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
January
Ethics & Professional Boundaries (3 hours)
This training provides a review of the OASAS Code of Professional Ethics governing the treatment of individuals with behavioral health disorders, which closely aligns with ethical standards followed by many professionals serving this population. Participants will examine common ethical dilemmas encountered in practice and apply a structured ethical decision-making model that can be used across a wide range of ethically challenging situations in service delivery.
- Date: Wednesday, January 7, 2026
- Time: 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM
- Trainer: Dolores Jewell, PhD, JD, Adjunct Instructor
Registration Deadline: January 4, 2026
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Suicide Assessment and Intervention (3 hours)
This training will provide participants with the knowledge and ability to identify patients who are at risk of suicide and formulate effective interventions to address possible suicidal behaviors.
- Date: Thursday January 8, 2026
- Time: 2:00 pm – 5:00pm
- Trainer: Dayna Smith Slade, CSAC (VA), MAC, SAP, MA, MS, Adjunct Instructor
Registration Deadline: January 4, 2026
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Cultural Competence in SUD Treatment (3 hours)
This course introduces participants to the core concepts of cultural competence and cultural humility, exploring how culture, identity, worldview, and intersectionality shape human experience and professional practice. Through self-reflection, discussion, and applied activities, participants examine implicit bias, stereotypes, and systems of oppression, and learn strategies to recognize and manage their own biases. The course emphasizes creating inclusive, respectful, and effective relationships by viewing clients and colleagues as experts in their own cultural experiences and committing to lifelong learning.
- Date: Tuesday January 13, 2026
- Time: 2:00pm – 5:00pm
- Trainer: Shameika Williams, Ed.D, Senior Trainer
Registration Deadline: January 7, 2026
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Motivational Interviewing Tune-Up (3 hours)
This interactive MI Tune-Up course is designed for individuals who have previously received training in Motivational Interviewing and who actively use MI in their practice. The course offers an opportunity to refresh foundational MI principles, practice core skills, and deepen confidence in real-world application.
- Date: Wednesday January 14, 2026
- Time: 2:00pm – 5:00pm
- Instructor: Liliane Drago, MA, MAC, CASAC-M, VP Training
Registration Deadline: January 7, 2026
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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, safety planning, and universal safety tips clients can implement immediately to reduce overdose risk.
- Date: Thursday, January 22, 2026
- Time: 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM
- Trainer: Kelly Smith, DSW, LMSW, Adjunct Instructor
Registration Deadline: January 15, 2026
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Crisis Prevention and De-Escalation (3 hours)
This course provides participants with practical strategies to prevent crises and safely de-escalate volatile verbal and physical situations in behavioral health and human service settings. Participants learn to recognize stages of escalation, respond with appropriate staff approaches, and use trauma-informed techniques that prioritize safety, dignity, and treatment effectiveness. Emphasis is placed on prevention, therapeutic communication, and using crisis situations as opportunities for learning and growth for both clients and staff.
- Date: Wednesday January 28, 2026
- Time: 2:00 pm – 5:00pm
- Trainer: Dayna Smith Slade, CSAC (VA), MAC, SAP, MA, MS, Adjunct Instructor
Registration Deadline: January 21, 2026
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February
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: Tuesday February 3, 2026
- Time: 2:00 pm – 5:00pm
- Trainer: Dolores Jewell, PhD, JD, Adjunct Instructor
Registration Deadline: January 27, 2026
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DBT Skills and Protocol Overview (3 hours)
This training provides an overview of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), including its evidence-based protocol, core treatment structure, and effectiveness in reducing self-harm, emotional distress, and treatment dropout. Participants learn the five DBT skill sets—mindfulness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness, and dialectical abstinence—and how to apply them in clinical and substance use treatment settings.
- Date: Thursday February 12, 2026
- Time: 2:00 pm – 5:00pm
- Trainer: Gretchen Grappone, LICSW, Adjunct Instructor
Registration Deadline: February 5, 2026
• • • • • •
Cultural Trauma (3 hours)
This training examines cultural trauma, historical trauma, and intergenerational trauma, exploring how collective and systemic harms shape individual and community well-being over time. Participants learn to identify groups affected by cultural trauma, recognize contemporary reminders and manifestations of trauma, and understand its impact within substance use disorder treatment settings. The course emphasizes culturally responsive, trauma-informed, and structural approaches to care, including individual, community, and organizational strategies that promote healing and equity.
