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First readWhat to know+
Topic: New LGBTQ+ training and education program in HoustonSource: Montrose CenterWho It Helps: Workers, volunteers, and anyone wanting to be more inclusiveWhat It Offers: Certifications, license renewal credits, and workplace inclusion trainingReading Time: Under 2 minutes
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Good first step: Act Montrose Center Training Institute
Visit the Montrose Center website and look for the Training Institute to sign up for a class or share it with your workplace or school.
The Montrose Center has launched its Training Institute — a one-stop hub for LGBTQ+ affirming education in Houston. Whether you want to earn a peer specialist certification, keep your professional license current with continuing education credits, or help your workplace become more inclusive, the Institute puts 48 years of expertise to work for you.
The Training Institute offers four main tracks. Individuals can earn certifications as a Recovery Support Peer Specialist (RSPS) or Mental Health Peer Specialist (MHPS), or pick up a Certified Public Health Worker credential. Licensed professionals — including Licensed Master Social Workers (LMSWs), Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCs), Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSWs), Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFTs), and Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselors (LCDCs) — can complete affordable continuing education units (CEUs) to maintain their licenses. Note: CEUs are not currently available for physicians, nurses, or other medical licensures. Organizations and businesses can book custom diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) workshops and corporate ally training. And anyone curious about LGBTQ+ health and history can join free virtual Community Dialogue and LGBTQ+ Health sessions on Zoom. A broader certificate program recognizing LGBTQ+ cultural competency is planned for late 2026.
Use what you learned here to figure out which track fits you best. If you have lived experience with mental health or addiction recovery, look into the peer specialist certification programs — they meet in person at the Montrose Center and require that lived experience as a foundation. If you need CEUs for your license, browse the course calendar to find an affordable option in your credential area. If you manage a team or run an organization, reach out directly to ask about custom workplace training. For anyone just starting out, the free Zoom sessions are a low-barrier way to build knowledge and see what the Institute offers.
No fixed date
Not location-specific
The Training Institute grows out of the Montrose Center's broader behavioral health and community services. The Center is Texas's first Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC), has been Joint Commission accredited since 2003, and partners with more than 50 organizations across Harris County. Its youth programs, community health work, and peer support services all feed into the expertise behind this new Institute.
Houston's LGBTQ+ community deserves care and workplaces shaped by people who truly understand their needs. The Montrose Center has been providing behavioral health services here since 1977. Now it's packaging that knowledge into structured training anyone can access — from frontline peer supporters to licensed counselors to HR teams.
