Certified professionals can learn the latest evidence-based models, principles, and techniques in addiction and behavioral health treatment at Outreach Training Institute (OTI). Participants can earn CASAC hours, as well as Continuing Education Hours for Social Workers, Mental Health Counselors, and Marriage and Family Therapists.
OTI’s experienced team of trainers, the majority of whom work in the field, offer students an informative and valuable skills-building experience. Courses feature overviews of evidence-based practice models such as Seeking Safety and Motivational Interviewing, two of our most popular and in-demand courses.
Professional Development Training for your Organization
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- Faculty are also available to provide training in settings within the community via live video conference: schools, social service organizations, healthcare facilities, and more. Please click the button below to learn more information and our course listing of available opportunities. If you and your employer are interested in hosting a professional development training specifically for your organization, you can directly request information and quotes by e-mailing the training institute director.
Liliane Drago, MA, CASAC, MAC
Director, Outreach Training Institute
lilianedrago@opiny.org
SOR Training
Free training for staff working in OASAS-licensed programs in New York State via OASAS-Funded State Opioid Response (SOR) Grant-Funded Training. All courses provide continuing education hours for CASAC, SW, MHC, and MFT!
Training for all staff working in OASAS-licensed programs in New York State are available at no charge under the OASAS SOR grant. SOR funded agencies throughout New York State will be prioritized, and others can also be admitted space permitting. Please see a listing of the trainings currently scheduled.
Important: Outreach Training Institute has transitioned to a new Learning Management System, Digital Chalk. As part of the registration process, you will be asked to create an account. To apply for any of the courses, you will need to complete a separate registration form for each course. You will receive a response to confirm your enrollment. Please save your login credentials, as you will need them to access the training and future certificates or course registrations.
SOR REGISTRATION LINK
September
Crisis Prevention and De-Escalation (3 hours)
This course teaches participants to use Nonviolent Crisis Intervention by the Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI). Participants learn to appropriately intervene at every level of a crisis, with emphasis on the identification of the early stages of a crisis and how to prevent its escalation. The use of verbal de-escalation and personal safety techniques is introduced and practiced. The overarching priority of this approach is to keep both clients and staff safe.
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Date: Thursday, September 25, 2025
- Time: 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM
- Trainer: Dr. Kalisha Smith, DSW, LCSW, CASAC Master Counselor, Director, Outreach Training Institute, Outreach Development Corporation
Registration Deadline: September 19, 2025
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October
Crisis Prevention and De-Escalation (3 hours)
This course teaches participants to use Nonviolent Crisis Intervention by the Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI). Participants learn to appropriately intervene at every level of a crisis, with emphasis on the identification of the early stages of a crisis and how to prevent its escalation. The use of verbal de-escalation and personal safety techniques is introduced and practiced. The overarching priority of this approach is to keep both clients and staff safe.
- Date: Thursday, September 25, 2025
- Time: 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM
- Trainer: Dr. Dayna Smith Slade, CSAC (VA), MAC, SAP, MA, MS, Adjunct Instructor
Registration Deadline: September 22, 2025
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Overdose Risk Assessment and Prevention (3 hours)
This training will review risk and protective factors for overdose to improve clinicians’ overdose risk assessment skills. The training will also review overdose prevention and safety planning and universal safety tips clients can implement immediately to reduce overdose risk.
- Date: Tuesday, October 7, 2025
- Time: 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM
- Trainer: Kelly Smith, DSW, LMSW, Adjunct Instructor
Registration Deadline: October 3, 2025
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Working with the LGBTQIA Community (3 Hours)
This training will provide the most current information relevant to the LGBTQIA community as consumers and providers in the workplace. Participants will expand their awareness of diversity in the workplace and will explore issues impacting their clients and colleagues within the LGBTQIA community. The course will cover issues such as discrimination, and homophobia which can impact treatment outcomes for clients and job satisfaction for employees. The importance of being knowledgeable about the LGBTQIA community and possessing the skills needed to demonstrate sensitivity when working with all members of this population will be examined. The course will offer practical exercises and case studies that provide the opportunity to practice effective, sensitive interactions with members of the LGBTQ Community during the training. Participants will acquire a mastery of key concepts including birth/assigned sex, gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation. Through dynamic, interactive exercises, participants will begin to understand ally ship and how LGBTQ inclusion can positively impact their workplace.
- Date: Wednesday, October 8 2025
- Time: 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm
- Trainer: Gretchen Grappone, LICSW, Adjunct Instructor
Registration Deadline: October 3, 2025
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Ethics & Professional Boundaries (3 hours)
This course reviews the ethical principles, canons, and obligations of those in the helping professions and outlines the parameters of appropriate professional boundaries. A wide variety of ethical professional challenges are analyzed using an ethical problem-solving model, considering professional codes of conduct, the law, common organizational policies and universal ethical principles.
- Date: Tuesday, October 21, 2025
- Time: 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM
- Trainer: Adelya Urmanche, Ph.D., Adjunct Instructor
Registration Deadline: October 16, 2025
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Writing a Billable Note (3 hours)
This course will teach participants the elements of a good progress note that includes the criteria required by Medicaid and other payers. Participants will learn to write exactly what is needed for reimbursement and to be more efficient in their documentation by eliminating unnecessary verbiage.
- Date: Wednesday, October 22, 2025
- Time: 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM
- Trainer: Dolores Jewell, PhD, JD, Adjunct Instructor
Registration Deadline: October 16, 2025
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November
Clinical Supervision Foundations II – 5 Part Series (16 hours)
Good clinical supervision is essential to the provision of high quality clinical services, the morale, professional development, and retention of staff, ethical behavior and professional boundaries, and the fidelity of evidence-based practices. This introductory course begins with the definition of clinical supervision, its goals and objectives, and the qualities and approaches of a good clinical supervisor. The structure and benefits of various types of supervision is reviewed and time management strategies are discussed. Didactic presentation, group discussion, small group work and case vignettes are used. In New York State, this training is required as part of the scopes of practice for clinicians who have supervisory responsibilities..
- Date: November 4, November 6, November 12, November 13 and November 18, 2025
- Time: 1:00 pm – 4:30 pm
- Trainer: Liliane Drago, MAC, CASAC-M, VP of Training Outreach Training Institute
Registration Deadline: October 24, 2025
Important: Outreach Training Institute has transitioned to a new Learning Management System, Digital Chalk. As part of the registration process, you will be asked to create an account. To apply for any of the courses, you will need to complete a separate registration form for each course. You will receive a response to confirm your enrollment. Please save your login credentials, as you will need them to access the training and future certificates or course registrations.
SOR REGISTRATION LINK
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