- Date: Thursday February 19, 2026
- Time: 2:00 pm – 5:00pm
- Trainer: Gretchen Grappone, LICSW, Adjunct Instructor
Registration Deadline: February 12
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Working with the LGBTQIA Community (3 hours)
This training provides participants with foundational knowledge of LGBTQIA+ terminology, identities, and lived experiences, with a focus on understanding the unique behavioral health challenges faced by the queer community. Participants explore the impacts of discrimination, stigma, and intersectionality while learning ethical, affirming, and culturally responsive approaches to treatment and support. Emphasis is placed on practical strategies that promote safety, respect, and effective care for LGBTQIA+ clients, families, and colleagues across service settings
- Date: Wednesday February 25, 2026
- Time: 2:00 pm – 5:00pm
- Trainer: Gretchen Grappone, LICSW, Adjunct Instructor
Registration Deadline: February 18, 2026
• • • • • •
Beyond the Test: Empathy, Bias, and Advocacy in Toxicology and Substance Use Disorder Recovery (3 hours)
This training delves into the appropriate use of toxicology test as per OASAS guidelines, the biases inherent in toxicology testing, emphasizing empathic communication with individuals in recovery, exploring relapse conversations, and advocating to support justice-involved individuals struggling with substance use disorders.
- Date: Thursday February 26, 2026
- Time: 2:00 pm – 5:00pm
- Trainer: Paige Fisk, LCSW, Adjunct Instructor
Registration Deadline: February 19, 2026
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March
Collaborative Documentation (3 hours)
This course introduces collaborative documentation, a person-centered approach in which clinicians and clients jointly complete progress notes during the final minutes of a session, transforming documentation into a therapeutic intervention. Participants will learn how to use collaborative DAP notes to improve client engagement, clarify treatment goals, enhance transparency, and strengthen motivation while meeting clinical and compliance requirements. The training highlights evidence-based benefits for both clients and clinicians, including improved treatment adherence, stronger rapport, and significant reductions in documentation time.
- Date: Wednesday, March 4, 2026
- Time: 2:00 pm – 5:00pm
- Trainer: Dolores Jewell, PhD, JD, Adjunct Instructor
Registration Deadline: April 27, 2024
• • • • • •
Improving Client Engagement and Compliance (3 hours)
This course will focus on how to effectively engage clients into treatment and use evidenced-based strategies shown to increase retention. Strategies to develop rapport, address client anxieties and apprehensions about treatment, increase motivation, collaboratively establish treatment goals, and establish a working alliance will be examined. Participants will practice using some of these strategies in counseling simulations.
- Date: Wednesday, March 11, 2026
- Time: 2:00 pm – 5:00pm
- Trainer: TBD
Registration Deadline: March 4, 2026
• • • • • •
DBT Skills and Protocol Overview (3 hours)
This training provides an overview of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), including its evidence-based protocol, core treatment structure, and effectiveness in reducing self-harm, emotional distress, and treatment dropout. Participants learn the five DBT skill sets—mindfulness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness, and dialectical abstinence—and how to apply them in clinical and substance use treatment settings.
- Date: Thursday March 19, 2026
- Time: 2:00 pm – 5:00pm
- Trainer: Gretchen Grappone, LICSW, Adjunct Instructor
Registration Deadline: March 12, 2026
• • • • • •
Motivational Interviewing Tune Up (3 hours)
This interactive MI Tune-Up course is designed for individuals who have previously received training in Motivational Interviewing and who actively use MI in their practice. The course offers an opportunity to refresh foundational MI principles, strengthen core skills, and deepen confidence in real-world application.
- Date: Thursday March 26, 2026
- Time: 2:00 pm – 5:00pm
- Trainer: Liliane Drago, MA, MAC, CASAC-M, VP Training
Registration Deadline: March 19, 2026
• • • • • •
April
Working with the LGBTQ+ Youth in the Field of SUD and MH (3 hours)
This training equips providers with the knowledge and skills to deliver affirming, culturally responsive substance use and mental health services to LGBTQ+ youth. Participants explore LGBTQ+ identities, minority stress, social determinants of health, and intersectionality, and examine how these factors influence risk, resilience, and treatment engagement. Emphasis is placed on practical, youth-centered strategies for prevention, recovery, allyship, and creating safe, inclusive environments that support LGBTQ+ youth in surviving, thriving, and healing
- Date: Wednesday April 15, 2026
- Time: 2:00 pm – 5:00pm
- Trainer: Shameika Johnson, Ed.D., Senior Trainer
Registration Deadline: April 8, 2026
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Psychological Trauma and Trauma-Informed Care (3 hours)
This course will provide an understanding for all staff members who work in substance use disorder treatment and have client contact, regardless of role. The goal of the course is to help sensitize participants to the impact trauma has on clients and how to interact with clients in a trauma-informed manner. The definition of trauma, its signs and symptoms, and its pervasive impact on individuals will be explored. Principles of trauma-informed care will be presented and participants will discuss how to apply these to their work settings.
