support one another through the demands of the profession.
“First responders are often expected to be strong for everyone else, but the reality is that the stress, trauma, and demands of the profession don’t stay at work—they come home,” said Gia Washington, Director of Community Education at Sertoma Star Services. “While there is growing awareness around first responder mental health, there are still very few opportunities that bring first responders and their family members together to learn, heal, and strengthen their relationships as a team. This event fills an important gap by recognizing that wellness isn’t just individual—it extends to families. When first responders and their loved ones have the tools to communicate, support one another, and build resilience together, everyone benefits.”
Through expert-led presentations, interactive discussions, and wellness-focused activities, participants will gain valuable insights into maintaining healthy relationships while balancing the unique responsibilities of public service. The event also provides a rare opportunity for first responder families to connect with others who share similar experiences, fostering a sense of community and mutual support.
As awareness grows around the importance of mental health and wellness in public safety professions, programs that include spouses and family members have become increasingly recognized as an essential component of long-term resilience. Sertoma Star Services is proud to offer this innovative event as part of its commitment to supporting the mental health and well-being of the communities it serves.
Sertoma Star Services is a leading provider of programs and support for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and those living with mental illness. Serving more than 2,000 individuals, the organization operates locations in Alsip, Chicago Heights, Crete, and Matteson, Illinois, with an office in Merrillville, Indiana. Through vocational, educational, therapeutic, and residential services, Sertoma Star Services empowers people ages 5 to 95 to achieve greater independence and meaningful inclusion in their communities. Learn more at sertomastar.org.