- Date: Thursday April 16, 2026
- Time: 2:00 pm – 5:00pm
- Trainer: TBD
Registration Deadline: April 9, 2026
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Medications for Addiction Treatment (3 hours)
This training provides a comprehensive overview of medications used in the treatment of substance use disorders, grounded in a bio-psycho-social framework of addiction. Participants learn about the indications, mechanisms of action, benefits, limitations, and myths associated with medications for alcohol, opioid, and nicotine use disorders, including methadone, buprenorphine, naltrexone, and overdose reversal agents. Emphasis is placed on integrating medication treatment with counseling, recovery supports, and ethical, stigma-reducing clinical practice to support individualized and effective care
- Date: Wednesday April 22, 2026
- Time: 2:00 pm – 5:00pm
- Trainer: Gina Stafford, LMFT, Adjunct Instructor
Registration Deadline: April 15, 2026
• • • • • •
Improving Client Engagement and Compliance (3 hours)
This course will focus on how to effectively engage clients into treatment and use evidenced-based strategies shown to increase retention. Strategies to develop rapport, address client anxieties and apprehensions about treatment, increase motivation, collaboratively establish treatment goals, and establish a working alliance will be examined. Participants will practice using some of these strategies in counseling simulations.
- Date: Tuesday April 28, 2026
- Time: 2:00 pm – 5:00pm
- Trainer: Kelly Smith, DSW, LMSW, Adjunct Instructor
Registration Deadline: April 21, 2026
• • • • • •
Mastering Crisis Responses: Comprehensive In-Person, Community and Phone Strategies (3 hours)
This comprehensive training session is designed to equip participants with the skills to effectively handle crises in various settings. The presentation includes practical strategies and techniques, focusing on the immediate handling of actual crises in person, in the community, and over the phone, ensuring a well-rounded approach to dealing with both self-harm and harm to others.
- Date: Thursday April 30, 2026
- Time: 2:00 pm – 5:00pm
- Trainer: TBD
Registration Deadline: April 23, 2026
• • • • • •
May
Integrated Care in Action (3 hours)
This training provides participants with practical, actionable skills for delivering integrated care to individuals engaged in behavioral healthcare Participants will learn how to apply integrated care principles including screening and assessment, collaborative treatment planning, care coordination, and team communication. Through case examples and interactive exercises, clinicians will practice using brief assessment tools, working effectively with multidisciplinary team members, and addressing social determinants of health.
- Date: Wednesday May 6, 2026
- Time: 2:00 pm – 5:00pm
- Trainer: Shameika Williams, Ed.D, Senior Trainer
Registration Deadline: May 27, 2026
• • • • • •
Suicide Assessment and Intervention (3 hours)
This course provides participants with essential knowledge and practical skills to identify, assess, and respond to suicide risk in behavioral health and substance use treatment settings. Participants learn to recognize warning signs, risk and protective factors, conduct direct suicide inquiries, and implement evidence-based interventions including safety planning, referral, and ongoing monitoring. Emphasis is placed on trauma-informed, ethical, and collaborative approaches that prioritize client safety, clinical judgment, and continuity of care.
- Date: Thursday May 7, 2026
- Time: 2:00 pm – 5:00pm
- Trainer: Paige Fisk, LCSW, Adjunct Instructor
Registration Deadline: April 30, 2026
• • • • • •
Trauma-Informed Supervision (3 hours)
This course explores trauma-informed supervision, a supervisory approach that recognizes the impact of trauma on both staff and clients and integrates trauma-informed principles into the supervisory relationship. Participants will learn how to support supervisees by addressing emotional reactions to the work—such as secondary trauma, burnout, and countertransference—while building trauma-informed competencies grounded in safety, trust, collaboration, and empowerment. Through practical frameworks and case examples, supervisors will strengthen staff wellness, improve clinical practice, and model trauma-informed care across their organizations.
- Date: Tuesday, May 12, 2026
- Time: 2:00 pm – 5:00pm
- Trainer: TBD
Registration Deadline: May 5, 2026
• • • • • •
Co-Occurring Disorders (3 hours)
The high prevalence of co-occurring mental health issues occurring in individuals with substance use disorders poses special challenges in assessment, treatment planning and service provision. This presentation will explore differential assessment, common modifications in treatment for individuals with co-occurring disorders, guidelines for treatment of some specific diagnoses, medication management issues, and service goals.
- Date: Thursday, May 14, 2026
- Time: 2:00 pm – 5:00pm
- Trainer: Dr. Dolores Jewell, PHD, JD, Adjunct Instructor
Registration Deadline: May 7, 2026
• • • • • •
Cultural Competence in SUD Treatment (3 hours)
This course introduces participants to the core concepts of cultural competence and cultural humility, exploring how culture, identity, worldview, and intersectionality shape human experience and professional practice. Through self-reflection, discussion, and applied activities, participants examine implicit bias, stereotypes, and systems of oppression, and learn strategies to recognize and manage their own biases. The course emphasizes creating inclusive, respectful, and effective relationships by viewing clients and colleagues as experts in their own cultural experiences and committing to lifelong learning.
- Date: Wednesday May 20, 2026
- Time: 2:00 pm – 5:00pm
- Trainer: Shameika Williams, Ed.D, Senior Trainer
Registration Deadline: May 13, 2026
• • • • • •
June
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 June 3, 2026
- Time: 2:00 pm – 5:00pm
- Trainer: Dolores Jewell, PhD, JD, Adjunct Instructor
Registration Deadline: May 27, 2026
• • • • • •
Crisis Prevention and De-Escalation (3 hours)
This course provides participants with practical strategies to prevent crises and safely de-escalate volatile verbal and physical situations in behavioral health and human service settings. Participants learn to recognize stages of escalation, respond with appropriate staff approaches, and use trauma-informed techniques that prioritize safety, dignity, and treatment effectiveness. Emphasis is placed on prevention, therapeutic communication, and using crisis situations as opportunities for learning and growth for both clients and staff.
- Date: Wednesday June 10, 2026
- Time: 2:00 pm – 5:00pm
- Trainer: Shameika Williams, Ed.D, Senior Trainer
Registration Deadline: June 3, 2026
• • • • • •
Collaborative Documentation (3 hours)
This course introduces collaborative documentation, a person-centered approach in which clinicians and clients jointly complete progress notes during the final minutes of a session, transforming documentation into a therapeutic intervention. Participants will learn how to use collaborative DAP notes to improve client engagement, clarify treatment goals, enhance transparency, and strengthen motivation while meeting clinical and compliance requirements. The training highlights evidence-based benefits for both clients and clinicians, including improved treatment adherence, stronger rapport, and significant reductions in documentation time.
- Date: Wednesday June 24, 2026
- Time: 2:00 pm – 5:00pm
- Trainer: Dolores Jewell, PhD, JD, Adjunct Instructor
Registration Deadline: June 17, 2024
• • • • • •
Improving Client Engagement and Compliance (3 hours)
This course will focus on how to effectively engage clients into treatment and use evidenced-based strategies shown to increase retention. Strategies to develop rapport, address client anxieties and apprehensions about treatment, increase motivation, collaboratively establish treatment goals, and establish a working alliance will be examined. Participants will practice using some of these strategies in counseling simulations.
- Date: Tuesday June 30, 2026
- Time: 2:00 pm – 5:00pm
- Trainer: Shameika Williams, Ed.D, Senior Trainer
Registration Deadline: June 23, 2026
• • • • • •
July
Beyond the Test: Empathy, Bias, and Advocacy in Toxicology and Substance Use Disorder Recovery (3 hours)
This training delves into the appropriate use of toxicology test as per OASAS guidelines, the biases inherent in toxicology testing, emphasizing empathic communication with individuals in recovery, exploring relapse conversations, and advocating to support justice-involved individuals struggling with substance use disorders.
- Date: Wednesday July 15, 2026
- Time: 2:00 pm – 5:00pm
- Trainer: Kelly Smith, DSW, LMSW, Adjunct Instructor
Registration Deadline: July 8, 2026
• • • • • •
Working with the LGBTQ+ Youth in the Field of SUD and MH (3 hours)
This training equips providers with the knowledge and skills to deliver affirming, culturally responsive substance use and mental health services to LGBTQ+ youth. Participants explore LGBTQ+ identities, minority stress, social determinants of health, and intersectionality, and examine how these factors influence risk, resilience, and treatment engagement. Emphasis is placed on practical, youth-centered strategies for prevention, recovery, allyship, and creating safe, inclusive environments that support LGBTQ+ youth in surviving, thriving, and healing
- Date: Tuesday, July 21, 2026
- Time: 2:00 pm – 5:00pm
- Trainer: Shameika Johnson, Ed.D., Senior Trainer
Registration Deadline: July 24, 2026
• • • • • •
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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